Director Christopher McQuarrie says the action star broke an ankle during the filming of a stunt that required jumping between buildings and hitting a wall.
Human ankles are created equal, whether they belong to movie star Tom Cruise or hardworking Dr. Bob patient Diego Cortez. Like any other part of our skeleton, when ankles are hit with excessive force, they break.
The ankle is both strong and stable. It has to be, because it bears 150% of your body weight when you walk, and up to 800% of your body weight when you run. The ankle joint acts like a hinge that enables twisting in three directions, sometimes simultaneously.
A healthy ankle is able to instantly and continuously adapt to whatever terrain you happen to be traversing. But even this sturdy structure is subject to fractures.
Tom Cruise is famous for performing his own movie stunts. That risky business practice recently led to him slamming his feet into the side of a tall building at high speed during the filming of Mission Impossible 6 in London.
When an ankle breaks in more than one place (called a bi-malleolar or tri-malleolar fracture) surgery is usually required. When the fracture is displaced, and the ankle joint is also no longer properly aligned, surgery is necessary to realign the ankle joint. This is what happened to Cruise.
“Surgical precision is required,” according to Dr. Bob Director Dr. Bob Baravarian, “as we must align the ankle joint to within 2 mm of its original position for optimal long-term results.”
These serious injuries happen every day in the workplace and at home. Diego Cortez, a patient of Dr. Baravarian, broke his ankle at work from a 20-foot fall from scaffolding. His employer sent Diego to Dr. Bob, and we performed comprehensive reconstructive ankle surgery.
Diego returned to work and, equally important, his very active lifestyle which includes running and working out. In fact, Diego was so pleased with the results of his ankle reconstructive surgery that he recorded a testimonial.
Watch Diego’s story here:
Now what’s interesting about Cruise’s injury is it’s reported that he rejected ankle surgery, which was recommended. Instead, he has chosen to trust his “non-medical beliefs for his healing.” In other words, for religious reasons, which we respect since all adults should have the right to make their own choices about their care.
But as you can also imagine, we are very interested in how this will work out for Mr. Cruise.
We will let you know and certainly wish him all the best!
About Dr. Bob Baravarian
From plantar fasciitis to Achilles injuries to ankle sprains and more, Dr. Bob Baravarian is committed to helping patients achieve lasting foot and ankle wellness. A nationally recognized foot and ankle specialist, he provides the most advanced podiatric care with some of the highest success rates in the nation. Dr. Bob is a leader in researching, diagnosing, and treating all foot and ankle conditions.
To schedule a consultation, please call (855) 557-5400 or make an appointment now.
Dr. Bob Baravarian is conveniently located in Los Angeles, near Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, providing expert foot and ankle care for patients throughout Southern California.
