Meniscal Injuries Are Decreasing but Are Increasingly Being Treated Surgically With Excellent Return to Play Rates in...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Baseball Analytics

Background:

• Meniscus injuries are common in professional baseball.
• Understanding injury patterns and outcomes is crucial for player health and career longevity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence and characteristics of meniscus injuries in professional baseball.
• To assess treatment strategies and return-to-play (RTP) rates.
• To identify prognostic factors for injury severity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the MLB Health and Injury Tracking System (2011-2017).
• Analyzed 314 meniscus injuries in 293 players across MLB and Minor League Baseball (MiLB).
• Included injuries during baseball activity resulting in at least one day missed.

Main Results:

• Mean of 44.9 meniscus injuries per year.
• Pitchers (31.8%) and infielders (26.4%) were most affected.
• Return to play at any level (RTP) was 93.0%, and return to same level (RSL) was 84.4%.

Conclusions:

• Meniscus injuries in professional baseball show specific positional trends.
• While overall injury incidence declined, surgical rates increased.
• High RTP rates indicate successful management strategies.