Can a calf injury make you susceptible to an Achilles injury? Former Warriors physician says no

Tuesday, June 11, 2019
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Warriors star Kevin Durant's injury in Game 5 of the NBA finals has many people wondering: Can a calf injury make you more susceptible to an Achilles injury?

According to a former orthopedic physician for the Warriors, that answer is no.
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"I have never seen that. I've never seen any literature to support that," Dr. John Belzer, a surgeon at California Pacific Orthopaedics, told ABC7 News. "So, it's an interesting sequence and a very unfortunate one for Kevin."

He added that, "If this is truly an Achilles injury, nobody could have seen that coming."

Durant played game 5 of the NBA finals Monday after sitting out for 30 days while recovering from a calf injury. Despite the Warriors' nail-biting win over the Toronto Raptors, it was a bittersweet victory.



In the second quarter, Durant had another injury.

In a teary press conference after the game, Warriors General Manager Bob Myers said Durant had an injury to his Achilles on the same leg as his calf injury.
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Durant is expected to have an MRI on Tuesday.

Dr. Belzer worked for the Warriors for nine years as a physician. He said he, too, would have allowed Durant to play on Monday night.

"I think everybody including me hoped and thought that he would play last night, and I think everyone was happy to see him on the court, so I don't think there's any blame to be made on the decision making process on this," he said. "I think it was a good decision. I think five weeks is certainly a reasonable opportunity to give him to heal this injury in."



However, if Durant does have an Achilles injury, he said the recovery could take much longer.
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"My guess is he'll be out for six months to a year," he said.

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But, he believes Durant will be back.

"You've seen it in a number of high-level athletes that have been able to come back," Dr. Belzer said of Achilles injuries. "I don't see any reason to believe he won't play."

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