The Philadelphia 76er's Basketball team looks a little crestfallen at the moment.  The number 1 pick in last year's NBA draft is out for the season after not suiting up for a single game.  With a few minutes remaining in preseason practice, Ben Simmons rolled his ankle and with that seemingly innocuous incident he put the plans of the long suffering franchise on ice for another 12 months.  Why?  The dastardly Jones Fracture.

Rolled ankles are common.  Most of the population at some point will have rolled an ankle. Normally a few days of soreness ensues, then you are back on top of your game.  Occasionally, a more serious strain might put you on the side lines for a few weeks.  A really nasty roll with lateral collateral ankle ligament damage with or without an avulsion fracture will see you side lined for 6-8 weeks and possibly immobilised.  Why then, does a Jones fracture involve such a lengthy lay off and on occasion, ruin a full season?

A Jones fracture involves the 5th metatarsal just distal to the Styloid Process (the lumpy bit on the outside of your foot).  Most fractures in this region are relatively stable and heal withing 6-8 weeks of reduced weight bearing.  Unfortunately, a Jones fracture occurs in a compromised region where relatively poor blood supply paired with a degree of instability caused by the insertion of Peroneus Brevis muscle and it's activation.  The constant firing of this muscle causes the boney fragments to move rather then form a strong union.  Consequently, surgery to reduce recovery time is indicated in some instances.

Despite this. Jones fractures are relatively rare.  If however, you have ongoing ankle soreness, swelling and tenderness in the weeks after an ankle sprain, review for diagnosis and imaging is appropriate.  It is also handy to rule out other nasty injuries subsequent to an ankle sprain such as Talar dome lesions or a high ankle syndesmotic injury but let us leave these bad boys to another discussion.  

Chat to us if you have any ankle sprain queries and lets hope the 76ers can get it done in 2018.  (I still support the Golden State Warriors first and foremost, but have a soft spot for the City of Brotherly Love).

Words

Nathan White

The Pedaler Podiatry - Serving Milton, Paddington, Bardon, Auchenflower, Red Hill and the CBD.