Shoulder Instability in Professional Football Players

Overview

Journal Sports Health

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Orthopedics

Date 2014 Jan 16

PMID 24427417

Citations 9

Authors

Lance E LeClere

Peter D Asnis

Matthew H Griffith

David Granito

Eric M Berkson

Thomas J Gill

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Shoulder instability is a common problem in American football players entering the National Football League (NFL). Treatment options include nonoperative and surgical stabilization.

Purpose: This study evaluated how the method of treatment of pre-NFL shoulder instability affects the rate of recurrence and the time elapsed until recurrence in players on 1 NFL team.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Methods: Medical records from 1980 to 2008 for 1 NFL team were reviewed. There were 328 players included in the study who started their career on the team and remained on the team for at least 2 years (mean, 3.9 years; range, 2-14 years). The history of instability prior to entering the NFL and the method of treatment were collected. Data on the occurrence of instability while in the NFL were recorded to determine the rate and timing of recurrence.

Results: Thirty-one players (9.5%) had a history of instability prior to entering the NFL. Of the 297 players with no history of instability, 39 (13.1%) had a primary event at a mean of 18.4 ± 22.2 months (range, 0-102 months) after joining the team. In the group of players with prior instability treated with surgical stabilization, there was no statistical difference in the rate of recurrence (10.5%) or the timing to the instability episode (mean, 26 months) compared with players with no history of instability. Twelve players had shoulder instability treated nonoperatively prior to the NFL. Five of these players (41.7%) had recurrent instability at a mean of 4.4 ± 7.0 months (range, 0-16 months). The patients treated nonoperatively had a significantly higher rate of recurrence (P = 0.02) and an earlier time of recurrence (P = 0.04). The rate of contralateral instability was 25.8%, occurring at a mean of 8.6 months.

Conclusion: Recurrent shoulder instability is more common in NFL players with a history of nonoperative treatment. Surgical stabilization appears to restore the rate and timing of instability to that of players with no prior history of instability.

Citing Articles

Treatment of Initial Anterior Shoulder Instability in National Hockey League Players: A Survey of NHL Team Physicians.

Benvegnu N, Gnandt R, Nammour M, Patel N, Schulz W, Eads R Orthop J Sports Med. 2024; 12(12):23259671241271704.

PMID: 39678437 PMC: 11639009. DOI: 10.1177/23259671241271704.

Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization in High School Football Players.

Stambaugh J, Bryan T, Edmonds E, Pennock A Orthop J Sports Med. 2024; 12(4):23259671241239334.

PMID: 38584991 PMC: 10998486. DOI: 10.1177/23259671241239334.

Management of Common Football-Related Injuries About the Shoulder.

Apostolakos J, Brusalis C, Uppstrom T, Thacher R, Kew M, Taylor S HSS J. 2023; 19(3):339-350.

PMID: 37435133 PMC: 10331269. DOI: 10.1177/15563316231172107.

Evaluating the effects of arthroscopic Bankart repair and open Latarjet shoulder stabilisation procedures on shoulder joint neuromechanics and function: a single-centre, parallel-arm trial protocol.

Fox A, Bonacci J, Gill S, Page R BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2021; 7(1):e000956.

PMID: 33692905 PMC: 7907843. DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000956.

Shoulder instability, performance, and return to play in National Hockey League players.

Swindell H, McCormick K, Tedesco L, Herndon C, Ahmad C, Levine W JSES Int. 2020; 4(4):786-791.

PMID: 33345216 PMC: 7738589. DOI: 10.1016/j.jseint.2020.08.008.

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