2021 AOSSM-AANA Combined Annual Meeting Recordings-Return to Play in Adolescent Baseball Players after SLAP Repair

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video, Sam Rao presents his research on the return to play rates in adolescent baseball players after slap repair. Slap tears, which are tears in the superior labrum from anterior to posterior, are common in overhead throwing athletes. Rao shares that early sports specialization and increased sports participation contribute to the rise in shoulder and elbow injuries in adolescents. He presents the findings of his research, which included 59 male baseball athletes aged 10 to 19, who underwent isolated slap repair. The return to play rate for the cohort was 75.6%, with 7 players needing to switch positions. The study also found that high school and middle school players had a return to play rate of 71% compared to 85% in college players. The mean time to return to throwing was 6 months, and mean time to return to play was 11.3 months. 12 players were able to progress from high school to college, but none reached professional status. The cohort had a CAGEOC score of 60, with pitchers reporting worse self-assessed return to play than position players. Overall satisfaction was 83.2%, with 39 players indicating they would undergo the surgery again. There were no major post-operative complications, but some players experienced post-operative injuries. The study acknowledges limitations such as recall bias and a small sample size. In conclusion, the study suggests that the patient-reported outcomes and return to play rates are similar to those reported in the literature for other populations who have undergone slap repair. High school players were able to progress to the next level of play at a moderate rate.

Asset Caption

Somnath Rao, MD

Keywords

return to play rates

adolescent baseball players

slap repair

shoulder and elbow injuries

sports specialization