In-depth analysis on Deron Williams ankle surgery

Brooklyn Nets fans are all too familiar with the injuries that have plagued their All-Star caliber point guard Deron Williams.

Since arriving in New Jersey in 2011 Williams has had a multitude of injuries from wrist to ribs to calf  injuries prior to the most pressing ankle injuries that have hampered Williams the last two seasons in Brooklyn.

These constant injuries have left Nets fans in utter dismay and most are ready to move on from their once franchise changing leader for anything they can get.

The question is ” Will D-Will ever become healthy again and get back to the Top Tier NBA point guard he once was?”

One Illinois specialist decided to break down Williams recent surgery:

Dr. John Sigle has been providing podiatric care in Springfield and central Illinois since 2004 and specializes in all areas of foot and ankle care including trauma, ankle fracture

Deron’s condition is medically referred to as Anterior Ankle Joint Impingement Syndrome. This is a common problem with athletes that is usually caused from jamming the front portion of the ankle joint (forced dorsiflexion). This is seen in basketball players descending from a rebound or landing after a drive to the basket, volleyball players landing after blocking a shot or lunging for a dig, soccer players kicking or executing a body feint and dancers doing a plie or barrel role.

Microtraumas and improper healing often cause bone spurs on the distal tibia and dorsal talus (basically the ankle joint) and cause impingement with motion of the ankle. It usually impinges the front portion of the ankle joint capsule and can cause intense pain, almost bringing you to your knees in agony.

This condition is easily taken care of with Ankle Arthroscopy. Through two small incisions, we can clean out the bone spurs with the ankle scope and clean out the synovitis (inflammation of the joint lining) and provide significant relief with minimal recovery time. Often, the patient can walk on the same day of surgery.

If lateral ankle instability is an issue as well, from chronic sprains with torn ligaments, a small incision can be made laterally after the ankle arthroscopy to sew the ligaments together to provide stability to the ankle joint. There are times that the chronic ankle instability can be bad enough that tendon grafting has to be done to reconstruct the ligaments, but this is rare, and seen only in extreme cases.

Deron Williams is expected to have a full recovery and dramatic relief of ankle pain after surgery. For the next month and half, he will be on crutches and begin rehab until light workouts begin in August. The Illini Nation and Brooklyn Nets will all celebrate when he gets back to training camp in the early fall.