Return to Play and Performance in the Women’s National Basketball Association After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Tramer, Joseph S.; Khalil, Lafi S.; Ziedas, Alexander; Mehran, Nima; Okoroha, Kelechi R.

doi:10.1177/2325967120947078

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…et al 27 also demonstrated that NBA players had a significant drop in PER in the first season after RTP that resolved by postoperative season 2 compared with a control group. Similarly, Tramer et al 31 noted a significant decline in multiple performance statistics in WNBA players' first year after RTP that also resolved at 3 seasons postsurgery. It must be noted that the aforementioned studies used the first season after RTP after ACL reconstruction as the comparative season, while the ACL cohort in the present study entered the WNBA at a mean of 3 years after their ACL reconstruction; therefore, there were no statistics readily available immediately after surgery.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Namdari et al 25 retrospectively reviewed 18 WNBA athletes with ACL injury and found that 14 (77.8%) were successfully able to return to competition, and while there were slight decreases in games played and MPG after ACL reconstruction, these differences were not significant. In another study focusing on WNBA players who sustained ACL tears during their professional careers, Tramer et al 31 noted that athletes returning to competition in the first year after ACL reconstruction were at risk for decreased game utilization compared with a group of heathy controls, with ACL tear athletes participating in 7.5 fewer games per season and playing 5.1 fewer MPG.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Association of Prior Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear With Decreased Career Longevity in Women’s National Basketball Association

Tramer

Khalil

Jildeh

et al. 2021

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine

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Background: The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in women’s basketball exceeds that of men. There is a paucity of data regarding career performance in Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) athletes with a history of ACL reconstruction. Purpose: To determine whether WNBA athletes with a history of ACL injury prior to professional play have reduced career game utilization, defined as games played and started and minutes per game (MPG), as well as statistical performance, defined by player efficiency rating (PER). Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Included were 42 WNBA players from 1997 to 2018 who had a history of ACL reconstruction before entering professional leagues. Body mass index (BMI), age, and position were collected for each player. Career data and performance statistics were likewise collected for each player’s entire WNBA career. A control group of WNBA players with no history of ACL injury were matched by position, BMI, and age at the time of WNBA debut. Statistics compared game utilization and performance to assess the impact of ACL reconstruction. Results: Athletes who sustained an ACL tear before entering the league played in fewer games per season in their first 3 professional seasons compared with healthy controls (24.2 ± 8.4 vs 28.2 ± 6.1; P = .02). Among athletes with a history of ACL reconstruction, 11 (26.2%) played only a single WNBA season, while no control athletes played in just 1 season. Additionally, athletes who had a previous ACL tear started significantly fewer games per season (9.0 ± 9.4 vs 14.0 ± 9.0; P < .01) and played fewer MPG (15.5 ± 7.2 vs 20.7 ± 5.5; P < .01) during their WNBA career. Athletes with a history of ACL tear had significantly shorter WNBA careers (4.8 ± 4.1 vs 8.1 ± 3.3 seasons; P < .001). Total professional play duration (WNBA + overseas) was significantly reduced in players with an ACL tear compared with controls ( P < .05). PER was not significantly different between cohorts at any time point. Conclusion: WNBA athletes with a history of an ACL tear before professional play had decreased career game utilization and workload throughout their career despite having similar PER compared with healthy controls.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of Prior Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear With Decreased Career Longevity in Women’s National Basketball Association

Tramer

Khalil

Jildeh

et al. 2021

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine

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“…This RTP rate of ACL tears in the WNBA is consistent with a study evaluating performance effects of ACL tears in WNBA athletes that cited an RTP rate of 69.5%. 14 Importantly, this rate appears to be lower than the RTP rate of NBA players who underwent ACL reconstruction surgery, which is 88.9%. 13 NBA players who sustained a torn meniscus missed on average between 40 and 45 days, which again is also an appreciably shorter length than the RTP length of the WNBA players with similar injuries at 231 days.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Epidemiology With Video Analysis of Knee Injuries in the Women’s National Basketball Association

