Jodie Meeks: Fractured 5th Metatarsal in Right Foot (Jones Fracture) Meeks first injured his foot as a member of the Detroit Pistons on October 28, 2015 vs. Utah. He played 6 minutes total before suffering the injury at the 9:32 mark in the 2nd quarter. The Pistons announced that he had a fractured 5th metatarsal in his right foot. "We'll get further assessment and know better on a timetable in the next couple of days," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. "But they, they X-rayed him, he's got a Jones fracture." Meeks was coming off a 2013-2014 season in which he missed 22 games with a stress reaction in his lower back that he suffered in the first pre-season game.
He underwent surgery on August 29, 2015 and was initially given a 12-16 week timeline for return to play, with a goal to be back on the floor by around All-Star weekend. Unfortunately for Meeks, he suffered a setback on February 4, 2016; x-rays showed his foot did not heal well since the surgery. His return was delayed to the very last game of the season on April 13, 2016 against the Cavs, in which he played 26 minutes scoring 20 points on 6/15 shooting.
He was traded to the Orlando Magic on June 29, 2016 for a 2nd round pick. Things seemed to be looking up for Meeks. He was even shown here getting up shots in the Magic practice gym.
However, Meeks suffered his second setback with the same injury on July 19, 2016; he underwent surgery to stabilize the 5th metatarsal. The Magic stated that “he’ll be out indefinitely and his return to action will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation.”
There are certain fractures at certain points of bones that are difficult to heal or take lots of time to heal for various reasons. Jones fractures are notorious for healing poorly. As many of you know, they’ve afflicted star athletes like Kevin Durant and Dez Bryant over the last few years.
The 5th metatarsal is a small bone at the base of the “pinky” toe. Docs have divided that bone into 3 regions.
Fractures that occur in the two zones that flank the region in the middle usually heal well and often do not require surgery; they can usually be treated with a splint or walking boot or a cast and for 4-8 weeks, especially in non-athletes. If the bone still hasn’t healed after that, then surgery could be considered.
Jones fractures can also be treated without surgery in non-athletes, but given the high rate of non-union of the bone, it is almost always recommended that athletes undergo internal fixation, as Meeks did. However, even with surgery, the prognosis is highly variable; it’s not uncommon for the bone to still not heal well, which apparently was the case for both Durant and Bryant, both of whom required second surgeries. Blood supply to this area of the bone is diminished, which is theorized as to why the healing of this particular bone takes more time. There are also a couple of tendons that typically attach to this part of the bone that may put some tension on the bone and prevent union.
So it’s not atypical for Meeks to have had a couple of setbacks with this injury to this point. The Magic were wise to not put a timetable on his return because, again, it’s so hard to know how this bone will heal. But according to Dr. David Chao, “Healing after revision surgery typically takes 3-4 months.” If we were to apply that to Meeks’ situation, that would set a potential return for either November or December.
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/monday-morning-md-1-priority-of-minicamps/Josh Robbins abetted that notion on September 19th when he reported that Meeks' rehabilitation was progressing well and that there is optimism for his return to the court in November.
The Orlando Magic’s Jodie Meeks appears to be progressing in his recovery from a mid-July surgery to stabilize the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
Meeks probably will be available to play at some point in November, a team official told the Orlando Sentinel. Meeks’ exact return date will depend on how well he continues to progress.
Meeks will not be able to participate fully when training camp starts on Sept. 27, the team official said.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-magic/magic-basketblog/os-jodie-meeks-injury-update-20160919-story.htmlIn the mean time, this shouldn’t affect the Magic too much on the court. We’ll definitely miss his shooting, but between Fournier and Hezonja, there should be enough to compensate at shooting guard. Nevertheless, we’ll wish Jodie a speedy recovery.
