Fall camp for the Ohio State Buckeyes begins in five weeks and senior running back, Jordan Hall will need every one of them and then some to recover from the foot surgery he was forced to undergo this Saturday.
Earlier in the week, Hall had been walking barefoot in grass when he stepped on a piece of glass. The cut was deep enough to require surgery and a non-weight bearing cast for 6 weeks after, followed by 4 weeks of rehabilitation. There are many important structures located fairly superficially from the skin on the bottom of the foot that could have been damaged including the plantar fascia (which is known for becoming inflamed in plantar fasciitis) and a number of muscles, nerves and blood vessels. Ideally, injured tendons and ligaments can take up around six to eight weeks to heal to good strength, so it is likely some serious soft tissues needed repair to call for this length of time in a cast.
Although an extreme, Hall’s unlucky injury should serve as a reminder to others to always be aware of where you are walking barefoot this summer. Not only may dangerous objects such as nails or glass be lurking to damage the unsuspecting foot, much more common maladies can also arise from being barefoot. Both warts and athlete’s foot, or tinea pedis can be acquired by going barefoot in areas where others with these diseases have walked. Foot warts are caused by a strain of the Herpes Simplex Virus different from the strains of Herpes that cause sexually transmitted disease. Warts can resemble a corn or callus and can be very painful on the foot. Athlete’s foot commonly develops as an itchy, scaly rash on the bottom of the foot, or as itchy areas between the toes where skin will often show signs of breakdown. Increased wetness on the foot from improper drying after bathing, excessive sweating, or wearing wet socks and shoes can also contribute to the development of tinea pedis.
Individuals with peripheral neuropathy and diabetes should avoid walking barefoot due to lack of adequate nerve sensation and ability to detect the pain associated with a cut or scrape. When an individual with neuropathy, or nerve disease cuts their foot, they may not notice for a longer period of time than an individual with normal sensation. This can lead to serious complications such as infection. Luckily, Jordan Hall’s nerves quickly indicated to him that his foot was in trouble and he was able to receive medical attention quickly. Hall has reported via his twitter account that his surgery went successfully.
Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.
