Cody Jones has been tricking for 10 years to stay in shape. The in-air flips and turns he does for a hobby is a combination of martial arts and gymnastics built upon years of tumbling when the 28-year-old was younger.
However, when he began to experience ankle issues, the high-impact sport became painful. Bone spurs around the ankle, instability, and chronic pain to the ankle limited his movements. He ultimately had to stop his hobby of many years.
That all changed, however, thanks to Travis Langan, DPM, FACFAS, a foot and ankle surgeon at Carle Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
Langan performed an ankle arthroscopy, bone spur resection, and lateral ankle ligament reconstruction using a synthetic graft material. Native ligaments are perfectly designed to have a balance of stability and strength, yet allow for flexibility and motion. The synthetic graft material mimics native ligament tissue. Its dynamic matrix allows for cellular integration and the body absorbs the material and replaces the area native healthy collagen in seven to 10 years.
“Ankle instability is one of the most common sports injuries and very common outside of the sports arena. About 85% of bad sprains will heal without surgery, but that means 15% will go to chronic instability and that requires surgery to repair,” Langan said.
The graft material Langan used is relatively new to the foot and ankle world, but he has had great success with it. “With physical therapy, it generally takes four to six months for the ankle to feel really good and about 12 months for 100% recovery,” he said.
A graduate student at the University of Illinois, Jones said he had the surgery Nov. 1, 2021 and his recovery is working as planned. “There is no pain. I can move it. I have friends with similar injuries and I would highly recommend the procedure.”
Jones has no intention of giving up tricking either with his improved ankle. “I would still like to do a backflip when I am 50 or 60 years old.”
Original source can be found here.
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