Carolina Panthers' Newton Out 4 Months

Yesterday afternoon Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton underwent surgery to repair the ligaments on his left ankle.
The recovery timeframe for this surgery is four months, which would bring Newton to the start of training camp, but in the meantime, he could be throwing on a limited basis before then.
Newton rolled his ankle in the Week 16 win against the New Orleans Saints, but was able to play in the regular-season finale at Atlanta and in the NFC divisional playoff loss against the San Francisco 49ers without any noticeable pain.
The team had hoped rest would clear up the injury,  but the pain persisted and it was decided that Newton have the surgery now so he would not miss any games in the fall. 
Newton has a history of injury with his left ankle. He sustained a high ankle sprain late in the 2012 season and rest during the offseason helped. Newton then aggravated the ankle late in the 2013 season, suffering low ankle damage during the season. 
Multiple strains and sprains to the ligaments in the ankle can lead to continued problems and reinjury. While the athlete may feel better with rest and rehabilitation, often the ankle ligaments will heal with scar tissue, decreased elasticity, and chronic ankle instability. That's why when someone suffers their first ankle sprain, it is crucial to visit a podiatrist and follow the recovery regimen prescribed. 
When rest, physical therapy, or rehabilitation does not work, surgery is an option. The goal with ligament surgery is to clean up the debris and remove any spurs. Soft tissue is tightened up and a rehabilitation plan is put in place. If all goes well with the surgery, recovery time for this type of surgery is 12 to 16 weeks. 
According to head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion, "Dr. (Robert) Anderson did not find anything unexpected in the procedure and the surgery went well."
Newton will miss most, if not all, of the offseason workouts and working with a new team of wide receivers. The team released Steve Smith and had three others leave via free agency. 
Reference: ESPN
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Sports Medicine Podiatrist in CT
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