Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub Out With Foot Injury

Usually I write about sports stars and celebrity's foot pain and injuries to allow me to inform about preventing and treating these situations. This one hits close to home, though...

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub played a stellar game yesterday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, beating them soundly 37-9. The Texans now boast a promising 7-3 record, despite losing Andre Johnson and Mario Williams to injuries earlier in the season. Schaub reportedly injured his right foot during a quarterback sneak in yesterday's game. While he initially stayed in, he had to leave the game because of overwhelming pain. He was seen leaving the complex wearing a walking boot on his right foot.

It has already been announced that Schaub will miss the next game in TWO weeks (next week the Texans have a bye). Backup quarterback Matt Leinart will start that game.

What can the injury be? Details haven't been released yet. An ankle sprain would have been reasonably visible on replays. My suspicion (and only a guess) is that the injury could be a fracture. A common football injury is a Jones fracture, or a fracture of the base of the fifth metatarsal bone. This happens with a sudden twist of the foot when it is planted on the ground. The fracture, unfortunately is reasonable unstable and usually requires foot surgery to treat.

Hopefully we'll learn more about Matt Schaub's injury in the coming days and learn more about the future of the Texans' season.

UPDATE: It was just released that Matt Schaub will indeed be out for the remainder of the season. He has suffered a Lisfranc injury, which is less common injury that results a series of fractures in the midfoot. The Lisfranc joint is between the tarsal bones and the bases of the metatarsals. While the injury can be stable, and not requiring surgery, surgical correction of this injury is most common. Correction involves stabilizing the injury with fixation, usually utilizing plates and screws. While some athletes return from this injury, it can be career threatening.

Wishing the best to Matt Schaub on his upcoming surgery and hoping to see his return in the 2012 season. Also, good luck to Matt Leinart for leading the team to continued victory.