HOUSTON - YAO Ming's broken foot is not healed and the Houston Rockets say the All-Star centre is out indefinitely.

Yao suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot in the Rockets' playoff loss to the Lakers on May 8. The team initially said Yao was expected to miss only eight to 12 weeks.

But team doctor Dr Tom Clanton examined Yao's foot in Houston on Wednesday and said the hairline fracture has not responded to the treatment program.

A bone scan conducted late on Wednesday revealed that the fracture had not yet healed.

The team now says no timeline is set for Yao's return to basketball activities.

Yao and the Rockets will consult with doctors who have previously participated in his care before proceeding with a new course of action. -- AP