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Tiger Woods‘ days as a legitimate competitor on the PGA Tour were already numbered.
At 47 years old, Woods just isn’t able to keep up with the next generation physically, especially after a number of injuries and surgeries.
But his hopes of a miraculous comeback, yet again, may have just hit another heard.
Woods has withdrawn from the last two major championships he’s played in, including the 2023 edition of The Masters just two weeks ago.
After the latest setback, the golf superstar opted to have surgery to help repair foot/heel injuries suffered in a gruesome one-car accident in 2021.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 19, 2023
“Earlier today, Tiger underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture,” a statement on Woods’ Twitter account read.
But what the heck is a subtalar fusion? And what does it mean for Woods going forward. Well, we’re glad you asked!
Enter Dr. Bill Mallon.
Mallon played on the PGA Tour in the late 70s and early 80s. He then left the tour to study medicine at Duke University. Mallon became an orthopaedic surgeon not long after. He now serves as the Associate Consulting Professor of Orthopaedics at Duke. Mallon also operates his own practice.
So if anybody knows what’s going on with Woods, it’s Mallon.
He took to Twitter on Wednesday night to further explain the procedure.
OK, so Tiger Woods had a subtalar fusion to his right foot today, to alleviate the pain from the arthritis that developed after his car crash in January 2021. What exactly is that, why did he have it done, and what can be expected from it? 1/n
— Bill Mallon (@bambam1729) April 19, 2023
What’s a fusion? A fusion is where you take two adjacent bones, that form a joint between them, and fuse them together to form one larger bone, and the joint goes away in the process. It is done to alleviate pain, usually, although it can be done for instability. 3/n
— Bill Mallon (@bambam1729) April 19, 2023
“What’s a fusion? A fusion is where you take two adjacent bones, that form a joint between them, and fuse them together to form one larger bone, and the joint goes away in the process,” Mallon said. It is done to alleviate pain, usually, although it can be done for instability. 3/n”
When Tiger broke his talus my long Twitter thread said that it was his biggest long-term risk, developing arthritis around the talus. The reason is that the talus has a tenuous blood supply, and when you fracture it, you can disrupt the blood supply to the talus. 5/n
— Bill Mallon (@bambam1729) April 19, 2023
So a subtalar fusion fuses the talus to the calcaneus, technically also called the talocalcaneal joint, but its usually called the subtalar joint. This will eliminate motion at the former joint, but also it will no longer be painful, almost uniformly. 7/n
— Bill Mallon (@bambam1729) April 19, 2023
With a subtalar joint fusion, Tiger will no longer have any motion @ that joint (after it heals), but in return he will have pain relief. It will limit his motion in his foot and ankle, but fortunately this is in right foot – in his left foot it would likely be career ending. 9/n
— Bill Mallon (@bambam1729) April 19, 2023
Mallon went on to explain that the surgery would likely limit Woods’ motion in his right foot. But it will also provide pain relief. The doctor also confirmed that Woods will be on the shelf, again, for an extended period of time.
Tiger will be in either a cast, a splint, or a boot for a period of time – its at the surgeon’s discretion. He will likely get around using a rolling stroller, in which you rest your knee on a padded surface, bend your knee, and that leg will roll along. 11/n
— Bill Mallon (@bambam1729) April 19, 2023
The status of the fusion will be determined by serial x-rays, or if needed, a CT scan – CT scans are better to visualize bones than MRIs, which are better at looking at soft tissues. 13/n
— Bill Mallon (@bambam1729) April 19, 2023
Can he play golf well again? Depends on your definition of well. He’ll never be the Tiger of 2000 or even 2015. The fact that this is his right foot/ankle is the saving grace, as you need motion in your left foot/ankle as you roll over it near impact. 15/end
— Bill Mallon (@bambam1729) April 19, 2023
He also explained that Woods is likely out for the rest of 2023. The clock is ticking on Tiger Woods’ career. And it doesn’t look good for his fans.