Kevin Ware’s gruesome broken leg may have looked a lot worse than the injury itself actually is.
The Louisville sophomore guard suffered a compound fracture in his right tibia during the first half of the Cardinals’ 85-63 win over Duke in the Elite 8 on Sunday, but the prognosis for his recovery may be shorter than most would think.
Director of Orthopedic Trauma Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery, Dr. David Helfet, discussed Ware’s injury, saying that the sophomore guard could return to playing high-level basketball in as little as six months.
“The bone should heal fully in three to four months,” Helfet said. “If you think about this injury, it is a devastating injury to look at, but the actual fact is that if it doesn’t get infected, the prognosis of this is better than tearing the ligaments in your knee. I would think in six months he will be able to play basketball.”
Helfet described the break as a “low-energy” break, noting that this is the type of injury you more frequently see in “high-energy” scenarios, such as a skier hitting a tree or in vehicle/motorcycle accidents.
Helfet said it is possible that Ware may have been suffering from a chronic stress fracture that could have led to the freakish break, which appeared worse than it may actually turn out to be due to the fact that in the front portion of the leg, there is nothing separating the skin from the shin bone.
“It’s almost unheard of from a low-energy injury,” Helfet said. “That doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, but it is exceedingly rare. That tells me there may have been an underlying issue with his bone that could have lead this to happen.”
According to Helfet, who has not seen this type of injury occur in a basketball player, Ware’s chances of making a full recovery were increased due to the rapidness of the surgery and the fact that he is a high-level athlete.
Ware underwent surgery just hours after suffering the injury and had a rod placed inside his leg to ensure the bone heals correctly.
“Everything went very well,” Helfet said. “They got him to the hospital, washed [the injury] down and inserted the rod expeditiously. They did all of the same things you would want to do if it was your leg. It was exactly the right thing to do.”
Helfet also called the comparisons between Ware’s injury and those of other athletes, such as Joe Theismann and Bears running back Michael Bush, unproductive.
“There are too many variables [to compare the injuries],” Helfet said. “Comparing the injuries is like comparing fruit but one’s apples the other is oranges. You cannot compare the exact injuries, but I do not think they are any different in the sense that there is a high amount of stress put on the leg.”
asulla-heffinger@nypost.com