The Yankees Derek Jeter Breaks His Ankle in Playoffs

The Yankees lost their chance to compete in the World Series this year when they lost the American League Playoffs this past week. They were swept by the Detroit Tigers after defeating the Baltimore Orioles just a week ago. As disappointing as the loss was, it can partially be attributed to Derek Jeter breaking his ankle in the first game. Jeter is known for being a strong driving force throughout his career with the Yankees as well as being a team leader. Once he broke his ankle, it damaged morale and the Yankees went on to lose the series.

Jeter has since undergone surgery in North Carolina and is said to recover fully in about 5 months. Initially it was estimated at 2-3, but the doctors are taking a more conservative time frame to account for both Jeter’s age as well as the extensive physical therapy he will need to undergo. For many of us, a surgery on our ankle would cause us to be out about 2 months, but for an elite athlete, he has a much higher level of athletic physical ability which will take some time to recoup.

Ankle fractures are relatively common because they can happen in multiple ways. Since your ankle is the junction between your foot and the rest of your body, it receives a lot of force throughout the day. It can be injured with high impact such as jumping out of a window, falling from a significant height, impact from a sport or even from stepping the wrong way. However, it comes about, it can be a long injury to heal depending upon the severity of the injury. Typically if you have injured your ankle bones, you will also injure your ligaments increasing the time of recovery. Due to the complexity of the ankle joint, you may still be able to walk after an ankle injury. However, you should still see your podiatrist because if proper healing is not achieved it will leave your ankle weaker making you more likely to injure it again.

If you or someone you know has suffered from an ankle injury, you can contact our office at (978) 794-8406. Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to help determine what is wrong with your ankle and what steps can be taken for to achieve the best healing for you. Our offices serve the Methuen, North Andover, Tewksbury and Chelmsford, Massachusetts areas.