The Impact and Functional Outcomes of Achilles Tendon Pathology in National Basketball Association Players

Abstract

Achilles tendon rupture within professional athletes has been shown to lead to devastating consequences regarding return to athletic performance. Not only can this devastating injury affect performance for the remainder of player's career, it frequently becomes a career-ending event. Considering these significant risks associated with complete rupture, the purpose of this study was to evaluate NBA players with a spectrum of reported Achilles tendon pathology, from tendinopathy (insertional and non-insertional) to complete rupture. Between the 1988-1989 and 2010-2011 NBA seasons, we identified 43 cases of Achilles tendon pathology treated non-operatively. A control group was matched for the players able to return to play with the following parameters: age, position played, number of seasons played in the league, and similarly rated career performance statistics. Considering the medical staff, trainers and facilities available to a professional athlete, a “weekend warrior” should be counseled that even in optimal conditions, 14% of NBA players were unable to return to function/play after Achilles tendinopathy, and that those who were able to return did so at a decreased level of performance. In conclusion, players with Achilles tendinopathy have a better chance to return if they are younger in age and early in their professional career. Furthermore, the association between Achilles pathology and decline in player performance is an important message to convey to coaching staff and team management to allow properly informed decisions when these conditions arise.

Facial Fractures and the National Basketball Association: Epidemiology and Outcomes

“…These findings, together with the fact that the average age of NBA players in the league is 27 years, and the average career length for players is 6.18 seasons, highlight that facial fracture injuries are not limited to younger or older athletes. 1 Although we did not find a specific association between facial fractures and demographics, greater fatigue, game load, NBA experience, and short height have been associated with greater likelihood of any injury. 37 Further study is warranted to delineate possible associations between demographic risk factors and facial fractures.…”

“…There are several limitations in this study, which have been outlined in previous studies using this methodology. 1,[3][4][5][6][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] Despite a rigorous methodology and search method, our sample size is small akin to the sample size of other NBA-related injury studies [1][2][3][4]6,[17][18][19][21][22][23][24]42,43 ; this may underpower some of our results. Due to the retrospective nature of the study, detailed data on surgical treatment, postoperative rehabilitation, presenting symptoms, injury severity, and radiographic data were unavailable.…”

“…NBA players who sustained a facial fracture between the 1984 and 2018 seasons were identified using previously established methods that have been validated in a range of RTP and epidemiological studies assessing player performance following injury. [1][2][3][4][5][6][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Player injury data were identified through injury reports, press releases, and player profiles, and crossreferenced with at least two independent public sources, including the official NBA website. 25 Players who sustained a concurrent injury along with a facial fracture, with the exception of concussion status, were excluded.…”

“…In the National Basketball Association (NBA), many common injuries have been extensively studied including achilles tendon rupture, 1–2 knee injuries (e.g., anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL)), patellar tendon rupture, 3 fifth metatarsal fractures, lumbar disc herniations, 4 ankle injuries, and forearm/hand injuries 5–7 . Injuries in professional athletes create a unique, complex set of issues that impact not only individual player performance, but also team performance.…”

Achilles Pain, Stiffness, and Muscle Power Deficits: Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy Revision 2018

“…A study of National Basketball Association players found that there was an association between Achilles tendinopathy and a decline in performance, with younger players having a better chance of returning to competition. 6…”