Kobe Bryant's Scar

There has been a lot of talk recently regarding Kobe Bryant's quick recovery from his achilles tendon surgical repair.  Not to down-play this recovery, but being a physician who has performed several achilles tendon repairs, I noticed something about this scar.  When looking at it, I notice that it is obviously healed well, but I also notice that the scar stops further up on the ankle.  To me, this means that he likely didn't require a more complex repair that often involves some detachment of the tendon from the heel bone.  In this case, the repair, though still very successful, has a much longer recovery time.  This is because hardware is often used to reattach the achilles tendon to the heel.  In this case, the patient must partake in a much more gradual return to activity, especially to perform at the high level needed to play in the NBA.

If you have any achilles tendon problems, keep in mind that it is important to address them and not wait.  Patients who wait have a much higher chance of needing surgical correction.

Kobe Bryant's "Bone Spur"

Thursday night after the Lakers game against the Bucks, the Lakers revealed that Bryant has a "bone spur" in his left foot.  This could mean many things as there are several places that an individual could have a bone spur in the foot.  However, there are really only two places where a bone spur is common.  The most common is at the bottom of the heel bone.  This is also called the "plantar" part of the heel and a band of tissue that attaches there called the plantar fascia can often get inflamed.  Not always, but usually heel spur syndrome and plantar fasciitis are the same thing and treated the same way.

The other common area for spurring is at the back of the heel where the largest tendon, the achilles, attaches.  This can be more difficult to treat and when conservative measures fail surgery to remove the spur and reattach the achilles tendon is often necessary.

It is difficult to say exactly were Bryant's spur is, but Laker fans should hope it is at the bottom of the heel instead of the back.  Either way, however, both conditions can be very painful.  Fortunately, though, both conditions can be treated and in most instances successfully resolved.

Kobe Bryant's "Mild Foot Discomfort"

I admit that I am not a huge basketball fan, but I do keep an eye on the sports headlines.  Being a podiatrist, a recent headline caught my attention.  It turns out that yesterday Kobe Bryant missed both LA Laker practices with "mild foot discomfort."  I am sure one of the greatest basketball players of all time will be closely evaluated but anyone can take note of this headline.  Foot pain is not normal!  If Kobe Bryant would have tried to "work through it" he could have made the condition much worse.  I can not tell you how many times I see a patient who waited several months or even a year with significant foot pain.  This patient is much harder to treat as the condition has often worsened.  As with most things the sooner you deal with an issue, the easier it is to resolve.  Moral of the story: foot pain is not normal and we should take it seriously.