TY - JOUR
T1 - Return to play and performance after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in the National Basketball Association
T2 - surgeon case series and literature review
AU - Nwachukwu, Benedict U.
AU - Anthony, Shawn G.
AU - Lin, Kenneth M.
AU - Wang, Tim
AU - Altchek, David W.
AU - Allen, Answorth A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2017/7/3
Y1 - 2017/7/3
N2 - Objectives: To investigate return to play (RTP) and functional performance after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in National Basketball Association (NBA) players and to perform a systematic review of the literature to understand RTP after ACLR in professional basketball. Methods: NBA players undergoing ACLR between 2008 and 2014 by two surgeons were identified. RTP and performance were assessed based on a review of publically available statistics. A systematic review of the literature was performed using the MEDLINE database. Inclusion criteria were: English language, ACL surgery outcome, professional basketball and RTP outcome. We reviewed studies for RTP rates and RTP performance. Results: Our study included 12 professional basketball players with NBA level experience. Eleven of the 12 players returned to their prior level of play. Eight of the 9 (88.9%) players actively playing in the NBA returned to play in the NBA at a mean 9.8 months. Among players returning to NBA play, during RTP season 1, mean per game statistics decreased for the following: minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers and personal fouls–none of these changes reached statistical significance. Player efficiency ratings significantly declined from pre-injury (12.5) to the first RTP season (7.6) (p = 0.05). By RTP season 2, player performance metrics approximated pre-injury levels and were not significantly different. Six studies met inclusion criteria; reported RTP rates ranged from 78–86%. Identified studies similarly found a decline in functional performance after RTP. Conclusion: There is a high rate (89%) of return to NBA play for NBA players undergoing ACLR. After RTP, however, there is a quantitative decline in initial season 1 RTP statistics with a significant decrease in player efficiency rating. By RTP season 2, performance metrics demonstrated an improvement compared to RTP season 1 but did not reach pre-injury functional performance, though performance metrics are not significantly different between pre-injury and RTP season 2.
AB - Objectives: To investigate return to play (RTP) and functional performance after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in National Basketball Association (NBA) players and to perform a systematic review of the literature to understand RTP after ACLR in professional basketball. Methods: NBA players undergoing ACLR between 2008 and 2014 by two surgeons were identified. RTP and performance were assessed based on a review of publically available statistics. A systematic review of the literature was performed using the MEDLINE database. Inclusion criteria were: English language, ACL surgery outcome, professional basketball and RTP outcome. We reviewed studies for RTP rates and RTP performance. Results: Our study included 12 professional basketball players with NBA level experience. Eleven of the 12 players returned to their prior level of play. Eight of the 9 (88.9%) players actively playing in the NBA returned to play in the NBA at a mean 9.8 months. Among players returning to NBA play, during RTP season 1, mean per game statistics decreased for the following: minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers and personal fouls–none of these changes reached statistical significance. Player efficiency ratings significantly declined from pre-injury (12.5) to the first RTP season (7.6) (p = 0.05). By RTP season 2, player performance metrics approximated pre-injury levels and were not significantly different. Six studies met inclusion criteria; reported RTP rates ranged from 78–86%. Identified studies similarly found a decline in functional performance after RTP. Conclusion: There is a high rate (89%) of return to NBA play for NBA players undergoing ACLR. After RTP, however, there is a quantitative decline in initial season 1 RTP statistics with a significant decrease in player efficiency rating. By RTP season 2, performance metrics demonstrated an improvement compared to RTP season 1 but did not reach pre-injury functional performance, though performance metrics are not significantly different between pre-injury and RTP season 2.
KW - Anterior cruciate ligament
KW - health outcome
KW - return to play
KW - systematic review
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85019020139&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00913847.2017.1325313
DO - 10.1080/00913847.2017.1325313
M3 - Article
C2 - 28449611
AN - SCOPUS:85019020139
SN - 0091-3847
VL - 45
SP - 303
EP - 308
JO - Physician and Sportsmedicine
JF - Physician and Sportsmedicine
IS - 3
ER -