Return to Play in Athletes Receiving Cervical Surgery: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Cervical spine surgery is increasingly common in athletes.
• Understanding return to play (RTP) rates and outcomes is crucial for athlete management and career longevity.
• Limited high-quality data exists on RTP following various cervical spine procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the literature on the proportion of athletes returning to play after cervical spine surgery.
• To investigate factors influencing RTP, including surgical procedure, levels fused, and sport type.
• To analyze the duration and performance level of athletes who return to play.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of electronic databases and reference lists up to August 19, 2015.
• Inclusion of observational, retrospective series reporting on athletes undergoing cervical spine surgery.
• Analysis of 175 patients from nine studies, including professional and recreational athletes.

Main Results:

• Overall, 75% of professional athletes and 76% of recreational athletes returned to play after cervical spine surgery, primarily for herniated discs.
• Successful RTP was well-documented after single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for herniated discs.
• No snowboarders returned to play after cervical fracture surgery; outcomes for other diagnoses/procedures remain unclear.

Conclusions:

• Return to play decisions after cervical spine surgery are complex and debated.
• High RTP rates exist for specific procedures like anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for herniated discs.
• Further high-quality research is needed to clarify RTP outcomes for diverse cervical spine conditions and surgical interventions.