Orthopedic surgeons said the stress fracture 49ers running back Carlos Hyde has dealt with the last 2 1/2 games likely is one of two varieties common to football players.
It’s either a small break on the outside of the foot – often referred to as a Jones fracture – or to one of the small bones in the midfoot. Both can heal on their own in someone as young and healthy as Hyde, 24, but usually only if the patient avoids stress on the foot for an extended period.
The 49ers have not divulged the nature of the injury, but Hyde told CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson before Thursday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks that it was a stress fracture, then said, “Something like that,” when asked to confirm the diagnosis after the game.
The story quoted an orthopedic surgeon who said a mid-foot fracture typically will heal on its own in young, healthy patients, especially if it is not displaced – Hyde’s fracture almost certainly is not displaced – and if the patient rests the foot. But the story added that rest apparently is not the plan with Hyde, who continued to play against the Giants and started the next two games. During the week, the 49ers mostly keep him off the foot by putting him on an exercise bike while the rest of the team practices. The orthopedists said even the smallest fractures can worsen if the stress continues and at some point surgery becomes necessary. Until then, it’s a question of pain tolerance. It's key information for fantasy owners to know as Hyde is not 100-percent and without rest he may not be the rest of this season.
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