Washington Post - MMI foot & ankle expert explains Peyton Manning's torn plantar fascia injury

Written by Cindy Boren of the Washington Post

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning reportedly is suffering from torn plantar fascia in his right foot, an injury that has worsened of late.

Torn plantar fascia would make it difficult to push off on his back foot and may be one of the injuries bothering the quarterback, who was benched late in the Broncos’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

“Everyone is going to want to focus on how quickly Peyton Manning can get back to play, which can be difficult to predict with this painful injury,” Damian Roussel an orthopedic surgeon from the Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics told The Post in an email. Roussel has not treated Manning. “The best thing for him now is immobilization and physical therapy. How quickly he returns depends on how quickly he heals and how much pain he can tolerate when he gets back to activity. He may have some soreness long-term, and there are additional treatment options if that’s the case, including supportive insoles, adjustments to his shoes and taping the foot. With the acute partial tear, I would expect Peyton Manning to be out for 3-6 weeks, which is common with this injury.”

[Gary Kubiak said it was a mistake to start Manning]

Roussel added that Manning is “not a candidate for surgery with the partial tear he sustained – surgery treats chronic fasciitis. His coaches and physicians will need to keep an eye on the injury to see if it will cause any long-term issues, but in my experience, patients with the acute partial tear are in good shape in the long-term.”

Manning completed 5 of 20 passes for 35 yards and four interceptions, with a 0.00 passer rating, on Sunday, then was benched for Brock Osweiler.

According to Roussel, the “plantar fascia is a broad ligament that extends from the heel to the toes that supports the bottom of the foot. A tear of that ligament causes pain and swelling in the heel through the arch of the foot. Patients can have this injury acutely or chronically, and according to reports, Manning suffered an acute partial tear of the plantar fascia, meaning that part of the ligament ripped.

“This typically causes a great deal of pain – even more than a complete tear of the plantar fascia. Acute partial tears are typically treated with immobilization, a boot cast, restrictions on physical activity, anti-inflammatory medicine, ice and physical therapy. Patients are typically able to walk on the foot while wearing a boot immediately after the injury, and as they go through the healing process, they are slowly weaned out of the boot and into a supportive sneaker.”

It is not yet clear how long Manning will be out, but at this point, rest would serve Manning’s 39-year-old body and other assorted injuries well.

And when he heals?

“Peyton is our quarterback,” Coach Gary Kubiak said. “If he’s healthy and ready to go, Peyton’s our quarterback.”