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When can a professional athlete return to play following scapholunate ligament delayed reconstruction?
Ashleigh Williams1, Chye Yew Ng, Michael J Hayton
1University of Manchester, , Manchester, UK.
Background:
The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes in relation to return-to-play in professional athletes who had undergone a delayed scapholunate ligament reconstruction.
Methods:
We searched our prospectively managed database and identified 15 professional athletes who had undergone the modified Brunelli procedure for scapholunate instability. They were contacted to complete a telephone interview. We established the duration between the operation and return-to-play, the level of competition before and after the procedure and if applicable, reasons for reduction in the level of competition.
Results:
Between 2008 and 2011, 15 professional male athletes underwent the modified Brunelli procedure. One was lost to follow-up and 14 athletes (11 rugby, 2 boxing and 1 golf) were contactable. The mean age of the patients was 30 years (range 18-42). The mean follow-up period was 25 months (range 3-43). Eleven of the 14 (79%) athletes returned to play within 4 months of surgery. By the final review, 9 of the 14 (64%) athletes had returned to play at their preinjury level of competition.
Conclusions:
A majority (approximately 80%) of professional athletes return to competitive playing within 4 months of undergoing a scapholunate ligament reconstruction. Approximately two-thirds return to play at their preinjury level of competition.
