ESPN's Mike Sando Talks to Stephania Bell about Player Injuries...

Quote:

Alex Smith, QB, 49ers

Injured body part: shoulder

Surgery type: bone chip removal

Stephania Bell: Just based on what he has been doing so far in minicamps, the 49ers should be encouraged. It was an unfortunate series of events. He had a Grade 3 AC sprain, which is a very significant injury. If you have a less severe sprain like a Grade 1 or a Grade 2, it's pretty standard, usually no surgery. When you have a Grade 3, the ligaments anchoring the collarbone to the tip of the shoulder are completely torn and it often looks like the collarbone is going to pop through the skin.

If he was a lineman, they might say, 'Even if it doesn't look pretty, you can play just fine with that.' If you are a thrower, your mechanics are going to be affected. He tried, but he really couldn't perform with that separation, so they went in to fix it. They reconstruct the joint but it's not an easy rehab. It's hard to get your mechanics back. Then he had another setback where a piece of bone broke that required yet another surgery.

It's not a case of Alex Smith being a wimp. He had a really tough injury. Then this freak thing happened on top of it. It sounds like from the way he has been throwing the ball in the spring that he is well past it. People need to remember that for the better part of three years, he hasn't had a normal shoulder. I think he really has a chance to look a lot different than what we have seen in the last few years. I think he could be a bit of a surprise for people this year.

Originally posted by PTulini:

Quote:

Alex Smith, QB, 49ers

Injured body part: shoulder

Surgery type: bone chip removal

Stephania Bell: Just based on what he has been doing so far in minicamps, the 49ers should be encouraged. It was an unfortunate series of events. He had a Grade 3 AC sprain, which is a very significant injury. If you have a less severe sprain like a Grade 1 or a Grade 2, it's pretty standard, usually no surgery. When you have a Grade 3, the ligaments anchoring the collarbone to the tip of the shoulder are completely torn and it often looks like the collarbone is going to pop through the skin.

If he was a lineman, they might say, 'Even if it doesn't look pretty, you can play just fine with that.' If you are a thrower, your mechanics are going to be affected. He tried, but he really couldn't perform with that separation, so they went in to fix it. They reconstruct the joint but it's not an easy rehab. It's hard to get your mechanics back. Then he had another setback where a piece of bone broke that required yet another surgery.

It's not a case of Alex Smith being a wimp. He had a really tough injury. Then this freak thing happened on top of it. It sounds like from the way he has been throwing the ball in the spring that he is well past it. People need to remember that for the better part of three years, he hasn't had a normal shoulder. I think he really has a chance to look a lot different than what we have seen in the last few years. I think he could be a bit of a surprise for people this year.

ESPN NFC West Blogger: Mike Sando

Look at the comments regarding RT Marvel Smith and WR Michael Crabtree as well! What do you guys think?

Quote:
Marvel Smith, RT, 49ers

Injured body part: back

Surgery type: none on back since 2007

Stephania Bell: The Steelers let him go. The Niners knew what they were getting and as we discussed with Hasselbeck, these disc problems do not necessarily go away. When you are talking about a guy who is 6-5 and 300-plus pounds, that compounds the issue. I would not be surprised if it is an up-and-down thing from week to week.

He is not going to magically turn around and recover. But it's not to say some of those problems won't go into hibernation for a while. These guys are forced into hyperextension frequently. Many times they are pivoting off one side when they are blocking. These things are stressful to the spine. It's amazing you don't see more problems.

Usually, the structure that is the weakest in the spine is the disc. A number of these linemen have disc problems. On top of the demands of their position, they perform heavy weight training, which can pose some risk, especially if they lose their form. When I see a guy with the injury pattern and the history he has had, and then he's had previous surgery, I suspect that the tissue is not fully healthy. It's not a great outlook.

Quote:
Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers

Injured body part: foot

Surgery type: 'Jones' surgery

Stephania Bell: His injury should be a non-factor assuming he has done everything he was supposed to. Last I heard, he was working out with the staff and he was running. I'm very interested in seeing if it is behind him. This is not the kind of thing you think about getting re-injured. The best thing he did was have the surgery when he did and not delay it.

The fifth metatarsal is the long bone on the outside of the foot. The injury, until fully healed, affects speed and cutting simply because of the body part involved. The key is really, bone injuries are typically very straightforward as injuries go. When you have a fracture, once that fracture heals, it typically becomes a non-issue. Once the bone has healed, an athlete should be at no increased risk for re-injuring the area.

Originally posted by PTulini:

Quote:
Marvel Smith, RT, 49ers

Injured body part: back

Surgery type: none on back since 2007

Stephania Bell: The Steelers let him go. The Niners knew what they were getting and as we discussed with Hasselbeck, these disc problems do not necessarily go away. When you are talking about a guy who is 6-5 and 300-plus pounds, that compounds the issue. I would not be surprised if it is an up-and-down thing from week to week.

He is not going to magically turn around and recover. But it's not to say some of those problems won't go into hibernation for a while. These guys are forced into hyperextension frequently. Many times they are pivoting off one side when they are blocking. These things are stressful to the spine. It's amazing you don't see more problems.

Usually, the structure that is the weakest in the spine is the disc. A number of these linemen have disc problems. On top of the demands of their position, they perform heavy weight training, which can pose some risk, especially if they lose their form. When I see a guy with the injury pattern and the history he has had, and then he's had previous surgery, I suspect that the tissue is not fully healthy. It's not a great outlook.