How to treat an ankle bone chip – Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a big dude. He runs 7 foot 3 and comes in at 260 pounds. He’s on the disabled list for the Cleveland Caviliers for at least a month with a bone chip in his ankle. Interesting. Why? Well, he has a history of foot problems and this is just the latest.

  1. What is an ankle bone chip? Most people might think n ankle bone chip is similar to a heel spur and they would be right, except the chip is a free floating part of the ankle that has come off. In Zydrunas’ case, the part of the ankle affected isn’t part of his foot structure.The ankle is a joint, so more than likely the bone came from one of the many in his foot. Again, this is concerning for him since his foot has suffered many injuries in the past. Through an MRI they were able to determine that this isn’t a structural issue.
  2. What are the symptoms of an ankle bone chip? Pain and discomfort would be the most. Zydrunas himself said, “I played on it but it didn’t feel good. I wasn’t the player I should be.” This is a great indication of a lingering injury. At first they thought it was a normal strained ankle, but time proved that it was a more important injury.
  3. How do you treat an ankle bone chip? Excellent question. The best thing, if the injury isn’t structural in nature, is rest and elevation. The idea is that the bone will graft back into place without intervention. This means he won’t be jumping or running for a while. If the issue is structural you’re looking at a cast or surgery. Since he’s had a number of foot surgeries, I am sure they don’t want to rush into this.
  4. How long does it take to recover from an ankle bone chip? It depends on the severity, but a few weeks should do it.

I am thinking he’ll be back sooner than a month.

Anatomy and Injuries of the Foot and Ankle

2 comments

  1. thats pathetic.
    Ive had 2 surgery’s this year and another one on the way bc of my ankle being chipped RIGHT ON THE JOINT!
    This bitch needs to grow some fucking balls and learn to deal with the pain and be a man.
    & I still play sports, even though my doctor told me not to,
    I still do, still first sting for football.
    still Short Stop for softball, and still a post on basket ball.

    People these days… >.<

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