Variables Affecting Return to Play After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in the National Football League

Eisenstein, Emmanuel D.; Rawicki, Nathaniel L.; Rensing, Nicholas; Kusnezov, Nicholas; Lanzi, Joseph T.

doi:10.1177/2325967116670117

Cited by 31 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Consistent with previous literature, those elite athletes who are in more established positions preoperatively (eg, higher draft round, more games played and started, etc) are more likely to RTP postoperatively 26. As well, as discussed in previous literature, position-specific advice is crucial to the management of athletic injuries and the RTP process 27.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Most elite athletes return to competition following operative management of meniscal tears: a systematic review

et al. 2018

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Most elite athletes return to competition following operative management of meniscal tears: a systematic review

et al. 2018

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“…Return to play has been evaluated in other cutting sports, including professional football. Eisenstein et al 7 and Shah et al 8 reported a 62% and 63% RTP rate, respectively, for National Football League athletes following ACL reconstruction. The RTP rate in professional football is notably less than the RTP rate found in studies evaluating NBA players.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 98%

“…involved in cutting sports is limited. [6][7][8] Fatigue in athletes has been shown to alter muscular activity and biomechanics. These alterations can lead to landing with a more straight leg, increasing an athlete's susceptibility to ACL tears.…”

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confidence: 99%

Amount of Minutes Played Does Not Contribute to Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in National Basketball Association Athletes

Okoroha¹,

Marfo²,

Meta³

et al. 2017

Orthopedics

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There is limited information on the potential risk factors for sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in National Basketball Association (NBA) athletes. This study evaluated 83 NBA players who sustained an ACL injury between 1984 and 2015 to determine the influence of minutes played on injury risk. Minutes played in the injury game, during the season, and over their career were assessed, along with the ability to return to play, player efficiency rating, and playing time after return. Athletes in the NBA played significantly fewer minutes before sustaining an ACL injury (17.1 minutes) than their average minutes per game that season (23.5 minutes; P<.01) or over their career (24.0 minutes; P<.01). One-third of all injuries occurred during the first quarter of the season (preseason to November). There was a 95% rate of return (78 players) to NBA competition the season following ACL injury. Players who were drafted as lottery picks (draft pick 1 to 15) or those who were starters played significantly more minutes the season following injury than those who were not (both P<.01). Players who returned to play had decreased player efficiency ratings when compared with matched controls. This study found that minutes played in a single NBA game did not contribute to the risk of sustaining an ACL injury. Although there was a high rate of return to NBA competition the season following injury, those who were elite athletes played more minutes per game than those who were not. Athletes who returned to play sustained a decrease in player efficiency ratings compared with similar athletes without ACL injury. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(4):e658-e662.].

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“… 15 , 24 Being selected earlier in the NFL draft (rounds 1-3) has been demonstrated to increase the likelihood of RTP after an ACL injury compared to being selected later in the NFL draft (rounds 4-7) or not being drafted. 15 , 24 Despite multiple studies demonstrating significant relationships between position type, draft round, and RTP rates, no study to date has examined the interplay between draft round and position type broadly across the NFL. In addition, whether players are able to return to preinjury levels of performance after RTP remains unknown, with information available only for running backs, wide receivers, quarterbacks, and kickers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

National Football League Skilled and Unskilled Positions Vary in Opportunity and Yield in Return to Play After an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

Yang

Hodax

Machan

et al. 2017

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine

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Background:Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries pose a significant risk to the careers of players in the National Football League (NFL). The relationships between draft round and position on return to play (RTP) among NFL players are not well understood, and the ability to return to preinjury performance levels remains unknown for most positions.Purpose:To test for differences in RTP rates and changes in performance after an ACL injury by position and draft round. We hypothesized that skilled positions would return at a lower rate compared to unskilled positions. We further hypothesized that early draft-round status would relate to a greater rate of RTP and that skilled positions and a lower draft round would correlate with decreased performance for players who return to sport.Study Design:Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:Utilizing a previously established database of publicly available information regarding ACL tears among NFL players, athletes with ACL tears occurring between the 2010 and 2013 seasons were identified. Generalized linear models and Kaplan-Meier time-to-event models were used to test the study hypotheses.Results:The overall RTP rate was 61.7%, with skilled players and unskilled players returning at rates of 64.1% and 60.4%, respectively (P = .74). Early draft-round players and unskilled late draft-round players had greater rates of RTP compared to skilled late draft-round players and both unskilled and skilled undrafted free agents (UDFAs). Skilled early draft-round players constituted the only cohort that played significantly fewer games after an injury. Unskilled UDFAs constituted the only cohort to show a significant increase in the number of games started and ratio of games started to games played, starting more games in which they played, after an injury.Conclusion:Early draft-round and unskilled players were more likely to return compared to their later draft-round and skilled peers. Skilled early draft-round players, who displayed relatively high rates of RTP, constituted the only cohort to show a decline in performance. Unskilled UDFAs, who exhibited relatively low rates of RTP, constituted the only cohort to show an increase in performance. The significant effect of draft round and position type on RTP may be caused by a combination of differences in talent levels and in opportunities given to returning to play.

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Variables Affecting Return to Play After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in the National Football League

Cited by 31 publications

References 16 publications

Most elite athletes return to competition following operative management of meniscal tears: a systematic review

Most elite athletes return to competition following operative management of meniscal tears: a systematic review

Amount of Minutes Played Does Not Contribute to Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in National Basketball Association Athletes

National Football League Skilled and Unskilled Positions Vary in Opportunity and Yield in Return to Play After an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

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