Dr. Meghan Kelly
By Dan Murphy
NY Jets QB Aaron Rodgers suffered a season ending injury after just four plays in the first game of the year on September 11, when he ruptured his Achillies tendon. Rodgers, 39, has played in the NFL for 18 years.
We spoke to Dr. Meghan Kelly, Assistant Professor, Foot & Ankle Surgery, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, to find out more about Rodgers injury and how it affects everyday athletes, including those of us who exercise and play sports occasionally as “Weekend Warriors.”
“Achilles ruptures are terrible injuries and are common with professional athletes like Aaron Rodgers. But I see these injuries quite frequently with my patients.
“The tendon of the Achillies pops when it ruptures. It is probably the second most common sports injury that I see, with ankle fractures being the first.
“For high performance athletes like Rodgers, it is a very predictable scenario to see him go down, and the Achillies pop, without any significant contact.
“For most of the population, Achilles injuries happen in the springtime, after we hibernate for the winter and don’t exercise a lot. Our bodies are not used to a high energy workout and patients come in with Achillies injuries.
“Rodgers injury came in the fall because the NFL conditioning schedule is different from the rest of us; NFL players work out and prepare their bodies for the regular season over the summer.
“But this injury can occur in professional athletes when their bodies are not quite ready yet, or they are having persistent issues with their calves.
“The patients that I see that come in with an ruptured Achillies feel like they got shot in the leg. And it happens in all types of professional and recreational sports including soccer, basketball and surfing –and we are now seeing this type of injury from Pickleball,” said Dr. Kelly
Is it common for a person of Rodgers age to sustain a torn Achillies? “The typical age is late 30’s -40’s, and it’s very typical for a weekend warrior, who exercises heavily.”
“But we also see a ruptured Achilles in younger athletes at an elite level. The explosive motion that is required for professional sports lends itself to this type of injury.
The Achilles tendon is a strong fibrous cord that connects the muscles in the back of your calf to your heel bone. “It’s like when you curl weights with your bicep and lift it up and bring the weight down. The blood flow comes to the Achilles from the heel and calf muscle -and a lack of blood flow in the middle of the tendon is when the rupture occurs.”
Rogers sustained his injury at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which has an astroturf field. Does this type of injury occur more on turf than grass?
“Studies do show an increase in injuries overall on turf, including turf toe, which many athletes have. A lot of athletes also like low profile shoes that don’t have a lot of protection but allow them to push off better. The World Cup recently announced that their games will be played on natural gras moving forward.
Is this type of injury avoidable?
“Stretching is important and specifically Achilles strengthening exercises. You can find examples on YouTube. These types of exercises, rehab strengthening exercises, can help prevent your Achillies from popping.
“Warming up properly, especially if you are occasionally exercising is also important. But it is not 100% preventable. The #1 question about Achillies injuries that I get from patients is how can I make sure this won’t happen to the other side—other leg.
“I think what happened to Rodgers is that his level of physical activity was so great, and he was exerting so much force on his calf, that it ruptured.
“New York Nets basketball start Kevin Durant had a similar injury, and he came down on it and boom. A lot of times it’s just the wrong place at the wrong time.
What is the average rehabiliation time for your patients?
“For most of my patients it takes a full year to get better, but some athletes are able to get back to playing again after 6-7 months. It helps if you are younger. I’ve had surfers back on the waves, or patients dancing at their wedding after 5 months. A lot of it is getting over the fear factor that it is going to rupture again,” said Dr. Kelly.
For Rodgers, six months from his Sept 11 injury is March 11, and the Super Bowl is Feb. 11. So its unlikely that he will be back this season.
“Even though Rogers is 39, relatively old for professional sports, I remind my patients that Cam Akers of the NFL Rams ruptured his Achilles at the age of 23,” said Dr. Kelly, who was at the game between the Jets and the Bills. “Nobody went home happy that night. Bills fans were mad that we lost, and Jets fan were mad that they lost Rogers -most likely for this year.”
Dr. Meghan Kelly is an Assistant Professor of Foot and Ankle Surgery at Mount Sinai specializing in foot and ankle disorders. Prior to medical school Dr. Kelly received her PhD in physiology and biophysics from Boston University School of Medicine researching cellular metabolism and the effects of exercise. She is also involved with the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, serving on the health policy and humanitarian committees and a member of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society.
Visit mountsinai.org for more information.
