Chances of Aaron Rodgers Breaking Collarbone Again

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On Th, the Green Bay Packers true-blue received a tardily Christmas gift: Aaron Rodgers volition start Week 17 just under ii months after suffering a cleaved collarbone. Tom Silverstein of theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel bankrupt the news Thursday morning via a report from head omnibus Mike McCarthy:

Rodgers might evidence some signs of rust. He may even take a series or ii to regain his alive-game speed and reaction time.

Barring a disaster, his collarbone shouldn't cistron into much else on Sunday, though nada is sure. It all depends on the answer to one question: Will history repeat itself?

Back in November, Chicago Bears lineman Shea McClellin planted the Packers signal-caller onto his left shoulder—hard.

ESPN's Monday Night Football via @gifdsports

The hit resulted in the most famous collarbone fracture in sports, and despite him being scheduled to start Week 17, Rodgers' break will keep to heal for the foreseeable future.

In fact, the body solidifies and remodels broken basic over the course of months, not weeks. During that fourth dimension, a bone remains weaker and less able to absorb impacts while the healing procedure completes the finishing touches.

On the other hand, the initial, acute phase of Rodgers' collarbone healing is likely approaching its final stages, if it hasn't been at that place already. The swelling around the bone likely resolved some fourth dimension ago, and he could work on regaining his function and arm force immediately thereafter.

Additionally, the fracture site almost certainly sports a strong, solid callus—or healing cartilage transforming into new os—and, therefore, is able to absorb relatively strong blows.

Equally for pancake-style hits by 250-plus-pound linemen?

That's another story.

Should Rodgers become the victim of a striking similar to McClellin's from Week ix, the scene could get very ugly, very fast. A second fracture is more likely to displace, virtually certainly necessitating its surgical realignment and fixation.

This X-ray shows a displaced clavicle (collarbone) fracture. Wikimedia Commons.

Such is the take a chance the Packers are willing to accept.

Green Bay's coaching and medical personnel surely did not make the conclusion lightly, either, and make no mistake: Dr. Pat McKenzie and his staff are the all-time of the world's best when it comes to objectively weighing the medical risks confronting the football game rewards.

Notwithstanding, a doomsday scenario wherein Rodgers suffers a repeat fracture that requires surgery could lead to a few to several months of missed fourth dimension. While well-nigh certainly not a career-threatening situation—and peradventure not fifty-fifty one endangering the beginning of his 2014 flavour—the decision to place a young franchise quarterback at risk of farther serious injury does not come up hands.

Why exercise it at all then?

Unproblematic.

It's Aaron Rodgers.

The Packers looked anemic after losing their superstar, and it took 2 consecutive, dramatic i-point victories—as well as a 61-yard field goal from Baltimore Ravens place-kicker Justin Tucker versus the Lions—for Green Bay to even stay in the playoff hunt.

Furthermore, unless Rodgers suffers an aforementioned disastrous hit—and bold no meaning associated ligament or soft tissue damage existed or exists—his collarbone should produce just minimal pain and soreness as the game goes on, if any.

In other words, it's prophylactic to assume he is clear from rehab, strength, flexibility and range-of-motion standpoints, and his left arm and shoulder should serve as more than an adequate counterbalance to his throwing arm.

Said another way?

Dissimilar a running back returning from a hamstring strain or a wide receiver taking the field afterwards an ankle injury, except a quick bounciness-back to form for the 2011 MVP. That is if his offensive line holds upwards.

If it doesn't, well, hindsight is e'er xx/20.

Dr. Dave Siebert is a resident medico at the Academy of Washington. He plans to pursue fellowship training in Master Care (non-operative) Sports Medicine.

Follow @DaveMSiebert

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Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1902359-aaron-rodgers-injury-update-will-his-broken-collarbone-affect-his-week-17-play

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