Bruschi starts the season?????

[RayClay]

Not according to any medical sites I've seen.

Google "scaphoid bone" and tell me the site that says 4 weeks.

I believe 8-12 is the consensus and longer isn't out of the picture.

Not trying to be pessimistic, just prepared which is something I don't think we are at the position.

Tomase of the Herald is not a medical expert by the way, despite his frequent liposuction surgeries.

 

[patsox23]

Not according to any medical sites I've seen.

Google "scaphoid bone" and tell me the site that says 4 weeks.

I believe 8-12 is the consensus and longer isn't out of the picture.

Not trying to be pessimistic, just prepared which is something I don't think we are at the position.

Tomase of the Herald is not a medical expert by the way, despite his frequent liposuction surgeries.

First of all, that's obnoxious. Secondly, Tomase isn't giving HIS medical opinion, he's giving opinions of doctors who he has, ya know, INTERVIEWED. I'm glad your google search has told you what the real truth of Tedy's condition is, though. Congrats.

To be more on point, I don't know of many people who are suggesting Tedy "will open the season." But most of us are buying the 6-8 week window we've heard about. If it's longer than that, then so be it. But you're acting as though the information we're getting is based on layman conjecture and that's neither right nor fair of you to suggest.

 

[BelichickFan]

I don't know, none of us are doctors. The question isn't really when it will be fully healed but when can he reasonably play with it. Fully healed in 8-12 weeks . . . maybe it's healed enough to play after 6 weeks after the Bills, Jets warm up games. None of us really has a clue.

 

[patsox23]

I don't know, none of us are doctors. The question isn't really when it will be fully healed but when can he reasonably play with it. Fully healed in 8-12 weeks . . . maybe it's healed enough to play after 6 weeks after the Bills, Jets warm up games. None of us really has a clue.

Right, but does Dr. Morgan - who Thomase QUOTED in the article? This is what I'm saying.

 

[BelichickFan]

Right, but does Dr. Morgan - who Thomase QUOTED in the article? This is what I'm saying.

I know, and he said 6-8 right ? The lower side of that has him back for Week 3. But I also don't think he had much experience with NFL players and what level of healing could reasonably be played with.

 

[RayClay]

First of all, that's obnoxious. Secondly, Tomase isn't giving HIS medical opinion, he's giving opinions of doctors who he has, ya know, INTERVIEWED. I'm glad your google search has told you what the real truth of Tedy's condition is, though. Congrats.

To be more on point, I don't know of many people who are suggesting Tedy "will open the season." But most of us are buying the 6-8 week window we've heard about. If it's longer than that, then so be it. But you're acting as though the information we're getting is based on layman conjecture and that's neither right nor fair of you to suggest.

How do you know? Has he named any doctors?

If so I would love to get their take on this. Are they hand surgeons, sports orthopedics, the surgeons at Mass General?

I did look up the web sites of Doctor's who have those qualifications and could provide a number of links.

I don't think I should have to personally interview doctors in that field until Mr. Tomase gives me the name of the Doctors he's interviewed.

BTW, he opined that Bruschi would be out for the season with a calf "tear" last year.

I think he missed a game.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

The real problem with wrist injuries is that they don't heal correctly like normal injuries because the blood flow to the wrist is very limited.

Any wrist injury of this nature is more serious than an arm injury like Vrabel had, or a broken finger or even leg, like Ted Washington had.

If Bruschi comes back too soon, it will not heal and he won't have any wrist strength or flexibility. Unless he really is SUPERHUMAN, and not just another tough, hard nose, throwback type football player.

Hope he heals ahead of schedule!

 

[CrazyDave]

The real problem with wrist injuries is that they don't heal correctly like normal injuries because the blood flow to the wrist is very limited.

Any wrist injury of this nature is more serious than an arm injury like Vrabel had, or a broken finger or even leg, like Ted Washington had.

If Bruschi comes back too soon, it will not heal and he won't have any wrist strength or flexibility. Unless he really is SUPERHUMAN, and not just another tough, hard nose, throwback type football player.

Hope he heals ahead of schedule!

Agreed. A wrist is pretty key for a LB. Unless you want them to tackle like Biesel and Chad Brown.

 

[RayClay]

I know, and he said 6-8 right ? The lower side of that has him back for Week 3. But I also don't think he had much experience with NFL players and what level of healing could reasonably be played with.

