University of Louisville running back Michael Bush underwent successful surgery to repair two broken bones in the lower portion of his right leg Monday morning.
Dr. Raymond Shea, one of three doctors who attended to Bush, said the one-hour procedure at Jewish Hospital included the insertion of a titanium rod in Bush’s tibia, a bone that runs on the inside of the leg from the knee to the ankle.
Shea said Bush suffered fractures to his fibula and tibia “above his right ankle, about to the top of where you pull your socks up.” Shea said the rod and two screws were placed in Bush’s leg by Dr. Arthur Malkani, with assistance from Dr. Edward Tillett and Shea.
“It’s a season-ending injury, but not a career-ending injury,” Shea said. “(Former U of L football coach) Howard Schnellenberger once said this is a lot better than a knee injury and in a lot of ways, I guess it is.”
Bush suffered the injury on his second carry of the second-half in Louisville’s 59-28 victory over the University of Kentucky in the Cards’ season-opener at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium Sunday night. Bush ran for three touchdowns and 128 yards.
Bush, a senior, has the option of making this his red-shirt season and returning to U of L for the 2007 season, or he can enter the NFL draft. Neither Bush nor his parents could be reached for comment Monday morning.
“What Michael does with his future, that’s up to Michael and the Bush family,” Shea said.
Shea said Bush would remain in the hospital until the middle of this week and would not be able to put weight on the leg for three weeks. Shea said that the injury will not require a cast and that Bush should be able to resume full weight-bearing in six weeks.
Shea said Bush would be able to begin a light running program and riding an exercise bike in three months, but that Bush would not play again this season even if U of L played in a January bowl game.
“Michael’s bones are very strong,” Shea said. “There are a number of complications with an injury like this and that’s what we guard against.”
Shea said possible complications included infection and clots in the blood
”Michael’s a great kid,” Shea said. “I’ve known him since he was a freshman at Male High School and I’ve never heard him curse. He’ll work hard to recover from this.”
