Assessing the Impact of Spinal Surgery on NFL Player Career Length and Performance

Saturday, May 4, 2024

3:49 PM – 3:51 PM CT

Location: S403ab

Presenting Author(s)

Geoffrey R. O'Malley, Jr.

Medical Student
Hackensack-Meridian School of Medicine
Chatham, NJ, US

Co-Author(s)

DA

David Adams, n/a

Medical Student
Hackensack-Meridian School of Medicine, United States
Nicholas D. Cassimatis, n/a

Medical Student
Hackensack-Meridian School of Medicine
Nutley, NJ, US
IG

Ira Goldstein, MD

Neurosurgeon
Hackensack University Medical Center
Newark, New Jersey, United States
John Knightly, MD, FAANS (he/him/his)

Vice President
AANS
Cedar Knolls, NJ, US
SM

Sean Munier, MD

Resident
Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, United States
NP

Nitesh V. Patel, MD

Neurosurgeon
Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery
Red Bank, New Jersey, United States
PP

Patrick Pema, n/a

Medical Student
Hackensack-Meridian School of Medicine, United States
Syed A. Sarwar, B.A.

Student Researcher
Hackensack-Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery
PS

Paxton Sweeney, n/a

Medical Student
Hackensack-Meridian School of Medicine, United States

Disclosure(s):

Geoffrey R. O'Malley, Jr.: No financial relationships to disclose

Syed A. Sarwar: No financial relationships to disclose

Introduction: Due to their impact on functional performance, severe spinal injuries can be career ending for athletes. In recent years, the technology and techniques behind spinal procedures has progressed rapidly, improving outcomes for patients. The authors hoped to assess the impact of such advancements on career length and performance in professional football players.

Methods: Using NFL injury reports from 2005-2021, the authors identified players with surgical spine procedures. Information was collected in regards to player position, return to play and years played following the procedure. Performance information was assessed by using pro-football focus player performance ratings (PFF). Statistical analysis was performed using Python (Python Software Foundation, Wilmington, DE).

Results: In total, 122 spinal procedures were identified with 62 being cervical and 60 involving the lower back. Return to play rates were observed to be 37% in players that underwent cervical procedures and 55% in players who underwent procedures to the lower back (p=0.04). The average years played following neck injuries was 0.94, while lower back procedures saw 1.89 years (p=0.01). The majority of players returning to play saw an improvement in PFF performance. Higher PFF ratings before surgery were associated with more improvement following spinal surgery (β = 0.7446, p = 0.00). There was no difference observed in regards to performance changes between neck and back surgery (p=0.90). No difference was observed in performance following revision and primary procedures, with nearly all players who returned to play improving in performance after revision procedures (p=0.41).

Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that spinal surgery can extend NFL players careers without sacrificing performance. With a significantly lower return to play rate after cervical injuries, there is likely room for improvement in cervical surgery procedures. Further analysis is needed to determine how player performance is impacted by injury and procedure type.