Return to Play and Performance After Operative Repair of Scapholunate Interosseous Ligament Tears in National Basketball Association Athletes
Sean Porter, Samuel G. Eaddy, Matthew Tille, Hassan Choudhry, Anthony Pacewicz, Arpam Dutta, Logan Druessel, Jason W. Levine, Adrienne LeeBackground:
The rate of scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) injuries in National Basketball Association (NBA) players continues to increase. There is a paucity of data regarding return-to-play (RTP) rates and performance metrics after sustaining SLIL injuries in these athletes.
Purpose:
To determine the rate of RTP and performance outcomes in NBA players following a SLIL tear.
Study Design:
Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
Methods:
A retrospective review was conducted in January 2024 using the Pro Sports Transactions database of NBA injury notifications to identify isolated SLIL ligament injuries in NBA athletes between the 1956-1957 and 2022-2023 seasons. Confirmed injuries were matched with healthy controls based on similar career trajectories, and demographic, injury-related, and performance data were collected. Statistical analyses compared performance up to 2 seasons pre- and postinjury and assessed differences between the injury and control cohorts. Paired
Results:
Of the 863 wrist injury reports identified, 18 NBA athletes with confirmed SLIL tears met the inclusion criteria, alongside 18 matched healthy controls. The injury cohort had a significantly higher body mass index than controls. After surgical repair, 94.4% of injured athletes returned to play within an average of 6.2 months, with a significant reduction in points per game during their first season back (14.99 to 13.29 after;
Conclusion:
Our study showed that NBA athletes have a high rate of return after sustaining and undergoing surgery for repair of a torn SLIL. Players may experience an initial decrease in playing time and performance; however, these variables returned to baseline by season 2 postsurgery. NBA players who tear their SLIL and undergo surgical fixation are expected to make a full recovery and return to play at their previous level of performance.