Ferguson's road back long, painful

Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin, a pioneering French surgeon, was the first to describe the intricacies of dislocations and fractures in the many small bones and ligaments that form the arch at the top of the foot.

He probably had no idea that 160 years after his death Vikings receiver Robert Ferguson and Chiefs cornerback Ty Law would huddle after a game at Arrowhead Stadium to commiserate about the difficulties of overcoming the dreaded "Lisfranc fracture" that is all too common among NFL players.

"It's worse than a broken foot," said Ferguson, who suffered his in Week 4 with the Green Bay Packers last season. "Initially, when it happened, we were hoping it was just a break."

There are different degrees to the Lisfranc fracture. A small dislocation or fracture of the bones and ligaments doesn't require surgery. Just a lot of rest. Larger dislocations and fractures require surgery, where screws are inserted to stabilize the area while it heels.

"It's a very difficult injury," Ferguson said. "The only thing you can do is give it time to let those ligaments heal."

Ferguson's injury didn't require surgery. Yet he still missed 12 games last season, lost his roster spot in August and was inactive in the Vikings' season opener this year. Asked when he finally felt he was 100 percent healed, Ferguson said, "Probably when I got here." He has been here 37 days.

"I was talking to Ty Law after [Sunday's] game, and he said he's still not back [100 percent] from his," said Ferguson, referring to the injury that cost Law nine regular-season games and a Super Bowl championship run with the Patriots in 2004.

"I don't think my injury was as severe as his. I didn't have to get a bolt or a screw put in like he did. If you get that bolt or screw in there, it's something you're going to deal with the rest of your career."

Ferguson insists he feels no lingering effects from the injury, although it appeared he wasn't running at full speed when quarterback Kelly Holcomb overthrew him on what would have been an easy 30-yard touchdown pass late in the first half of the 13-10 loss to the Chiefs. Ferguson didn't catch a pass against Kansas City and has three receptions for 29 yards on the season.

Normally, a player with three catches wouldn't draw a crowd of reporters the way Ferguson did at Winter Park on Monday.

"Must be Packer week," he said with a smile.

Yes, it is. The Packers are 3-0 with an outstanding defense, a young-looking Brett Favre, No. 1 receiver Donald Driver and two young wideouts -- Greg Jennings and James Jones -- who are the reason Ferguson was expendable.

A former second-round draft pick who caught 119 passes and scored 12 touchdowns during six injury-plagued years in Green Bay, Ferguson said he still talks to about 25 Packers players on a regular basis. He's especially close to Driver. And Jennings jokingly rubbed it in his face that he was the one who ran the slant to catch Favre's NFL record-tying 420th career touchdown pass. Ferguson, however, said he has no hard feelings toward the Packers, prefers his role in Minnesota, and doesn't care who the Vikings are playing this week.

"We just need a win bad in this locker room," he said. "I don't care who it's against."

This, however, could be Ferguson's opportunity to show the Packers he's the same player he was before the Lisfranc fracture. Ferguson played about 55 snaps against the Chiefs because Troy Williamson (hamstring) was inactive.

Because NFL players often experience an unusually strong amount of torque on their feet, Ferguson has a lot of company when it comes to dealing with the Lisfranc fracture. In recent years, the list has included big-name players such as Eagles running backs Duce Staley and Brian Westbrook, Giants defensive end Michael Strahan and Bears safety Mike Brown, who bounced back from it this season only to end up back on injured reserve because of a torn knee ligament.

Then there's Eagles fullback and former Gopher Thomas Tapeh. In college, he suffered a Lisfranc fracture in one foot, came back and then suffered another Lisfranc fracture in his other foot.

"Yeah," Ferguson said. "I read about him when I was doing my research. I can't even imagine that."

Mark Craig • mcraig@startribune.com