Grant Newsome's Injury

Submitted by skurnie on

So we all knew it was bad...bad enough that he was in the hospital for 38 days.

However, he goes on to say here that he was "minutes from losing my leg" (emphasis mine) and that he walked off the field because his mom was at the game and he didn't want her to worry. 

I will embed video below. Glad to see he's back with the team and in Rome. 

uncle leo

April 25th, 2017 at 10:26 AM ^

He should consider not playing football anymore. When something like that happens and you get hit on that leg again, he could have serious issues going forward.

Maybe this is just the softie in me, I'm just really worried about his long-term health after something this catastrophic happened to him.

But I know he's an uber competitive kid so I wouldn't be shocked if he goes on to be a stellar player.

Alumnus93

April 25th, 2017 at 10:39 AM ^

I wouldn't underestimate self-healing nature, and his leg could very well heal to as if nothing happened. Granted, I don't know the severity, but he is young and young bodies can heal quite remarkably.    Is this wishful thinking?  Maybe, but, maybe not....

Don

April 25th, 2017 at 11:54 AM ^

The notion that somebody can be within minutes of losing their leg that required six surgeries to save and yet show no signs of the injury is one of the more ridiculous things I've ever read on MGoBlog. I suppose next you're going to cheerily tell us that Antonio Bass has no lingering effects from his own career-ending knee injury.

Is it possible Newsome can heal enough to play? Yes, but that's vastly different from saying he will heal as though no injury ever occurred. His knee joint will never be what it was pre-injury.

JClay

April 25th, 2017 at 10:35 AM ^

Yeah, I don't ever want to tell another person what to do but if I was literally minutes away from losing a limb because of a sport, that would give me some pause. Best of luck to him whether its in football, the classroom, whatever.

1VaBlue1

April 25th, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^

It's bad, but you have to really watch it to see it.  The knee went backward a couple of inches, it did not bend completely back like Napolean McCallum's leg did.  Napolean's, and Joe Theisman's broken leg, make me cringe.  Newsome's didn't, but you know its always bad when the knee hyper-extends.

Perkis-Size Me

April 25th, 2017 at 11:30 AM ^

Adrian Petersen is one of those "once in a generation" athletes who is a complete freak of nature. He also only tore his ACL. Grant Newsome nearly lost his leg.

I do agree that modern medicine is pushing the boundaries of what is now possible, and the advances are insane. But your example is almost comparing apples to oranges. 

Brimley

April 25th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^

If he were my son, I'd tell him it's not worth the risk.  This is especially true given that Grant was literal when he said he was committing to the school, not the program.  I remember his ambition was to study history at a great university and football allowed him to do so.  Either way, obvious best wishes are in order.

xtramelanin

April 25th, 2017 at 12:17 PM ^

ala a joe theismann type of injury.  the PSU safety came up as newsome was clearing space for a run to the left as i remember.  the safety basically dove at his knees and it looked like a hyperextension maybe.   obviously the internal damage was pretty traumatic, much beyond what the play looked like. 

ats

April 25th, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^

Right as he was planting his right foot and transferring weight to it, the hip bone of the defender made forceful contact directly to the knee cap causing the leg to flex backward and to the side in such a way that no knee was ever designed to bend.  Likely severe damage was dealt to the ACL, MCL, and PCL along with damage to the articular cartilage and meniscus.  Timing wise it was basically the worse possible for that type of contact.

umchicago

April 25th, 2017 at 5:00 PM ^

we have no idea why there was consideration of losing his leg.  it could have been bad infections or bleeding.  i think there were rumors of that.

if the leg is structurally sound after the surgeries, i don't see why he can't come back.  but it is up to him, his family and his doctors.

it's silly to write him off at this point, or he likely would have quit already.

Naked Bootlegger

April 25th, 2017 at 10:46 AM ^

My exact sentiments.   I remember thinking how great a sign it was that he limped off the field, even though the replay showed what should have been a bad knee injury.   

I have mad respect for this guy for what he endured.   

Marvin

April 25th, 2017 at 10:31 AM ^

I'm really curious what the injury was. What would be the drawback of just saying what happened? There must have been internal bleeding or something.

ats

April 25th, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^

Considering it appears on the pan down that he has had a skin graft on his leg which is common in a fasciotomy which is used to treat acute compartment syndrome, blood wasn't reaching his calf and he had to have part of the calf muscle removed which are also generally related as well, I'd say it fits perfectly.

docwhoblocked

April 25th, 2017 at 8:41 PM ^

Just speculating but I agree the story fits with a torn artery and severe bleeding into the calf muscle which is surrounded by a tough coating, the fascia, and this put pressure into the calf compressing all the other tissues robbing them of blood flow. The bleeding had to be contolled and the tough coating (fascia) of the calf muscle had to be split open and left open to relieve the pressure. Then only after all the swelling went down, they could close the fascia and skin. This might take several weeks before they could safely close things up.  He might have needed a skin graft to help close the gaping wound needed to relieve the pressure and restore circulation. Once this compartment syndrome crisis was over and normal healing could take place, eventually they could close the fasciotomy.  Only then could they consider reparing the torn ligaments and injured cartilage of the knee.  The sequence of events could easily take 38 days.  He still might have a full recovery of the torn knee ligaments and be able to play again much like other athletes who have "simply" torn the ligaments.  

The Harbaughnger

April 25th, 2017 at 9:05 PM ^

I've had compartment syndrome in my left thigh- helmet point perfectly placed dead center of my quad while my knee was locked. Most pain I've ever experienced. I couldn't get them to cut it fast enough. The pure heat radiating off my quad was unbelievable, pain so deep it felt like it was in the bone.

Anyway, for the 16 weeks it took to even think about jogging again, it was pretty catastrophic. Random shooting pains like my muscle was literally tearing in half.

But, with great medical care and steady PT I was able to make a true full recovery. That quad is to this day a little smaller than the right, but I have just as much range, strength, and burst as I ever did. I think this is, if his injury is anything like mine, a different kind of catastrophic where the immediate potential consequences are far higher (loss of limb or much worse if infection sets in) and the long term consequences are usually not very threatening to an athletic career. ACL's etc are less immediately dangerous but usually have much more uncertainty long term for the playing career of the athlete.

Hope his story ends up like mine- kid's got monster determination.

1VaBlue1

April 25th, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^

Yeah, tough question.  That play happens 20 times a game, and once in a great while shit happens.  Unfortunately for Grant, it happened on his timeline.  I can count the number of hyperextended knees I've seen on one hand after 40-some years of watching football.  But I don't ever want to see another one.  Tough question, indeed...

dragonchild

April 25th, 2017 at 1:07 PM ^

Just because it's legal doesn't mean football players don't know damn well what happens when you throw your armored body full speed into a knee.  I ain't ending someone's playing career just because I'm getting beat, but -- and I may be opening myself up to ridicule here because it sure feels like an exception these days -- I'm not a goddamn psychopath.

It's legal so nothing will happen, but that Wiscy player was as dirty as an unwiped ass after burrito night.

Cruzcontrol75

April 25th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^

He would lose circulation below the bleed and his lower leg would be damaged maybe irreparably thus the threat of amputation. An infection is not that immediate and would likely be treated with courses of antibiotics prior to amputation. Possibly compartment syndrome from swelling due to injury and/or tight bandages cutting off circulation to his leg.