We are sad to hear that Kevin Durant is suffering from a Jones fracture. A Jones fracture is a common fracture of the 5th metatarsal (a long bone on the outside of the foot that connects to the little toe) commonly caused by an inward twisting injury of the foot. Durant most likely experienced pain, swelling and tenderness along the outside of his foot, had difficulty walking and may have had some bruising. It was crucial that Durant was diagnosed and treated immediately because the 5th metatarsal has a poor blood supply that impedes the healing process.
Nonsurgical treatments for Durant includes resting and icing, immobilizing his foot with a cast and avoiding placing any weight on his foot. Jones fractures can take 6 weeks to heal and another 2-3 weeks of rehabilitation to build up muscle strength and range of motion.
Most professional athletes opt to treat a Jones fracture operatively with a screw or plate placed across the fracture site to avoid the possibility of delayed healing or non-unions, which are frequent with Jones fractures. It could be 8-12 weeks before Durant returns to the court if he decides to have surgery.
All of us at Foot& Ankle Doctors, Inc are wishing Durant a speedy recovery.
Dr. Dardashti