The Wisconsin Badgers vs. Kentucky Wildcats game in the Final Four may have generated more hype than the NCAA Championship game (Wisconsin vs. Duke) this year. It was a story of redemption as the Badgers spoiled Kentucky’s undefeated season after losing to them in the same round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament last year.
The victory was even sweeter considering Wisconsin’s star point guard, Traevon Jackson, sat most of the season out after breaking his foot in a regular season game against Reutgers. My last three blogs focused on the severity of open fractures, but closed fractures (those that do not penetrate the skin) are much more common in sports. Basketball players in particular are at an increased risk due to the constant jumping, pivoting, and running they do.
While open fractures will undoubtedly end a season (if not a career) like we saw through Kevin Ware’s unfortunate injury two years ago, closed fractures can be treated in as little as six weeks. It took Jackson nine weeks to fully recover, but he did indeed recover with enough function remaining in his right foot to dominate the floor against Kentucky and lead his team to the men’s NCAA Division I Championship.
