Return to Play in Adolescent Baseball Players After SLAP Repair

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Adolescent Sports Injuries

Background:

• Superior labral anterior-posterior (SLAP) tears are common shoulder injuries in adolescent athletes involved in overhead throwing activities.
• These injuries can significantly impact an athlete's ability to compete and perform.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes, patient satisfaction, and competitive level progression following SLAP repair in adolescent baseball players.
• To investigate potential differences in outcomes between pitchers and non-pitchers, and between collegiate and lower-level athletes.

Main Methods:

• A case series study involving adolescent baseball players (ages 10-19) who underwent SLAP repair between 2008 and 2018.
• Patients with a minimum 2-year follow-up were assessed using patient-reported outcome scores and a custom return-to-play questionnaire.
• Exclusion criteria included non-baseball athletes and non-throwing shoulders.

Main Results:

• Of 59 eligible players, 76.3% were contacted for follow-up (mean follow-up: 5.3 years).
• The overall return-to-play rate was 75.6%, with a mean time to full competition of 11.3 months.
• Pitchers reported worse postoperative performance (P=.013), but no significant differences in return-to-play rates or other patient-reported outcomes were observed between pitchers and position players.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent baseball players undergoing SLAP repair demonstrate favorable return-to-play rates and patient-reported outcomes.
• While pitchers may perceive worse performance, overall satisfaction is high, and most players who stop playing do so for reasons unrelated to shoulder function.
• These findings aid orthopaedic surgeons in setting realistic expectations for adolescent athletes after SLAP repair.