Return to Play After Arthroscopic Management of Rotator Cuff Tears in Professional Athletes of Contact Sports

Abstract

Background: Rotator cuff tears are rare injuries in professional athletes who participate in contact sports, and limited data exist to guide players and team physicians regarding outcomes after surgical management. Purpose: To report the outcomes and return-to-play rates of professional contact sport athletes who underwent arthroscopic management of rotator cuff tears. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: All professional athletes of contact sports who underwent arthroscopic management of a rotator cuff tear between 2002 and 2019 at the institution were identified. Patient information collected were age, sport, position, date of injury, date of surgery, and time to return to play; surgical data included tear size, acuity, pattern, and procedure performed. The primary outcome measure was the ability to return to play and the number of games played after surgery. Results: Overall, 10 rotator cuff tears in 9 professional athletes (8 tears in football players and 2 tears in hockey players) were identified; 9 of the tears were full-thickness tears that underwent arthroscopic single-row repair, while 1 was a partial tear that was debrided. Of the 9 athletes, 8 were able to return to play at the same level, at a mean time of 9.5 ± 4.3 months. The mean playing time after surgery was 32 ± 25 games (2.7 ± 2 seasons) for the football players and 22 games (1 season) for the hockey player who returned. Postoperative imaging was available in 8 of the 10 tears, and 7 of 8 (88%) demonstrated a healed repair. One football player and 1 hockey player with large (>3 cm) full-thickness tears did not return to play. The mean age of these players was 34.5 years and both had >10 years of professional playing experience.≥ Conclusion: The study findings demonstrated that the majority (80%; n = 8) of the professional athletes in contact sports in this series were able to return to play at the same level after arthroscopic management of a symptomatic rotator cuff tear.