‘We didn’t operate on Rafael Nadal’s foot as it could have prevented him from running in the future,’ says renowned Orthopedic Gilbert Versier

‘We didn’t operate on Rafael Nadal’s foot as it could have prevented him from running in the future,’ says renowned Orthopedic Gilbert Versier

Rafael Nadal

20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal prematurely put an end to his 2021 season on the ATP Tour a few days ago.

The Spaniard who is being hindered by a foot injury since the French Open, even missed marquee events Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics this year. Although Nadal returned to action at the Citi Open in Washington, nagging injury and discomfort prevented him from participating at the Toronto, Cincinnati Masters and the US Open.

While the injury seems to cause the King of Clay pain, Nadal seemed confident and vowed to bounce back at his very best in 2022. As most fans will be aware, the 35-year-old has been hampered by the foot injury since 2005.

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Explaining the situation and the extent of Nadal’s injury, former head of the department of orthopedic surgery at the Vincennes military hospital, Gilbert Versier said, “It usually affects people who have flat feet. It is congenital. Some have hollow feet: the arch, that is, the distance between the inside of the foot and the ground, is very deep. Others have completely collapsed arches with a valgus foot which favours this type of pathology. This causes compression of the navicular bone that becomes necrotic. It is the death of the bone, it is not eaten, it has lost its vascularity.”

Nadal’s foot injury tricky

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

Versier also emphasised on why the whole surgery on Nadal’s foot was delayed, which could have forced the former World No.1 to retire prematurely.

“This adaptation of the foot to the ground is blocked and the patient will only be able to walk. He will no longer be able to run. That is why we delayed this intervention and reserved it for patients who are extremely painful and can no longer even walk properly. This is not the case. Nadal’s case, of course. Everything that is surgical, the resection of a part of the bone or the graft taking bone from the pelvis to block the joint at the foot level and eliminate pain, no longer allows the practice of sports at the level high level.”

Nadal has undergone several injuries, surgeries and setbacks in his long career. However, the Spaniard has been one of the greatest fighters in tennis and we expect him to get back to full fitness in 2022.

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