Citation

Kang DG, Anderson JC, Lehman RA. Clin. Sports Med. 2016; 35(4): 529-543.

Affiliation

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, The Spine Hospital - New York Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital, 5141 Broadway, 3 Field West, New York, NY 10034, USA. Electronic address: ronaldalehman@yahoo.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.csm.2016.05.001

PMID

27543397

Abstract

Criteria for return to sports and athletic activities after cervical spine surgery are unclear. There is limited literature regarding the outcomes and optimal criteria. Determining return to play criteria remains a challenge and continues to depend on the experience and good judgment of the treating surgeon. There is strong consensus in the literature, despite lack of evidence-based data, that athletes after single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) may safely return to collision and high-velocity sports. The athlete should be counseled and managed on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the type of sport, player-specific variables, and type of surgery performed.

Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en