Sam Bradford’s injury certainly looked like it could have been much worse but it was bad enough. The Sooners sputtered on offense without their Heisman quarterback and now face an uncertain future in his absence.
A shoulder separation is not truly an injury to the shoulder joint. The injury actually involves the acromioclavicular joint (also called the AC joint). The AC joint is where the collarbone (clavicle) meets the highest point of the shoulder blade (acromion).
The most common cause for a separation of the AC joint is from a fall directly onto the shoulder. The fall injures the ligaments that surround and stabilize the AC joint.
The estimated recovery time for an injury like
Nonsurgical treatments, such as a sling, cold packs, and medications can often help manage the pain. Sometimes, a doctor may use more complicated supports to help lessen AC joint motion and lessen pain.
Most people return to near full function with this injury, even if there is a persistent, significant deformity. Some people have continued pain in the area of the AC joint, even with only a mild deformity. This may be due to:
- Abnormal contact between the bone ends when the joint is in motion
- Development of arthritis
- Injury to a disk-like piece of cushioning cartilage that is often found between the bone ends of this joint
It is often worthwhile to wait and see if reasonable function returns without surgical treatment.
You can pretty much bank on OU not having Bradford’s services for the home opener against
Moving Forward Without
First things first,
In the absence of
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