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New York Post
Luke Walton stated last night that Rajon Rondo fractured his hand and would be missing a couple of weeks. The team is unsure of when the injury ocurred during their 126-117 win against the Portland Trailblazers.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Ohm Youngmisuk report that Rondo fractured the third metacarpal in his right hand and will be seeing a specialist today to determine whether or not surgery is warranted.
The initial assumption by the Lakers is that they will be without Rondo for three to five weeks.
Metacarpal bones are the bones that make up the palm of the hand and bridge the wrist to the fingers. As seen in the picture, the third metacarpal is located in the middle of the palm. Fractures are usually the result of a traumatic fall.
The first course of action for doctors is to decide if surgery is needed. The goal is to have the bone heal straight. If that can be achieved using a splint, then typical recovery time can range between three to six weeks.
Surgery for a fractured metacarpal may include pins, plates, or screws. The recovery time after surgery depends on how much work was done for the bone and is usually longer than conservative treatment.
Rondo has a history of a metacarpal fracture. He had surgery for a left metacarpal fracture prior to the 2014-15 season. Early speculation was that he would miss a handful of games to start the season. However, Rondo was able to start the season healthy.
Through the past couple of season, the NBA player misses an average of 26 days with conservative treatment, whereas the average number of days missed following surgery is 57. We’ll know more details pertaining his injury in the next couple of days, but in the meantime, the Lakers will be leaning on the play of Lonzo Ball relieve some of the ball-handling duties of Lebron.