Americans munch on approximately 1.3 billion chicken wings each year during the ‘Big Game,’ according to the National Chicken Council!
Another startling statistic about football as we head towards this weekend’s big match-up is that there are an average of seven different injuries suffered during every 60-minute game in the NFL–ranging in severity from sprains/strains to concussions (the NFL 2017 injury report).
Knee injuries are by far the most common of all football injuries, followed by ankle injuries.
Our sports injury doctors and board-certified orthopedic surgeons in Austin frequently treat football injuries. Here’s the ‘411’ on the 5 most common football injuries we see:
- Fractures: most often to bones in the finger, wrist and leg
- Tendonitis: an inflammation of tendons and muscles usually affecting the Achilles tendon or hamstring
- ACL tears: painful tearing or snapping of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in the knee, typically requiring surgical repair
- Turf toe: a sprain of the main joint of the big toe as a result of repeated grinding and digging of the toes into the ground, and especially on hard surfaces like artificial turf
- Meniscus tears: when the main cartilage in the knee joint tears from sharp or excessive twisting and kicking motions
These same injuries are common in other sports too with quick cutting and weaving movement on the feet, like basketball and soccer. If you experience a serious injury while playing any sport, please contact us at (512) 439-1000 or schedule an online appointment with our specialists right here.
Keep up with Texas Orthopedics news by following us on Facebook and Twitter (@TexasOrthopedic).
(Adapted from Verywell Health)
