"Jay Cutler's fractured right thumb has left Bears fans feverishly computing competing timelines: how long it will take the quarterback to heal versus the number of weeks left in the season.

Over the last several decades, doctors and scientists have built an arsenal of cutting-edge tools to help speed recovery time, which could allow a professional quarterback to use his throwing hand just weeks after breaking a thumb.

Cutler suffered a Bennett's fracture, a break in the metacarpal bone where the thumb meets the wrist, according to an NFL source. He is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday morning in Vail, Colo., according to sources."