Performance Outcomes and Contract Signings in National Football League Players Treated for Lumbar Disc Herniation — The International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine
  1. Schedule
  2. GENERAL POSTER SESSION
  3. Performance Outcomes and Contract Signings in National Football League Players Treated for Lumbar Disc Herniation

Performance Outcomes and Contract Signings in National Football League Players Treated for Lumbar Disc Herniation (#1115)

Sravisht Iyer 1 2 , Marcel Dupont 1 , Mitch Fourman 1 , Sheeraz Qureshi 1 2 , Julia Rhie-Lee 1 , James Dowdell 1 2
  1. Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, United States
  2. Weill Cornell Medical College, New York

Introduction: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a debilitating injury that results in significant morbidity and loss of playing time among professional athletes of high-impact contact sports such as American football.1 Previous studies have found that return to play (RTP) rates following surgery for a LDH range from 72.7% to 80.8%.2-5 As the perceived implication of a LDH can include the loss of income, poor performance, or the end of a career,6 it is important to assess the impact, if any, that LDH and its management may have on the professional football player’s ability to sign future contracts.

 

Methods: National Football League (NFL) players treated for LDH from 2000-2020 were identified from a public records search. Age, position, type of treatment, and return to play measures were collected. Pro Football Focus (PFF) performance grade and contract values were compared before injury and after treatment. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors associated with ability to return to play and sign high-value contracts.

 

Results:101 players were treated for a LDH, of which 75 returned to play. Post-treatment performance as measured by PFF was similar to pre-injury levels (p=0.2). However, both total and guaranteed contract values were significantly reduced (p<0.01). In multivariable analysis, both lower age and higher pre-injury PFF grade were independent predictors of return to play and ability to sign a new contract. A pre-injury contract that contained a high proportion of guaranteed money was found to be an independent predictor of ability to sign a contract that was >20% guaranteed.

 

Conclusion: Although the majority of players were able to return to play at preserved performance levels following LDH treatment, their contract values were significantly reduced. RTP and contract-signing ability were not associated with the type of treatment, but rather baseline factors such as the player’s age, performance, and pre-injury compensation.

 

  1. Gray BL, Buchowski JM, Bumpass DB, Lehman RA, Mall NA, Matava MJ. Disc Herniations in the National Football League: Spine. 2013;38(22):1934-1938. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e3182a67678
  2. Mai HT, Alvarez AP, Freshman RD, et al. The NFL Orthopaedic Surgery Outcomes Database (NO-SOD): The Effect of Common Orthopaedic Procedures on Football Careers. Am J Sports Med. 2016;44(9):2255-2262. doi:10.1177/0363546516651426
  3. Hsu WK. Performance-Based Outcomes Following Lumbar Discectomy in Professional Athletes in the National Football League: Spine. 2010;35(12):1247-1251. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181bf8bb5
  4. Weistroffer JK, Hsu WK. Return-to-Play Rates in National Football League Linemen After Treatment for Lumbar Disk Herniation. Am J Sports Med. 2011;39(3):632-636. doi:10.1177/0363546510388901
  5. Hsu WK, McCarthy KJ, Savage JW, et al. The Professional Athlete Spine Initiative: outcomes after lumbar disc herniation in 342 elite professional athletes. Spine J. 2011;11(3):180-186. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2010.12.009
  6. Wang D, Weiss LJ, Abrams M, et al. Athletes With Musculoskeletal Injuries Identified at the NFL Scouting Combine and Prediction of Outcomes in the NFL: A Systematic Review. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018;6(12):232596711881308. doi:10.1177/2325967118813083
#ISSLS2022