New York Jets Wide Receiver Santonio Holmes was having a great 2012 season. He led the Jets with 20 catches for 272 yards and one touchdown. He and Quarterback Mark Sanchez were in sync, having their best game together two weeks ago in Miami when Holmes caught nine passes for 147 yards.
Holmes crumples on the field Sunday night
But Sunday night against San Francisco, Holmes went down on the first play of the fourth quarter when he dropped to the turf after making a catch. His left leg buckled, and on the way down he grabbed his knee and dropped the ball, a fumble, which was scooped up by Carlos Rogers who ran it back for a touchdown. Jets lose 34-0.
After x-rays, an MRI, and a few professional medical opinions, today the Jets placed Holmes on injured reserve with a Lisfranc (pronounced Liz Frank) injury to his left foot, which ends his season and will likely dog him for the rest of his career. That leaves the Jets without their most valuable offensive player. Stepping in for Holmes will be veteran wide receiver Jason Hill, a 2007 third round draft pick by the 49ers.
What is a Lisfranc injury?
The middle region of your foot is called the midfoot, where a cluster of small bones forms an arch on the top of your foot. From this cluster, five long bones, the metatarsals, extend to the toes. The metatarsal bones are held in place by connective tissues (ligaments) that stretch both across and down the foot. However, there is no connective tissue holding the first metatarsal to the second metatarsal and a twisting fall can break or dislocate these bones.
Lisfranc injuries occur when bones in the midfoot are broken or ligaments that support the midfoot are torn. The severity of the injury can vary from simple to complex, and involve many joints and bones in the region. A Lisfranc injury is frequently mistaken for a sprain, especially if the injury results from a twist and fall, but this injury is quite serious and may require surgery and many months to heal.
Women are susceptible to Lisfranc injuries on falls from high heels. The injury is named after the French doctor who first diagnosed it in 1815.
A Lisfranc injury usually occurs when a heavy object falls onto the midfoot, such as when the foot is run over by a car or truck, or when a fellow athlete lands on your foot. In Holmes’ case, no contact was made with another player, so the injury probably occurred when his foot twisted too far in one direction while pointing downward.
At this time, the Jets aren’t revealing how severe Holmes’ injury is, but since they stated that Holmes will undergo surgery, a fracture or dislocation is probably the culprit. If surgery is mandated, the bones may be fixed in place with a temporary screw or K-wire (a thin, rigid surgical wire used to stabilize bones). Holmes won’t be able to bear any weight on his foot for at least 6 weeks.
“Obviously, that’s a big loss for us,” coach Rex Ryan said. “Santonio’s one of the top receivers in the game, and it is a big loss.”
Holmes helped Pittsburgh win the Super Bowl in 2009 and played a key role in the Jets’ run to their second consecutive AFC championship game in 2010. New York re-signed him to a five-year, $45 million contract last year.
“My understanding is that he’s going to be back and make a full recovery,” Ryan said.
PA Foot and Ankle Associates 