The Times Picayune reports on the thumb injury of New Orleans Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, to which experts have speculated this to be his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).

The Times Picayune spoke to Michelle G. Carlson, MD, hand and upper extremity surgeon at HSS, who does not treat Brees, but commented on the recovery of a UCL injury. Dr. Carlson cited this injury will likely cause him [Brees] to miss a good chunk of the season. “If you were a lineman, you could put your hand in a cast and deal with this at the end of the season,” said Dr. Carlson. She added, “If you need to throw the football, you need to fix it now.”

With regard to return to sport, Dr. Carlson explained it typically takes ligaments 8-12 weeks to fully heal, however it could be as few as five weeks, with the use of suture tape, as the tape acts as an internal brace, offering extra protection while the ligament heals. Dr. Carlson concluded, “Results are excellent, certainly long-term, in terms of return to play.”

Read the full article at Nola.com. 

Additional coverage: Canalstreetchronicles.com.