Citation

Jildeh TR. Arthroscopy 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.arthro.2024.02.024

PMID

38417642

Abstract

Each season, NBA athletes subject themselves to a physical season including a minimum of eighty-two games, intense travel, participation during holidays, innumerable training sessions, and for some, playoffs continuing into June. Intensity and fatigue may contribute to a high rate of injuries, and recent literature has suggested that primary risk factors for season-ending injuries are minutes played per game and later season games. Rest, or load management, reduces the physiologic load a player endures during a grueling season. Disadvantages of load management may include decrements in individual skill, team competitiveness, and financial issues including disappointed fans. Thus, in 2023, the NBA instituted a Player Participation Policy (PPP) placing stipulations on load management by asking teams to balance player rest between home and away games, and refrain from long-term shutdowns of player participation for non-medical reasons. From a medical standpoint, safeguarding athlete health is of paramount importance. Managing the workload of NBA players may have numerous player benefits and must be achieved while mitigating the disadvantages.

Language: en