2021 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster
Performance-Based Outcomes After Shoulder Arthroscopy in Professional Athletes Among Different Sports
Margaret J Higgins, BS, New Orleans, Louisiana UNITED STATES
Steven DeFroda, MD, Chicago, IL UNITED STATES
Daniel S. Yang, BS, Providence, Rhode Island UNITED STATES
Symone M Brown, MPH, New Orleans, LA UNITED STATES
Mary K. Mulcahey, MD, Western Springs, IL UNITED STATES
Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, UNITED STATES
FDA Status Not Applicable
Summary
There is a high RTP rate among professional athletes following shoulder arthroscopy. MLB players have the longest average time to RTP and the shortest post-injury careers following shoulder arthroscopy. However, they demonstrate no significant decline in their performance following their injury.
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Abstract
Introduction
Return to play (RTP) rate and player performance following shoulder arthroscopy have been reported for professional athletes in different sports. However, no studies have evaluated whether these outcomes vary between different professional sports. The purpose of this study was to determine if differences in RTP rate and performance-based outcomes exist following shoulder arthroscopy in four major North American sports.
Methods
Professional athletes from the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball League (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL) who underwent shoulder arthroscopy between 1998 and 2016 were identified through an established review of injury reports and public archives. Sport-specific statistics were collected before and after shoulder arthroscopy for each athlete, providing a performance score whose metrics were based on an algorithm used in prior literature. RTP was defined as the first regular or post-season game played following surgery.
Results
Of the 208 professional athletes who met the inclusion criteria, a total of 167 (80.3%) returned to play following shoulder arthroscopy, with MLB players returning at a significantly lower rate than those of other sports (67.2% MLB; 97.3% NHL; 87.5% NBA; 95.8% NBA; P<0.0001). NBA players had significantly shorter recovery times (201 days; P<0.01) and MLB players had significantly longer recovery times (413 days; P<0.001) when compared to athletes in other sports. The mean number of seasons played after shoulder arthroscopy was 3.7, 4.7, 4.8, and 5.8 for MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA, respectively (Table 1).
Conclusion
There is a high RTP rate among professional athletes following shoulder arthroscopy. MLB players have the longest average time to RTP and the shortest post-injury careers following shoulder arthroscopy. However, they demonstrate no significant decline in their performance following their injury. Conversely, NBA players had the shortest average time to RTP and the longest post-injury career. Both NBA and NHL athletes experienced a decrease in performance in their post-operative season. Further research is needed regarding performance following shoulder arthroscopy in professional athletes to better understand the factors that may impact RTP, level of play, and career longevity following arthroscopic shoulder surgery.