The New York Yankees usually don't endear themselves to baseball fans, and this is no exception. Hank Steinbrenner, a co-chairman of the Yankees, exclaimed:

The National League needs to join the 21st century. I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. That was a rule from the 1800s.

Putting aside the silliness of his quote, he is simply frustrated that his star pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang, is out with a Lisfranc fracture and a torn leg tendon. The injury occurred when Chien-Ming Wang was attempting to run the bases and score. He did score, but pulled up lame.

What is a  Lisfranc fracture? Stay with me on this history lesson. Dr. Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin was a French doctor from the Napolean era. He was the first one to notice an injury to the ligaments in your foot that allow movement and rotation. The fracture occurs when any number of the small bones in the mid foot fracture. 

What causes a Lisfranc fracture? Heavy twisting of the leg while the foot is firmly planted or locked will cause this. The injury is usually seen in the NFL. 

How do you diagnose a Lisfranc fracture? Physical examination and an X-ray will get you a diagnosis. 

How do you treat a Lisfranc fracture? It depends, as usual, on the extent of the injury. Your doctor will detemine whether surgey is needed or not. Let's say you get lucky and surgery isn't needed. You're looking at a cast on your foot and lower leg for six weeks. If you are unlucky and need surgery you'll be happy to know you'll get a few screws to hold the bones. After surgery you get the same cast. In either case you cannot put weight on the leg for six weeks. 

How long does it take to recover from a Lisfranc fracture? The best you can hope for is four weeks on a slight injury, but typically it'll be six weeks to weight bearning and eight weeks back to some semblance of normal. It is critical you follow the doctor's orders on activity and stress levels on the affected leg. 

How do you rehab a Lisfranc fracture? The focus will be on increasing range of motion in your feet and strength in your leg.