Study design:

This study was a retrospective analysis.

Purpose:

This study aimed to analyze the functional outcome following spinal surgery in elite athletes using return-to-play criteria.

Overview of literature:

Spinal ailments are relatively common in athletes and are bound to increase due to the ever-growing popularity of contact sports. An elite athlete is highly motivated to make a rapid recovery and return to full participation in sports. Although the criteria for diagnosis and surgical treatment of various spinal disorders in athletes have been well defined in the literature, there is no clear definition about the factors determining the return to play in athletes.

Methods:

This study was a retrospective analysis of the data of 10 elite athletes who underwent spinal surgery for symptomatic degenerative disorder of the spine. Eight patients underwent lumbar spine surgery (two patients of microdiscectomy and six patients of fusion), and the remaining two patients underwent cervical spine surgery (one each anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and anterior cervical disc replacement). Outcome measures were investigated using return-to-training and return-to-sports criteria, as indicated by the length of time between surgery and return to competitive sports as parameters.

Results:

Of the 10 patients, eight were males and two were females. The average age of the patients at the time of surgery was 32.4 years (range, 25-41 years). All patients returned to active participation of their sports. The average time for return to training was 7.3 weeks (range, 3-12 weeks). The average time for return to sports was 45.6 weeks (range, 36-72 weeks), and the average follow-up period was 59 months (range, 27-120 months).

Conclusions:

Spine surgery in an elite athlete involved in contact sports is safe and effective. Currently, there is a lack of standardized guidelines for return to sports after spine injuries. An athlete needs to be symptom-free, with full range of motion and full strength before returning to sports.