Watkins Robert Green, Chang David, Watkins Robert Green
Marina Spine Center, Marina del Rey, California, USA.
Orthop J Sports Med. 2018 Jun 18;6(6):2325967118779672. doi: 10.1177/2325967118779672. eCollection 2018 Jun.
Data are limited on return to play after anterior cervical discectomy fusion (ACDF) in professional athletes.
To determine the rate and time of return to play among professional athletes after ACDF.
Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
This study involved the prospective and retrospective review of patient charts and diagnostic studies as well as an internet search to collect data on a consecutive series of professional athletes who underwent cervical fusion by 1 of the 2 senior authors between 1982 and 2016. Demographic data included sport, preoperative symptoms and radiologic findings, date of surgery, level of surgery, postoperative symptoms and radiologic findings, and confounding factors (eg, other orthopaedic injuries). An internet search engine was used to determine date of return to play and length of career after surgery.
A total of 27 ACDFs were performed on 26 professional athletes: 12 National Football League athletes, 5 National Hockey League athletes, 5 Major League Baseball athletes, 3 National Basketball Association athletes, and 1 Major League Soccer athlete. Twenty-six procedures (96.3%) showed clinical and radiographic evidence of fusion, and 20 of 25 eligible players returned to play (80%). At the conclusion of this study, 2 players were still in the rehabilitation phase and expected to return at the start of the next National Football League season. The mean time to return to play in a professional game was 9.5 months (range, 5.0-20.2 months). Of 15 players who returned to play but had retired by the time of this study, the mean career length after fusion was 3.2 years (range, 0.1-8.0 years). Clinical follow-up ranged from 1 to 96 months, with a mean of 22.1 months and mode of 11 months.
After single-level ACDF, 80% of professional athletes were able to return to sport at approximately 9 months. The study findings will help athletes, physicians, and teams better predict outcome after ACDF surgery.
关于职业运动员接受颈椎前路椎间盘切除融合术（ACDF）后重返赛场的数据有限。
确定职业运动员ACDF术后重返赛场的比率和时间。
病例系列；证据等级，4级。
本研究包括对患者病历和诊断研究进行前瞻性和回顾性审查，以及通过互联网搜索收集一系列连续职业运动员的数据，这些运动员在1982年至2016年间由两位资深作者之一进行了颈椎融合手术。人口统计学数据包括运动项目、术前症状和影像学表现、手术日期、手术节段、术后症状和影像学表现以及混杂因素（如其他骨科损伤）。使用互联网搜索引擎确定术后重返赛场的日期和职业生涯长度。
26名职业运动员共进行了27次ACDF手术：12名国家橄榄球联盟运动员、5名国家冰球联盟运动员、5名美国职业棒球大联盟运动员、3名国家篮球协会运动员和1名美国职业足球大联盟运动员。26例手术（96.3%）显示有融合的临床和影像学证据，25名符合条件的运动员中有20名重返赛场（80%）。在本研究结束时，2名运动员仍处于康复阶段，预计在下一个国家橄榄球联盟赛季开始时重返赛场。职业比赛中重返赛场的平均时间为9.5个月（范围为5.0 - 20.2个月）。在15名重返赛场但在本研究时已退役的运动员中，融合术后的平均职业生涯长度为3.2年（范围为0.1 - 8.0年）。临床随访时间从1个月到96个月不等，平均为22.1个月，众数为11个月。
单节段ACDF术后，80%的职业运动员能够在大约9个月后重返运动。研究结果将有助于运动员、医生和团队更好地预测ACDF手术后的结果。
