O'Malley Geoffrey R, Pema Patrick, Sweeney Paxton, Sarwar Syed, Cassimatis Nicholas, Knightly John J, Goldstein Ira, Patel Nitesh V
Department of Neurosurgery, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, USA.
Department of Neurosurgery, Hackensack Meridian Health, Hackensack, USA.
Cureus. 2025 Jun 10;17(6):e85706. doi: 10.7759/cureus.85706. eCollection 2025 Jun.
American football players face a higher risk of spine injuries due to the sport's high-impact nature, especially in the lumbar and cervical spine regions. These injuries may require surgical interventions aimed at allowing athletes to return to the sport. However, the effects of these surgeries on players' performance and career longevity have yet to be comprehensively studied.
This study aims to evaluate the impact of spine surgeries on National Football League (NFL) players' return-to-play rates and performance. We hypothesize that players undergoing lumbar surgeries would demonstrate greater performance improvement and return-to-play rates compared to those undergoing cervical surgeries, with differences influenced by player position and injury location. Study design and methods: This is a retrospective cohort study (III) for which NFL injury reports from 2005 to 2022 were reviewed to identify players who had undergone spine surgery. Data collected included player position, return-to-play, and years played following the procedure. Performance metrics were gathered using Super Bowl wins and Pro Football Focus (PFF) player performance ratings. Statistical analysis was conducted using Python version 3.10.12 (Python Software Foundation, Wilmington, DE, USA) to evaluate differences in return-to-play rates, performance changes, and career duration post-surgery.
The study identified 144 spine surgeries (77 lumbar, 67 cervical) among 136 players. Players who had lumbar surgery had a 61% return-to-play rate, with an average performance rating increase of 6.3%. In contrast, those who had cervical surgery had a 47% return-to-play rate and an average performance rating decrease of 5.8%. Lumbar surgeries were more common among linemen with higher BMIs, while cervical surgeries were more frequent in skill positions. Players with a history of lumbar surgeries were more likely to return to play than those without previous surgeries.
Spinal surgeries significantly impact the careers of NFL players. Lumbar surgeries show better outcomes in terms of return-to-play rates and performance improvements compared to cervical surgeries. The differences in surgical outcomes based on injury location and player position highlight the need for tailored rehabilitation protocols. This study provides valuable insights for medical practitioners, team management, and athletes, contributing to a broader understanding of the implications of spine surgeries in professional football.
由于美式橄榄球运动具有高冲击力的特点，尤其是在腰椎和颈椎区域，橄榄球运动员面临着更高的脊柱损伤风险。这些损伤可能需要进行手术干预，以使运动员能够重返赛场。然而，这些手术对运动员表现和职业生涯长度的影响尚未得到全面研究。
本研究旨在评估脊柱手术对美国国家橄榄球联盟（NFL）球员重返赛场率和表现的影响。我们假设，与接受颈椎手术的球员相比，接受腰椎手术的球员将表现出更大的表现提升和重返赛场率，且差异受球员位置和损伤部位的影响。
这是一项回顾性队列研究（III级），对2005年至2022年的NFL损伤报告进行了回顾，以确定接受过脊柱手术的球员。收集的数据包括球员位置、重返赛场情况以及手术后的参赛年限。使用超级碗获胜次数和职业橄榄球聚焦（PFF）球员表现评分来收集表现指标。使用Python 3.10.12版本（美国特拉华州威尔明顿的Python软件基金会）进行统计分析，以评估重返赛场率、表现变化和手术后职业生涯时长的差异。
该研究在136名球员中识别出144例脊柱手术（77例腰椎手术，67例颈椎手术）。接受腰椎手术的球员重返赛场率为61%，平均表现评分提高了6.3%。相比之下，接受颈椎手术的球员重返赛场率为47%，平均表现评分下降了5.8%。腰椎手术在体重指数较高的线卫中更为常见，而颈椎手术在技术位置球员中更为频繁。有腰椎手术史的球员比没有手术史的球员更有可能重返赛场。
脊柱手术对NFL球员的职业生涯有重大影响。与颈椎手术相比，腰椎手术在重返赛场率和表现提升方面显示出更好的结果。基于损伤部位和球员位置的手术结果差异凸显了制定个性化康复方案的必要性。本研究为医学从业者、球队管理层和运动员提供了有价值的见解，有助于更广泛地理解脊柱手术在职业橄榄球中的影响。
