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Return to Golf After Elective Orthopaedic Surgery: A Literature Review
Randy M Cohn1, Erik J Stapleton, John M Pirtle
1From Northwell, New Hyde Park, NY (Cohn, Pirtle, and Bitterman), the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Long Island Jewish Valley Stream, Valley Stream, NY (Cohn), the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY (Cohn, Pirtle, Bitterman), the Elite Orthopedic Group, Lewisburg, WV (Stapleton), and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Northwell Health Huntington Hospital, Huntington, NY (Pirtle and Bitterman).
Golf is a low-impact, lifelong sport. Elective orthopedic surgery generally allows golfers to return to play, with most procedures showing over 85% return-to-play rates.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Geriatric Health
Background:
- Golf is a popular lifelong, low-impact sport with significant mental and physical health benefits.
- Increasing golf participation means surgeons will manage athletes aiming to return to sport post-elective orthopaedic surgery.
- Understanding surgical outcomes is crucial for patient guidance and recovery management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of elective orthopaedic surgery on a patient's ability to return to golf.
- To review return-to-play rates, recovery timelines, and patient advice following common orthopaedic procedures relevant to golfers.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of elective orthopaedic surgeries.
- Analysis of return-to-play statistics for various procedures.
- Evaluation of recovery timelines and patient counseling strategies.
Main Results:
- High return-to-play rates (>85%) observed for total hip arthroplasty, hip arthroscopy, total knee arthroplasty, total ankle arthroplasty, and total shoulder arthroplasty.
- Slightly lower return-to-play rates noted for reverse shoulder arthroplasty, rotator cuff repair, and lumbar spine fusion.
- Varied recovery timelines exist depending on the specific surgical procedure.
Conclusions:
- Most elective orthopaedic surgeries allow golfers a high likelihood of returning to the sport.
- Effective patient counseling regarding recovery timelines and expectations is essential.
- Further research can optimize post-operative guidance for golfers.
