As my sophomore year in college comes to end, the amount of homework, tests, and quizzes increases. It has a direct effect on everything I do, especially writing. I apologize for not writing as frequently as before, but the next three weeks will be consists of less writing and more school related activities. I promise to write every single day during my break.
Studying to be a physical therapist has allowed me to acquire a vast knowledge of the muscles and tendons that are effected in every day life. I know I have a lot more to learn but I feel like I can apply my knowledge to the injuries that athletes get throughout their career.
Kobe Bryant has led the Los Angeles Lakers to 5 championships since he arrived in the NBA in 1996. But, last night Kobe might have sustained a career ending injury, by tearing his Achilles tendon. For those of you who don't know what that is, the Achilles tendon is a large tendon on the back (posterior) of your leg from the middle of one's calf (gastrocnemius) and attaches into the heel (calcaneus). It is the thickest and longest tendon in your body The A.T. allows one's foot to flex and extend and can receive stress applied to the body.
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| As you can see, the white colored tendon in the picture above, originates in the calf muscle (Gastrocnemius) and inserts in to the heel (calcaneus). (Photo from 321gomd.com) |
A prominent landmark on the body, when ruptured (torn completely apart) the Achilles tendon can snap louder than that of a bullet shot out of a gun. It is close to impossible for a person to walk after rupturing their Achilles tendon, and requires, in many cases, open surgery where the surgeon will stitch together the tendon, or in some extreme cases (Kobe's case) the surgeon will take another muscle and essentially wrap it around the torn tendon increasing it's strength while it is being rehabilitated.
Due to the surgery and the intense rehabilitation process Kobe will be out 6-9 months. Even for his remarkable athleticism Kobe's age will allow for the rehabbing process to incredibly slow but with the proper work he should be back for the start of the 2013-2014 NBA season. Rehabbing exercises are mainly strengthening exercises that start about a month after surgery. Simple exercises such as ankle rolls and stretches are pivotal in rehab because in order to be as explosive as he once was, Kobe will need to be comfortable with putting a lot pressure on his tendon. The potentially heartbreaking part of Kobe's injury though is that at 34 years old, the muscle will take a longer time to heal properly. As the body ages muscles become weaker and take much longer to repair itself. Because of the severity of this injury I would not be surprised if Kobe losses a lot of the talent and success he had in years past.
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| A picture of a ruptured left Achilles tendon. As you can see the left foot is completely straight, whereas the right is slightly flexed. |
Rupturing one's Achilles tendon is an incredibly serious injury that can have lasting effects even after a successful surgery. As bad as I want to see Kobe overcome this injury, his retirement may be coming a lot faster than he and the rest of the world expected. The Lakers must plan for his ending now, while they can by looking in the upcoming draft. Drafting a shooting guard in the first round or trading for one is now a necessity for the team.
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Email me: nshelat6@gmail.com
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