In the world of high-impact sports, two injuries have become inexorably linked with the dreaded term “season-ending surgery:”
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, which affect the stability of the knee joint, usually requiring reconstructive surgery and about six months of rehab
- Achilles tendon ruptures or tears, which involve the largest tendon in the body that connects the heel bone to the calf muscle at the back of the ankle, often requiring surgery and about a year to rehab and recover
Recently, a less-well-known foot injury has joined the debilitating duo:
Lisfranc injuries have sidelined several pro athletes for the 2022-2023 season, including Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis and Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Matt Corral in the NFL, and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
Named for the surgeon in Napoleon’s army who discovered the condition among many of its cavalry soldiers, Lisfranc injuries are usually caused by a severe twisting of the foot that creates a fracture, dislocation, or ligament strain/tear in the midfoot – the area where the bridges of your toes connect to the rest of your foot.
Lisfranc injuries are rare, affecting about 1 in 55,000 people in the U.S. every year, but too often they are misdiagnosed or dismissed as a simple sprain. Left untreated or treated improperly, they can lead to chronic foot pain, altered gait, osteoarthritis, and long-term disability. For elite athletes, Lisfranc injuries can be career-threatening.
UT Southwestern’s Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine service treats multiple Lisfranc injuries per month. Our foot and ankle specialists are experts in diagnosing and managing this complex condition in athletes and nonathletes alike. Although Lisfranc injuries are significant and painful, with proper care and physical therapy our team can help get you back on your feet and playing the sport you love.
What causes a Lisfranc injury?
The foot has a lot of moving parts, and many of them come together in the Lisfranc joint complex, where bones, tendons, and ligaments provide much-needed arch support, flexibility, and stability.
In sports like football and basketball, Lisfranc injuries usually occur when a player’s foot is flexed forward, gets stuck or stepped on, and twists in an unnatural position.
