This is what is involved in Patrick Mahomes’ surgery for turf toe and recovery time
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is expected to undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a turf toe injury that bothered him in the postseason.
Mahomes was injured last month during the Chiefs’ 22-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in an AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium.
The surgery to repair the injury, which is known medically as a plantar plate tear, will be performed by Dr. Robert Anderson, per NFL.com. Anderson is with Bellin Health Titletown Sports Medicine and Orthopedics in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His specialties are sports medicine, and orthopedic foot and ankle surgery.
What causes turf toe?
Cedar Sinai hospital said this is a sprain of the largest joint of the big toe.
“It happens when your toe forcibly bends upwards, such as when you push off into a sprint,” the hospital said on its website.
Craig Thomajan of the Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists said in a YouTube tutorial that the ligament in question stabilizes toes. The injury can cause the toes to drift and the surrounding ligaments will pull on each other. The result is an overload on the ball of the foot.
Turf toe got its name, Cedars Sinai said, “because the injury became more common when football players began playing on artificial turf instead of grass. Artificial turf is harder and less shock-absorbent than grass.”
But, as in the case of Mahomes, it can occur on a grass field, too.
Surgery
Sports-heath.com said there are three grades of turf toe injuries, with a Grade 3 being the most severe. A Grade 3 injury is the only one that requires surgery.
Mosa Foot and Surgery in Miami Beach said on its website an operation “involves sewing the ligament (plantar plate) back together in the proper position to repair the tear.”
The Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists called the procedure “fairly simple and has little to no downtime for patients.” It said a pin is used to hold the healing area in place.
Recovery
“Because a plantar plate is a thick ligament that requires time to fully heal,” the Mosa site notes, “there is no way to speed up the healing process.”
The Austin site noted that following surgery a patient will wear a boot for up to six weeks.
Sports Health said weeks after surgery, “a person can apply weight when using proper footwear, consisting of supportive shoes with turf toe plate, and taping. Low, then medium-impact activities are added based on symptoms.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 11:22 AM.
