[JoeRedskin]

As I understand it, based on my own experience, ligament tears are tricky and, particularly in the foot, are hard to repair unless operated on relatively quickly. If not, they "scar-up" in the torn position and never fully heal. I am holding out hope b/c I am no doctor and maybe they know something I don't. But, honestly, it sounds a lot like what happened with my foot (torn ligament in the metatarsil). I had surgery several months after the actual tear and, over a year later, my foot is still not right.

Foot and hand stuff is very tricky b/c of the many working parts that go into them. Lots of little bones and ligaments that, if damaged, are hard to heal up.

My bet is that it never fully goes away and he will have to get to the point where it is simply a manageable pain that doesn't increase the damage.