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Pectoralis Major Injuries in the National Football League
Shawn Sahota1, Daniel B Gibbs1, Cort D Lawton1
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.
Sports Health
|December 11, 2019
Summary
Pectoralis major injuries are rare in NFL athletes. Ruptures treated surgically result in significantly longer recovery times compared to non-surgical treatment.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Pectoralis major (PM) injuries are uncommon, predominantly affecting males during athletic activities.
- Existing literature inadequately describes these injuries in National Football League (NFL) athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of PM injuries in NFL athletes.
- To compare recovery times for operative versus nonoperative management of PM ruptures.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study analyzing 15 seasons of NFL Injury Surveillance System data.
- Assessment of injury incidence, treatment, and days missed for PM strains and ruptures.
- Analysis stratified by player position, activity, and contact type.
Main Results:
- A total of 211 PM injuries were recorded over 15 seasons: 132 strains and 79 ruptures.
- Incidence rates were 0.41/10,000 athlete-exposures for strains and 0.25/10,000 for ruptures (P < 0.01).
- Operatively treated PM ruptures resulted in significantly more missed days (146.7 ± 55.0) than nonoperative treatment (77.2 ± 72.9; P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- NFL athletes experience significantly longer absences following operative management of PM ruptures compared to nonoperative approaches.
- The rarity and limited description of PM injuries in NFL athletes hinder adequate athlete counseling and expectation setting.
- This study provides the most extensive analysis of PM injuries within the NFL population to date.
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