Axelrod

Canastra

Lemme

et al. 2022

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine

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Background: Knee injuries are the most common type of injury seen in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). However, there are sparse epidemiologic data regarding these injuries over the past 20 years. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, return to play (RTP) rate/length, and mechanism of knee injuries in the WNBA. We hypothesized that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears would have the highest prevalence and longest RTP times. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Publicly available WNBA injury reports were used to find WNBA athletes who sustained knee injuries. The RTP length was determined by calculating the number of days between the date of the injury and the date of the first game they played after returning. The RTP rate was determined by calculating the number of players who returned to play from each injury compared with the total number of each injury. Incidence of knee injuries, frequency, and time to RTP were calculated for each injury. Available videos were analyzed to determine the mechanism and body position at the time of injury. Results: Overall, 99 WNBA players were identified as having sustained a knee injury during the study period resulting in loss of play. ACL tears (n = 37; 37%) were the most devastating injury, resulting in the longest time before RTP (n = 375 days; 70%). The position with the highest incidence of knee injuries was guard, accounting for 53% of knee injuries. Video analysis conducted on 12 knee injuries revealed that such injuries were most commonly noncontact (83%).The mechanisms of injury were most commonly planting (58%) and landing from a jump (33%) with the knee flexed in the valgus position (100%). Conclusion: Study findings indicated that ACL tears are the most common clinically significant knee injuries sustained in the WNBA, accounting for 37% of total knee injuries with a mean RTP rate of 375 days. The most common mechanism of injury was planting the foot or landing from a jump with a flexed knee in the valgus position. Knee injuries had a high RTP rate in WNBA players but resulted in them missing a significant amount of playing time.

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“…), news articles, player profiles, and game previews of starting lineups were used to identify all NBA players who underwent surgical management of AP, similar to previous literature. 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 To verify these reports, at least 2 separate online articles corroborating the injury was deemed sufficient. In addition, the date of surgery was identified, and game statistics were analyzed to confirm missing data following the surgery to confirm consistency with the news reports.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Return to Play Rate and Reduced Career Longevity Following Surgical Management of Athletic Pubalgia in National Basketball Association Players

Castle

Kessler

Abbas

et al. 2021

Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation

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Purpose: To assess the effects of surgical treatment of athletic pubalgia (AP) on game use and performance metrics in National Basketball Association (NBA) players. Methods: A retrospective review of all NBA players who underwent surgical management for AP from 1996 to 2018 was performed. A matched control group was created for comparison. The index period was defined as the entire NBA season in which surgery occurred, including the corresponding offseason. Player demographics, use (games played, games started, and minutes per game) and performance (player efficiency rating) metrics were collected for all players. Statistical analysis was performed to compare data before and after return to play. Results: Thirty players with a history of surgical management for AP were included in the final analysis. Following surgery for AP, NBA players were found to have a return to play (RTP) rate of 90.91% (30/33). The average RTP following surgery was 4.73 AE 2.62 months. Compared with control athletes, athletes in the AP group played significantly fewer seasons postinjury (4.17 AE 2.70 vs 5.49 AE 3.04 seasons, respectively; P ¼ .02). During the first year following RTP, NBA players experienced significant reductions in game use and performance, both when compared with the year prior and matched control athletes (P < .05). At 3-year follow-up, players continued to demonstrate significant reductions in game use (minutes per game, P < .05) but not performance. Conclusions: Following surgical treatment of AP, NBA players demonstrated a high RTP rate, but shortened career. A short-term reduction in game use and performance metrics was found the year of return following surgery. However, 3-year follow-up performance metrics normalized when compared with healthy controls. Study Design: Level III; retrospective case-control study.

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Return to Play and Performance in the Women’s National Basketball Association After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Cited by 12 publications

References 39 publications

Association of Prior Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear With Decreased Career Longevity in Women’s National Basketball Association

Association of Prior Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear With Decreased Career Longevity in Women’s National Basketball Association

Epidemiology With Video Analysis of Knee Injuries in the Women’s National Basketball Association

High Return to Play Rate and Reduced Career Longevity Following Surgical Management of Athletic Pubalgia in National Basketball Association Players

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