If this is the article I can't find any 6-8 weeks.

He does say six to eight weeks minimum. I think this is considering a highly trained athlete with all the facilities at his disposal.

He also mentions horror story scenarios which we completely ignore of course.

Given that he doesn't mention 8 weeks, I think a prognosis for 8-12 weeks is probably realistic.

An absolute minimum of six possible, a much longer recovery period also possible, according to Dr. Morgan, though we certainly want to be optimistic.

“Scaphoid fractures can be very difficult to deal with,†Morgan said. “Usually, early on you suspect the injury but don’t know for sure. You can get fooled because it’s a little peanut-shaped bone in three dimensions and an X-ray is only two-dimensional. The better part of valor is treat it like a fracture and get a follow-up X-ray.â€

Misdiagnosed or left untreated, the injury can be severe. Carolina Panthers linebacker Dusty Renfro broke the bone in training camp in 2001 and never played again, eventually winning a worker’s compensation suit. Reached at his office in Texas yesterday, Renfro declined comment, citing ongoing appeals.
In hockey, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Sheldon Souray missed the 2002-03 season with a scaphoid fracture that didn’t heal properly. He returned in 2004 and played well enough to be named an All-Star.


“I used to hate when people would second-guess with no idea of reality,†Morgan said. “For these fractures, you really have to be cautious. If it doesn’t heal properly, it can be a huge problem, even in Joe Blow, never mind a high-performance athlete.â€

“You’re still talking six weeks to heal at best,†he said of that scenario. “You don’t just put a screw in and say, ‘Now I can go play.’ You still have to heal, rehab, regain range of motion and strength. It needs to be healed for the intensity needed to play.â€
“The big problem is pain. You can’t extend your wrist,†Morgan said. “It becoes extremely difficult even for an athlete to do a push-up.â€

 

[MoLewisrocks]

All of this is just generalized guestimating based on what orthopedists have seen as the statistical norm for mere mortals (who get sent to outpatient PT 3 x a week if they're lucky) recovering from this injury. Tedy is THE GUY who returned to the NFL after suffering a stroke. He is a highly motiviated professional athlete who will be doing some form of rehab during each of his waking hours between now and the day he returns. Kinda like that aging SS some said would be lucky if he walked without a limp again let alone returned to a playing field.

These guys also often leave no stone unturned. Maybe Tedy has planned to borrow TO's hyperbaric chamber, or do reiki, or his docs at MGH have some other expensive or labor intensive suggestions they have proposed to speed up the healing process which most of us are never offered because of the cost and committment required to undertake that kind of intensive rehab process. Tedy has the will and the means to do whatever it takes. World of difference between him and us mere mortals.

 

[BelichickFan]

His quote is "Six weeks to heal at best". OK, so that says 6-X weeks. 6-8, 6-10, take your pick. But he's also saying "to heal" which I read as a complete healing. Could he play after 75% healing in 4-6 weeks ? Who knows. I don't. And I don't think anyone here does. At what point of healing can he tackle and not risk further injury ? 50% ? 75% ? 100%?

 

[RayClay]

The real problem with wrist injuries is that they don't heal correctly like normal injuries because the blood flow to the wrist is very limited.

Any wrist injury of this nature is more serious than an arm injury like Vrabel had, or a broken finger or even leg, like Ted Washington had.

If Bruschi comes back too soon, it will not heal and he won't have any wrist strength or flexibility. Unless he really is SUPERHUMAN, and not just another tough, hard nose, throwback type football player.

Hope he heals ahead of schedule!

Damn I hope so and I think so, this guy is Gumby.

But since he plays a position we're pretty lame at, let's strengthen it.

If he comes back early, we need the damn depth anyway!

 

[RayClay]

His quote is "Six weeks to heal at best". OK, so that says 6-X weeks. 6-8, 6-10, take your pick. But he's also saying "to heal" which I read as a complete healing. Could he play after 75% healing in 4-6 weeks ? Who knows. I don't. And I don't think anyone here does. At what point of healing can he tackle and not risk further injury ? 50% ? 75% ? 100%?

I guess if you only read what you want, then modify it, you can convince yourself of anything.

But you can't convince a difficult to heal bone to heal faster.

Unless you're Benny Hinn, I guess.

 

[BelichickFan]

I guess if you only read what you want, then modify it, you can convince yourself of anything.

