We’re now well into basketball season, and there are a variety of injuries that can happen on the hardwood.
But one that may be under recognized may be one of the most preventable.
Especially in college basketball, stress fractures of the foot are extremely common. Tiny breaks in the bone caused by repetitive jumping.

Basketball season always means a variety of injuries that can happen on the hardwood. But one that may be under recognized may be one of the most preventable. Especially in college basketball, stress fractures of the foot are extremely common. Tiny breaks in the bone caused by repetitive jumping.

Researchers have found that by doing MRI scans of the foot before the season, they can identify at-risk feet, and ward off basketball injuries before they happen. “Some players might have a little bit of soreness and then bam, they can’t play on it.” Dr. Nancy major is a researcher at Duke University who identified signs on MRI scans of an impending stress fracture, before they occur.

If undetected, a stress fracture can end a season or even a career.” We would see the shifts in the water around the bone and in the bone before the player actually complained that their foot hurt. Water should be very, very bright. You can see if this is normal, you can appreciate then if this is white is not normal and that is what we were looking for in this study is all of the white in this bone,” states Dr. Major.

If identified, a foot insert, or orthotic can be placed, which redistributes the stress on the bottom of the foot and prevents the fracture. Duke head coach mike Krzyzewski now has his players get a foot MRI before every season to ward off stress fractures if necessary. “It used to be they didn’t play ball all year long with the intensity that they do. They’d do something else on grass or something else. And by constantly pounding on that hard surface we’re going to have a greater chance of that happening,” Krzyzewski says.

The researchers say that while this is ideal for pro and college players, MRI scans might be appropriate for even the hearty weekend warrior who can’t live without hoops…and doesn’t want to sit out of exercise for 12 weeks while the fracture heals.
“There are people, in New York and elsewhere, who only play basketball and they look forward to their nightly games with their buddies and so on, yeah, they would be someone who would be at risk for these types of injuries,” says Dr. Major.

The cost of a foot MRI is approximately 500 dollars out of pocket, and in most cases will not be covered by insurance. Dr. Majors says people who like to run steps are also at risk because this puts the extra stress on those metatarsal bones of the foot as they come down on the steps.

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