BIG BLOW: CARL NICKS PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE

[3rd String Kicker]

I'd say so. I saw someone said that it is the same type of injury that cost Sean Lee his season.

The Buccaneers official site released an article detailing it was a torn plantar plate (Same as Lee).

[BucD]

Un-**CENSORED**ing-believable

Just cannot catch a damn break.  Especially when the team is really starting to click.

Damn.

[snesfreak]

http://nooooooooooooooo.com/

[youngone]

Un-**CENSORED**ing-believable

Just cannot catch a damn break.  Especially when the team is really starting to click.

Damn.

We been catching plenty of breaks.. I don't want anymore breaks.

[Chief Joseph]

Article on this type of injury

That's nasty.

[bucfan26]

We've really been hit by the injury bug this year. 

[YReceiver14]

...who needs Pro Bowl guards anyways...

[3rd String Kicker]

Obviously overshadowed by the huge loss of Nicks, Tight End Danny Noble was also placed on IR today.

[YReceiver14]

Article on this type of injury

Did not click.

Article on this type of injury

That's nasty.

Clicked.  Regretted it.

[youngone]

Obviously overshadowed by the huge loss of Nicks, Tight End Danny Noble was also placed on IR today.

Well that just blows too

[3rd String Kicker]

Lmao, this what was in the article linked above without the pictures for those about to eat dinner.

What is Plantar Plate Tear Pain Like:

On the bottom of each lesser toe joint there is a ligament between the base of the toe and the metatarsal behind the joint. This ligament is called the plantar plate. This ligament acts to keep the toe in the joint and keep the toe from elevating out of the joint. In the gait cycle, the toes will bend at the base of the toe joint just before the foot pushes off the ground. The plantar plate holds the toe in place and brings the toe back straight. There is no muscle associated with this ligament. In some cases this ligament can become overstretched or tear causing pain and deformity to the toe leading to a dislocation of the toe. It is often misdiagnosed as a neuroma.

Plantar Plate Tear Causes:

A plantar plate tear is caused by a specific injury to the toe and the joint, or overuse over time.  There is excess pressure through the ball of the foot and the metatarsal bone area.  Usually the metatarsal head that is taking the greatest weight is under excess stress during walking and the plantar plate ligament gives out over time and begins to tear.
Metatarsal pain and Plantar Plate Tear symptoms:

A plantar plate tear will present with pain on the ball of the foot and in the joint of the toe. In mild cases, there may be little to no deformity to the toe that can be seen. A patient may describe the pain as a dull ache or a sharp pain the ball of the foot. It may feel as though there is not enough cushion between the bone and the ground. It usually only involves one toe at a time, and usually involves the 2nd toe. Over time as the tear increases the toe will begin to shift upwards and or shift to one side or the other. When the foot is placed on the ground the toe may not touch the ground and may shift to one side as well. When the toe is elevated in this way, more pressure in placed onto the head of the metatarsal from the ground forces, causing bone bruising and pain. When the ligament tear becomes chronic, the deformity can be greater, leading to a severely deformed toe and hammer toe. As the deformity progresses, the cartilage in the joint can become eroded from the misaligned joint leading to arthritis of the joint and increased pain.

Crossover toe with long 2nd metatarsal and plantar plate tear

Plantar Plate Tear or Pre-disclocation Syndrome Diagnosis:

Clinical evaluation and manipulation of the toe is performed. The toe joint will be moved and manipulated into several different positions to evaluate the amount of deformity and the location of the pain. Plain x-rays will show the degree and angles of the deformity. They will also show if there is any associated arthritis in the joint. Often an MRI will be needed in order to evaluate the extent of the damage to the plantar plate ligament. In some cases a special x-ray with a dye can be injected into the joint to find the tear in the ligament. It is important to distinguish the areas of pain on the ball of the foot from the examination, from those that would be caused by a neuroma.
MRI showing a plantar plate tear off the base of the associated toe    X-ray of arthrogram dye injection into joint showing tear of the plantar plate and leak of dye out of bottom of joint
MRI showing inflammation around the torn ligament under the toe joint.    X-ray showing injection of fluid into the joint. Notice the leaking of the fluid out of the joint from the tear of the ligament.
 
Plantar Plate Tear Treatment:

In the early stages of the disruption of the ligament, conservative treatments can be successful. It is important fist to remove the deforming force or activity. In acute cases, there will be a need to be in a special shoe or boot to take weight off the ball of the foot. Special tapping will be placed onto the toe for a number of weeks. This is done by strapping it into a downward position. If there is any deformity from side to side, the tape can hold the toe in the opposite direction. This will allow the ligament to heal without continued strain. Custom molded orthotics with support under the ball of the foot will aid in keeping the deformity from returning. In chronic cases and those with more severe deformity, surgical correction is indicated. The toe will need to be realigned into the joint and stabilized. The plantar plate will be tightened and repaired. The surgical correction for a plantar plate tear is similar to the correction of a hammertoe deformity. In such cases, a hammertoe correction with a tendon transfer is needed to reconstruct the torn plantar plate area. Simple hammertoe correction will not result in an ideal outcome as the tendon transfer is necessary to stabilize the toe at the ball of the foot. This is a simple surgery with limited to no downtime. A pin is used to hold the area during healing and a boot is worn for 5-6 weeks during the healing period. With proper care, patients return to full activity with little to no pain. If left untreated, the toe will often dislocate and a more involved surgery is necessary to correct the problem.

[bucs4eva]

I'm sick of this already. We could go out next year, get great FAs and have another outstanding draft, and we still couldn't expect a good season because we keep losing the men in the trenches EVERY YEAR

[Ft Myers Buc Fan]

Article on this type of injury

That's nasty.

Yech.   I am assuming the Bucs decided to go ahead and put him on the shelf now instead of risking the injury getting even worse.  This really sucks but injuries happen and if this does really negatively effect our offense and ultimately our record then we at least benefit with better draft position and a team ready to really make an impact next season. 

[Al Bundy]

Obviously overshadowed by the huge loss of Nicks, Tight End Danny Noble was also placed on IR today.

Who?

[3rd String Kicker]

Obviously overshadowed by the huge loss of Nicks, Tight End Danny Noble was also placed on IR today.

Well that just blows too

There is also a report surfacing that your car has been towed, your wife took your kids and is leaving you, and your bank account is now frozen due to a large debt owed to the Libian government.