Seriously, I'm not trying to be unrealistic but there probably is a point before 100% healing where he could play. 50%, 75%, 99%, I have no idea.

 

[RayClay]

All of this is just generalized guestimating based on what orthopedists have seen as the statistical norm for mere mortals (who get sent to outpatient PT 3 x a week if they're lucky) recovering from this injury. Tedy is THE GUY who returned to the NFL after suffering a stroke. He is a highly motiviated professional athlete who will be doing some form of rehab during each of his waking hours between now and the day he returns. Kinda like that aging SS some said would be lucky if he walked without a limp again let alone returned to a playing field.

These guys also often leave no stone unturned. Maybe Tedy has planned to borrow TO's hyperbaric chamber, or do reiki, or his docs at MGH have some other expensive or labor intensive suggestions they have proposed to speed up the healing process which most of us are never offered because of the cost and committment required to undertake that kind of intensive rehab process. Tedy has the will and the means to do whatever it takes. World of difference between him and us mere mortals.

Hence the absolute minimum 6 weeks.

Of course the 8-12 estimate came from a sports orthopedics site so I'd say it's in the ball park for athletes being able to perform without re-injuring.

 

[RayClay]

Seriously, I'm not trying to be unrealistic but there probably is a point before 100% healing where he could play. 50%, 75%, 99%, I have no idea.

Since I've already posted it, you might check the other quotes from Morgan.

Bruschi needs to grab some jersey and it is a difficult healing bone.

We need to audition some ILBs anyway, (like a boot camp). If Bru makes it in 6 I'll be ecstatic, longer I'll wait.

A linebacker that can't grab and hold won't help.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

His quote is "Six weeks to heal at best". OK, so that says 6-X weeks. 6-8, 6-10, take your pick. But he's also saying "to heal" which I read as a complete healing. Could he play after 75% healing in 4-6 weeks ? Who knows. I don't. And I don't think anyone here does. At what point of healing can he tackle and not risk further injury ? 50% ? 75% ? 100%?

Good point. Tedy isn't a 25 year old worried about the potential nagging impact on the next 8-10 years of his career. He's a guy probably playing in his last 3 or so years at best and this is an injury that pushing the envelope on will not severely compromise his life after football. Most therapy staff's have also gotten pretty savvy when it comes to incorporating eastern philosophy into their theraputic regimines these days. I've known several people who have had healing times on severe breaks cut dramatically by simply having totally non-invasive reiki treatments during the process. Much to their western docs chagrin.

 

[RayClay]

Seriously, I'm not trying to be unrealistic but there probably is a point before 100% healing where he could play. 50%, 75%, 99%, I have no idea.

BFan, when he says at best I think he means at best.

“You’re still talking six weeks to heal at best,†he said of that scenario. “You don’t just put a screw in and say, ‘Now I can go play.’ You still have to heal, rehab, regain range of motion and strength. It needs to be healed for the intensity needed to play.â€
“The big problem is pain. You can’t extend your wrist,†Morgan said. “It becomes extremely difficult even for an athlete to do a psh-up.â€

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Hence the absolute minimum 6 weeks.

Of course the 8-12 estimate came from a sports orthopedics site so I'd say it's in the ball park for athletes being able to perform without re-injuring.

Does it say anywhere on those sites that any information they offer is "absolute"? No, I didn't think so.

The vast majority of athletes treated by sports orthopedists are weekend warriors, not to mention patients like my 70 year old aunt who shattered her heel and who has also had multiple knee surgeries, who go to sports medicine practitioners because they tend to do a better job of restoring mobility. The poor bastids who have to factor her into their prognostications are screwed. If she can't take a pill for it it ain't getting better because she is rehab aversive.

You might recall earlier this season there were prognostications that indicated that an individual recovering from face plant reconstruction that required plates and screws and involved upper and lower jaw as well as orbital bone fractures would not be cleared for contact for 6 months. Only bionic Ben shattered that myth last night. Just like Culpepper and Brees and Noodle all returned to the field months before the injuries they suffered should have allowed them to according to all the sites I Google.

Tedy was very careful and conservative with his return last season. The one most sites and experts said would never happen. If he says he'll be back for the season opener, I wouldn't question him. And I wouldn't expect he'd be too far off in his estimation - like maybe week 2-3 at most.

 

[wcda]

Does the fact that he had it surgically repaired make a difference? Would the screw reduce the time needed to heal?