THE SUCCESS OF RETURN TO SPORT AFTER SUPERIOR LABRUM ANTERIOR TO POSTERIOR (SLAP) TEARS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Athletic Training

Background:

• Superior labral anterior to posterior (SLAP) injuries are common in athletes.
• Existing reviews lack focus on athletes' return to sport (RTS) and previous performance levels.
• Objective assessment of treatment outcomes for SLAP injuries in athletes is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review return to sport (RTS) and return to sport at previous level (RTSP) rates after SLAP injury.
• To identify and report on additional performance metrics and outcome measures following SLAP injury intervention.
• To assess the quality of evidence regarding RTS and RTSP in athletes with SLAP injuries.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant literature.
• Comprehensive database search (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, SportDiscus) for studies on RTS post-SLAP surgery.
• Adherence to PRISMA guidelines and quality assessment using the MINORS scale.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 22 studies involving 617 athletes.
• Overall RTS rate of 93% (95% CI: 87-98%) and RTSP rate of 72% (95% CI: 60-83%) based on limited evidence.
• Mean time to RTS was 6.9 ± 2.9 months; Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) were reported in 86% of studies.
• Limited reporting on performance statistics, rehabilitation criteria, and SLAP diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Less than 75% of athletes return to their previous level of sport after SLAP injury intervention.
• Treatment success for SLAP injuries in athletes is not well-defined due to lack of performance data.
• Higher quality studies are required to evaluate athletic performance and career longevity post-SLAP injury.