A Doctor Explains What to Expect From Derrick Henry's Foot Surgery

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NFL star Derrick Henry sustained what is known as a "Jones fracture," a break on the outside of the foot, during the Tennessee Titans' winning game against the Indiana Colts on Sunday. He is expected to undergo surgery to treat his injury, leaving a big question mark over the rest of the season.

"I know that Derrick is going to work extremely hard to get back and help this football team," said Titans coach Mike Vrabel in a statement yesterday, adding that there is "absolutely a chance" that Henry might return to the field this season. As of right now, however, there is no clearly defined timeline on when the running back will be game-ready again.

In a new video on his YouTube channel, orthopedic sports surgeon Dr. David Abbasi explains exactly what Henry's surgery will entail, and gives his professional opinion on what kind of recovery time fans should expect after the operation.

Abbasi predicts that Henry will receive an intramedullary screw on the inside of the damaged metatarsal, and walked through the orthopedic procedure. "We make sure the bone is aligned and then what we will do, with a minimally invasive approach, is shoot a guide wire onto the proximal aspect of the fifth metatarsal, and try to get it on the center portion of the bone," he says. "Once that pin is held in place by the bone, we take a drill and open a space for later placement of an intramedullary screw... That's going to be holding the inside of the bone rigid."

"The trouble with these Jones fractures is that sometimes micro motion can prevent healing," he continues, explaining that the fifth metatarsal in particular has a poor blood supply, a factor which necessitates surgery as a "more reliable" way to heal quickly.

Abbasi added that a recovery period of between six and eight weeks is to be expected before Henry can return to play. "Obviously the longer the timeline, the more the body will have a chance to heal after this injury," he says. "Before we allow a professional athlete to return to play we would want him to be asymptomatic, which means no pain over that foot."

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