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Scaphoid Fracture Repair Does Not Significantly Diminish Short-Term Participation in the National Football League

  • Original Article
  • Published:
HSS Journal ®

Abstract

Background

Fixation of scaphoid fractures is recommended in elite athletes to hasten healing and return-to-sport times. Complications such as nonunion negatively affect athletic performance.

Questions/Purposes

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and impact of scaphoid repair on National Football League (NFL) participation during athletes’ first season in the NFL, while identifying significant predictors for development of carpal arthritis and scaphoid nonunion.

Methods

A total of 1311 football athletes invited to the NFL Scouting Combine from 2012 to 2015 were evaluated for history of scaphoid fracture repair. Athlete demographics, surgical history, and imaging and physical examination findings were recorded. Future NFL participation based on draft status, games played, and games started during athletes’ first season were gathered using publicly available databases.

Results

Nineteen (1.4%) athletes underwent 24 operations for scaphoid repair. Limitations in wrist range of motion or strength were present in 47.4% of athletes with a history of repair. Arthritic changes were present in 32% of wrists, while radiographic nonunion was present in two athletes following scaphoid fracture. Defensive backs were observed to have a higher incidence for arthritic changes following repair compared to other positions. No significant difference in prospective NFL participation was found in athletes with a history of scaphoid repair than in those without.

Conclusions

Athletes with a history of scaphoid repair are not at significant risk for diminished participation during their first season in the NFL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Hospitals Sports Medicine Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Derrick M. Knapik MD, Leigh-Anne Tu MD, Michael J. Salata MD, James E. Voos MD & Kevin J. Malone MD

  2. School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Derrick M. Knapik MD, Leigh-Anne Tu MD, Michael J. Salata MD, James E. Voos MD & Kevin J. Malone MD

  3. University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Ave, Hanna House 5043, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Derrick M. Knapik MD

  4. The Cleveland Browns Football Organization, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Joseph Sheehan ATC, Michael J. Salata MD, James E. Voos MD & Kevin J. Malone MD

Authors
  1. Derrick M. Knapik MD
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  2. Leigh-Anne Tu MD
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  3. Joseph Sheehan ATC
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  4. Michael J. Salata MD
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Correspondence to Derrick M. Knapik MD.

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Conflict of Interest

Derrick M. Knapik, MD, Leigh-Anne Tu, MD, Joseph Sheehan, ATC, and Kevin J. Malone, MD, declare that they have no conflicts of interest. James E. Voos, MD, reports being a paid consultant for Arthrex, Stryker, and Linvatec during the conduct of this study. Michael J. Salata, MD, reports being a paid consultant for Smith & Nephew during the conduct of this study.

Human/Animal Rights

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2013.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in this study.

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Level of Evidence: Level II, prognostic study

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Knapik, D.M., Tu, LA., Sheehan, J. et al. Scaphoid Fracture Repair Does Not Significantly Diminish Short-Term Participation in the National Football League. HSS Jrnl 15, 137–142 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11420-018-9640-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11420-018-9640-6

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