On Monday, Saints LB Martez Wilson injured his arm in practice, with what was first reported by his press agent as a bruised bicep:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Just got off the phone with Tez. Looks like a bruised bicep & out 4 weeks. He's in great spirits & had me laughing. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23LoveMyFam&src=hash">#LoveMyFam</a></p>— Pilar Abaya Ellis (@PilarEllis) <a href="https://twitter.com/PilarEllis/statuses/361968935173754880">July 29, 2013</a></blockquote>
Dave brought it to us first HERE.
Then, in his post-practice press conference on Tuesday, head coach Sean Payton provided the collected media with a more specific diagnosis...
Martez Wilson yesterday, dislocated his left elbow. The timetable is going to be somewhere in between two and four weeks. When he returns we will fit him with a brace, hopefully that is sooner rather than later.
This injury got me all curious, so I went ahead and checked with my friends at the Mayo Clinic to find out more about just what a dislocated elbow is, and learned the following:
A dislocated elbow occurs when the bones that make up the joint are forced out of alignment - typically when a person lands on an outstretched hand during a fall.
It's not an injury to be trifled with...
If you or your child has a dislocated elbow, seek immediate medical attention. Complications can occur if the dislocated elbow pinches or traps the blood vessels and nerves that serve the lower arm and hand.
I didn't hear/read anything about surgery in all this, but Payloo have been known to hide things, so maybe it did require surgery.
In most cases, a dislocated elbow can be realigned without surgery. However, the impact that caused the elbow to dislocate also can cause bone fractures within the joint, so surgical repair may be necessary.
Here's the rundown on the 'minor case' treatment/drugs:
Some dislocated elbows go back into place by themselves. Most, however, need a doctor to manipulate the bones back into their proper alignment. This procedure is called a reduction.
Medications
Before the bones are manipulated back into place, you or your child may be given medications to relieve pain and relax muscles.Therapy
After the joint's bones are back in their normal alignment, you or your child may have to wear a splint or sling for a few weeks. You may also need to do physical therapy exercises to improve the joint's range of motion and strength.
Want to know what complications of this condition might cause the need for surgery?
Surgery may be required if:
Any of the dislocated bones have also been broken
Torn ligaments need to be reattached
Damaged nerves or blood vessels require repair
Here's a short video of an actual bone manipulation/reduction:
Payton mentioned a brace, so here's an elbow brace page from The Brace Shop to give you some ideas of what Tez's might look like.
When news of this first broke, two stalwarts of CSC, Satch and Stu, took opposing views on the injury and the impact it would have on Wilson. Satch thought it was no big deal:
He may be kinda OK with it since it means he won't have to endure the unforgiving heat of training camp. He's probably already in outstanding shape and knows his roster spot is pretty much a lock at this point.
Stu on the other hand, in his response to the assertion of Wilson being "ready by the start of the regular season" sees it as portending impending 2013 'backup status' for Tez in Rob Ryan's new-look 3-4 Saints defense (I can't believe we haven't overused "new-look" yet...time to get cracking on that!):
Ready to do WHAT? No preseason, no practice. Looks like same role he's played the last 2 years: backup
Now, with those two staking out their territory...where do you stand on this? How much will it impact his potential impact on the 2013 defense? Have you ever dislocated your elbow? Does that kind of thing hurt badly? Do you think maybe Tez DID have secret surgery on his elbow/arm? And maybe even a "two-fer" with a secret sports hernia procedure thrown in as a package deal, even!!
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Speaking of team injuries, wwltv.com is reporting the following in regard to folks sitting out of today's scrimmage, FWIW:
Quarterback Seneca Wallace likely won't participate in Saturday's scrimmage after missing three consecutive practices with a groin injury.
Meanwhile, defensive end Tom Johnson (hip) and linebackers Ray Shipman (hamstring) and Martez Wilson (left elbow) also won't participate.
As for those on the PUP list, receiver Marques Colston (foot), cornerback Patrick Robinson (right knee) and linebacker Victor Butler (left knee) haven't seen any change.