Fumble
09-01-2006, 10:49 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2569295&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines
The foot specialist treating Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri said Friday that the 10-year veteran, who was injured during conditioning drills Aug. 14, is being treated for a sprained ligament in his left or "plant" ankle and not a break in his left foot.
"We are treating Adam Vinatieri for a calpaneal cuboid ligament sprain," Indianapolis-based foot specialist Dr. Dave Porter said in a statement obtained by ESPN.com. "Associated with his ligamentous injury is a small chip off of the cuboid. His healing will be determined by the ligamentous injury more than the cuboid injury."
Porter has treated professional athletes in a variety of sports.
It was not immediately known if Colts officials will elaborate on the statement. Indianapolis faces the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday night in the preseason finale, a game in which Vinatieri almost certainly will not participate.
There have been rumors for more than a week that Vinatieri, generally acknowledged as the league's top clutch place kicker over the past several seasons, was actually rehabilitating from a broken metatarsal in his left foot. Colts spokesman Craig Kelley said Thursday that the injury was a sprained ankle ligament and coach Tony Dungy declined to address the issue, beyond promising Porter's statement.
Vinatieri's mother told The Indianapolis Star on Thursday that her son had "a broken bone in his left foot."
There have been conflicting reports over whether Vinatieri, signed by the Colts as an unrestricted free agent in the spring in the team's lone high-profile veteran acquisition, will be able be ready when Indianapolis faces the New York Giants in the Sept. 10 regular-season opener.
People close to Vinatieri have said that the kicker is taking a "big picture" view of the season, and does not want to do anything that might set back his rehabilitation, even if it means missing a game. But Vinatieri has also noted that he has never missed a game to injury.
In 10 seasons with New England, Vinatieri converted 263 of 321 field goal attempts. He provided the winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI and in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
The foot specialist treating Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri said Friday that the 10-year veteran, who was injured during conditioning drills Aug. 14, is being treated for a sprained ligament in his left or "plant" ankle and not a break in his left foot.
"We are treating Adam Vinatieri for a calpaneal cuboid ligament sprain," Indianapolis-based foot specialist Dr. Dave Porter said in a statement obtained by ESPN.com. "Associated with his ligamentous injury is a small chip off of the cuboid. His healing will be determined by the ligamentous injury more than the cuboid injury."
Porter has treated professional athletes in a variety of sports.
It was not immediately known if Colts officials will elaborate on the statement. Indianapolis faces the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday night in the preseason finale, a game in which Vinatieri almost certainly will not participate.
There have been rumors for more than a week that Vinatieri, generally acknowledged as the league's top clutch place kicker over the past several seasons, was actually rehabilitating from a broken metatarsal in his left foot. Colts spokesman Craig Kelley said Thursday that the injury was a sprained ankle ligament and coach Tony Dungy declined to address the issue, beyond promising Porter's statement.
Vinatieri's mother told The Indianapolis Star on Thursday that her son had "a broken bone in his left foot."
There have been conflicting reports over whether Vinatieri, signed by the Colts as an unrestricted free agent in the spring in the team's lone high-profile veteran acquisition, will be able be ready when Indianapolis faces the New York Giants in the Sept. 10 regular-season opener.
People close to Vinatieri have said that the kicker is taking a "big picture" view of the season, and does not want to do anything that might set back his rehabilitation, even if it means missing a game. But Vinatieri has also noted that he has never missed a game to injury.
In 10 seasons with New England, Vinatieri converted 263 of 321 field goal attempts. He provided the winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI and in Super Bowl XXXVIII.