Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026
Biomechanical Analysis Methods to Assess Professional Badminton Players' Lunge Performance
Published on: June 11, 2019
Performance and Return to Sport After Hip Arthroscopic Surgery in Major League Baseball Players
Robert A Jack1, Kyle R Sochacki1, Takashi Hirase1
1Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Background:
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a common cause of hip pain that may lead to decreased performance in Major League Baseball (MLB) players.
Purpose:
To determine the (1) return-to-sport (RTS) rate in MLB players after hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI; (2) postoperative career length, innings pitched (IP) (pitchers), and plate appearances (PA) (position players); (3) preoperative and postoperative performance; and (4) postoperative performance compared with control players matched by position, age, years of experience, and performance.
Study Design:
Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.
Methods:
MLB athletes who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI and matched controls were identified. Demographic and performance data were collected. RTS was defined as playing in at least 1 MLB game after surgery. Continuous variables of each group were compared using a 2-tailed paired-samples Student t test for normally distributed data. The chi-square test was used to analyze categorical data. The Bonferroni correction was used to control for multiple comparisons, with statistical significance defined by a P value of ≤.007.
Results:
A total of 50 players (57 surgeries) were analyzed (mean age, 30.4 ± 3.9 years; mean MLB experience at the time of surgery, 7.0 ± 4.6 years). Pitchers (31 surgeries; 54.4%) represented the largest proportion of players analyzed. Of these players, 42 (47 surgeries; 82.5%) were able to RTS at a mean of 8.3 ± 4.1 months. The overall 1-year MLB career survival rate of players undergoing FAI surgery was 78.9%. Players in the control group were in MLB a similar number of years (4.0 ± 2.9 years) to players who underwent surgery (3.3 ± 2.4 years) (P > .007). There was no significant decrease in IP or PA per season after surgery (P > .007). There was no significant difference in performance for pitchers and nonpitchers compared with matched controls after surgery (P > .007).
Conclusion:
The RTS rate for MLB athletes after hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI was high. There were similar IP, PA, and career lengths postoperatively compared with preoperatively and with matched controls. There was no significant difference in performance for pitchers and nonpitchers compared with matched controls after surgery.
Related Concept Videos
01:04Venous Return
What is Venous Return?
Venous return refers to the rate at which blood flows back to the heart from the body's peripheral veins. It's an integral part of the circulatory system...
01:19Major Organs of the Digestive System
Gastrointestinal tract:
01:28Major Losses in Pipes
Fluid flow can be classified as laminar or turbulent, primarily based on the Reynolds number. This dimensionless number reflects the relative influence of inertial to viscous...
01:27Major Hormones and Their Functions
Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, plays a role in social bonding, childbirth, and...
01:20Anatomy of the Brain: Major Regions
The cerebrum is the largest section of the brain and divides into left and right hemispheres, separated by a deep fissure. The cerebral outer layer of grey matter — the cerebral cortex — comprises elevations called gyri and shallow groves called sulci. The inner portion of white matter includes long nerve fibers known as axons, which connect...
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways