Posters
Presenting Author Academic/Professional Position
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 1)
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 2)
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 3)
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 4)
Faculty
Discipline/Specialty (Author 4)
Orthopedic Surgery
Presentation Type
Poster
Discipline Track
Clinical Science
Abstract Type
Research/Clinical
Abstract
Background: Anterior shoulder instability is an injury prevalent in contact and non-contact athletes and can result in limited movement, increased recurrence of dislocation, and decreased quality of sports activity. Notable sports that present with frequent anterior shoulder instability include wrestling, hockey, basketball, baseball, and most commonly, football. Athletes may undergo surgical management of anterior shoulder instability via arthroscopic repair, remplissage, Laterjet, or glenoid bone grafting procedures. This review aims to evaluate the return-to-sport rates among elite football athletes in the NCAA and NFL following surgical stabilization, assess post-surgical performance, and analyze the recurrence of instability or complications.
Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). The initial search was conducted in November 2024. Three databases were utilized: PubMed, The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, and SPORTdiscus using the Boolean operators - Football AND shoulder AND anterior AND arthroscopic AND ((labral repair) OR (labrum repair) OR stabilization) AND (college OR collegiate OR national OR NFL).
Results: The initial search identified 85 articles, of which 10 met eligibility criteria, with 7 providing data on return to sport rates for elite football athletes. Time to return to sport ranged from 4.7 to 8.6 months. Return to sport rates varied between 82.4% and 100%, while recurrence rates of shoulder instability post-surgery ranged from 3% to 27%. One study reported that 93.3% of players maintained or exceeded their pre-injury performance level. Among starters, 91% returned to their starting roles post-surgery, while 47% of utilized and 27% of rarely used players were promoted to starters. Conversely, 2% of utilized players were demoted to rarely used.
Conclusion: This systematic review highlights the return to sport rates in NCAA football and NFL athletes after anterior shoulder stabilization surgery. The data available demonstrated an increased proportion of both NCAA football and NFL athletes returning to sport with the highest reported proportions of athletes returning to sport at 100% and the lowest proportions at 82.4%. Patients with recurrence are recommended to undergo revision surgery with the Laterjet procedure to improve stabilization. With this systematic review, we aim to expand awareness of the notable success of anterior shoulder stabilization while analyzing the risks that come along with it in elite football athletes.
Recommended Citation
Gutierrez, Yolanda V.; Khalil, Mohammad; Ahmad, Aasim; and Ahmad, Aamir, "Return to Sport After Anterior Shoulder Stabilization of NCAA Football and NFL Athletes – A Systematic Review" (2025). Research Symposium. 113.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/2025/posters/113
Included in
Return to Sport After Anterior Shoulder Stabilization of NCAA Football and NFL Athletes – A Systematic Review
Background: Anterior shoulder instability is an injury prevalent in contact and non-contact athletes and can result in limited movement, increased recurrence of dislocation, and decreased quality of sports activity. Notable sports that present with frequent anterior shoulder instability include wrestling, hockey, basketball, baseball, and most commonly, football. Athletes may undergo surgical management of anterior shoulder instability via arthroscopic repair, remplissage, Laterjet, or glenoid bone grafting procedures. This review aims to evaluate the return-to-sport rates among elite football athletes in the NCAA and NFL following surgical stabilization, assess post-surgical performance, and analyze the recurrence of instability or complications.
Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). The initial search was conducted in November 2024. Three databases were utilized: PubMed, The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, and SPORTdiscus using the Boolean operators - Football AND shoulder AND anterior AND arthroscopic AND ((labral repair) OR (labrum repair) OR stabilization) AND (college OR collegiate OR national OR NFL).
Results: The initial search identified 85 articles, of which 10 met eligibility criteria, with 7 providing data on return to sport rates for elite football athletes. Time to return to sport ranged from 4.7 to 8.6 months. Return to sport rates varied between 82.4% and 100%, while recurrence rates of shoulder instability post-surgery ranged from 3% to 27%. One study reported that 93.3% of players maintained or exceeded their pre-injury performance level. Among starters, 91% returned to their starting roles post-surgery, while 47% of utilized and 27% of rarely used players were promoted to starters. Conversely, 2% of utilized players were demoted to rarely used.
Conclusion: This systematic review highlights the return to sport rates in NCAA football and NFL athletes after anterior shoulder stabilization surgery. The data available demonstrated an increased proportion of both NCAA football and NFL athletes returning to sport with the highest reported proportions of athletes returning to sport at 100% and the lowest proportions at 82.4%. Patients with recurrence are recommended to undergo revision surgery with the Laterjet procedure to improve stabilization. With this systematic review, we aim to expand awareness of the notable success of anterior shoulder stabilization while analyzing the risks that come along with it in elite football athletes.
