Can Kristaps Porziņģis Play Through the Medial Retinaculum Injury? American Medical Experts’ Opinion, Comparison With Ex-Barcelona Star’s Case

It looks like Kristaps Porziņģis can never catch a break from injuries. And weirdly enough, these injuries aren’t the normal ones! They become creative every time. By now, the Celtics fans are aware of the torn medial retinaculum injury that has dislocated his posterior tibialis tendon. That’s a very fancy-sounding but significantly rare injury. According to a Traumatic Dislocation of Tibialis Posterior Tendon case report in 2020, there, approximately, have been only 50 cases reported. Many of them have been misdiagnosed as an ankle sprain!

Luckily, we have doctors who are also passionate sports fans and take the time to keep it simple for the rest of us. Brian Sutterer MD, a sports medicine doctor, PM&R trained, provided a short and easy description. “The medial retinaculum is like a seat belt that keeps the tendons in place as they course around the inside of the ankle bone. There are three tendons that travel along the inside of the ankle, and that seatbelt keeps them secured in place. The posterior tibialis tendon is one of said tendons,” he wrote on X.

The Celtics coach, Joe Mazzulla, didn’t beat around the bush when he was asked about the injury. The 35-year-old dubbed it serious. But if we are trying to look at the silver lining, then we suppose that the fact it is unrelated to the calf strain, which kept Porziņģis away for 38 days in the postseason, is one we can take comfort in. That is, however, a drop in the ocean of worries, though.

Interestingly, physical therapy doctor and movement coach, Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT, shared an example of an athlete who underwent the same situation. It seems like the two have a history of injuries. We are talking about Alexis Sánchez, a soccer star from Blaugrana’s player pool. During a friendly with Columbia, on international duty, the Chilean suffered a dislocated left ankle and tendon damage.

The 35-year-old had to undergo surgery after the persistent ‘dislocations’ (the right term being ‘subluxations’). He was out for almost three months. That is the timeline we are looking at if Kristaps Porziņģis also ends up in a similar scenario. But what is the man in question saying about his injury?

What did Kristaps Porziņģis say about his Game 2 injury?

KP remains positive. Then again, when you are destiny’s child for injuries, you kind of get used to it, wouldn’t you say? The Latvian 7-footer did get diagnosed with anemia when he was 15 and was trying out for Sevilla. Despite not being able to play to his best, Baloncesto Sevilla was still left impressed with Kristaps. And they signed a contract that summer.

​Nevertheless, here’s what he told NBA on TNT reporter Jared Greenberg about his “rare injury.” 

“I felt something in my ankle, kept playing. But I knew something happened. … The next day, we did all this MRI and saw what happened. So, now, as the report says, it’s day-to-day, and I expect myself to be able to play.”

Well, that’s a relief for the Boston fans, of course. But if the above reports and details by specialized doctors have told us anything, it’s that this latest injury of Kristaps Porziņģis could go very wrong, very fast. Not to mention, his calf strain is still a dark cloud looming on the horizon. Let’s hope that is not the case.

But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese.

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