Dr. David Oji, an orthopedic surgeon at Stanford Medicine, joins “49ers Postgame” Live to discuss quarterback Trey Lance’s ankle injury and how long fans can expect him to be sidelined while he recovers from surgery.
After Trey Lance's season-ending ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, clarity about what the 22-year-old had suffered was needed.
Dr. David Oji, an orthopedic surgeon at Stanford Medicine, spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area's Carlos Ramírez on "49ers Postgame Live" to explain what fans and Lance can expect moving forward.
"Ankle fractures are pretty serious injuries and many, many times, it does require surgery," Dr. Oji told Ramírez.
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Furthermore, Dr. Oji explained that when treating broken ankles, there are many facets he takes into account during surgery.
"I look for many factors including the stability of the ligaments, which bones are specifically broken, and we will try to take care of those things at the same time," Dr. Oji continued. "There's many different ways people can break their ankles and so the surgery can vary, depending on the condition."
Considering that people can break their ankles in various ways, Dr. Oji notes that these types of injuries range from "very simple" to "complex and devastating."
Depending on the severity, that is how the recovery period is determined.
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"In general, it can take many weeks and several months to rehab from this," Dr. Oji explained to Ramírez. "Probably take him a while to get back to playing."
Although Dr. Oji does not have all the information regarding Lance's ankle injury, but from his experience treating many athletes with similar injuries, they tend to do "very well" and perform at a "very high" level upon return.
For 49ers fans, hearing Dr. Oji's response to Lance's injury should give them respite. To Lance's credit, it appears he is in good spirits after ankle surgery Monday and vows to "attack" his upcoming rehab.
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With Lance sidelined for the rest of the season, some 49ers players, such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Bosa, have shared their experience with the young quarterback to prepare him for what's to come.
If Garoppolo and Bosa are indications, Lance should come back stronger and better than ever.