ArticleOrthopaedic journal of sports medicine2019
Factors Affecting Return to Play After Primary Achilles Tendon Tear: A Cohort of NFL Players.
Article in Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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14 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Return to Sport and Return to Self-Reported Preinjury Level After Surgical Repair of Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture: A 2-Year Prospective Cohort Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Return-to-sport and performance outcomes after Achilles tendon rupture in National Hockey League players: A matched cohort study.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2026Article
- Extrinsic Factors Contributing to Achilles Tendon Ruptures During NFL Games From 2010-2023: A Retrospective Analysis.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- Return to Play and Performance Outcomes After Extensor Mechanism Ruptures in National Football League Athletes.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2025Article
- Risk and Prognosis of Hamstring Injuries in the National Football League: A 12-Year Review.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2024Article
- Achilles Tendon Ruptures in National Hockey League Players: Return to Sport and Performance Impact.Foot & ankle orthopaedics · 2024Article
- [Acute rupture of the Achilles tendon : Diagnostics, treatment and aftercare].Unfallchirurgie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2024Article
- An Apparent Achilles Heel of the NFL: Have Achilles Tendon Injuries Significantly Increased to Unacceptably High Incidence Levels in the NFL and if so, why? A Clinical Insight.International journal of sports physical therapy · 2024Article
- Common Football Foot and Ankle Injuries: Non-Surgical and Surgical Management.HSS journal : the musculoskeletal journal of Hospital for Special Surgery · 2023Article
- Achilles Tendon Ruptures and Repair in Athletes-a Review of Sports-Related Achilles Injuries and Return to Play.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2022Review
- Influence of Preseason Versus In-Season Play on Achilles Tendon Injuries in the National Football League.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2021Article
- Defining Return to Sport: A Systematic Review.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2021Review
- Acute foot and ankle injuries and time return to sport.SICOT-J · 2021Article
- Evidence-based treatment of Achilles tendon rupture.Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgieArticle
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAchilles tendon tears are potentially career-ending injuries for professional athletes. For players in the National Football League (NFL), return requires not only surgery and extensive rehabilitation but also the ability to compete in a market with limited positions that annually introduces new recruits. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: We authors sought to evaluate factors related to return to play (RTP) and changes in performance following a primary Achilles tear. Our hypothesis was that "skilled" position players and those drafted in later rounds would return at a lower rate as compared with "unskilled" position players and higher draft-round players. STUDY
designCase-control study; Level of evidence, 3.
methodsFrom a previously established database, 80 NFL players were identified as having primary Achilles tendon tears between the 2009 and 2014 seasons. RTP was defined as playing in a regular season or postseason game following injury. Probability of RTP was modeled as a function of time after injury in Kaplan-Meier analysis with demographic variables assessed via generalized linear models. Twelve players (15%) experienced a subsequent Achilles tendon tear during or after the study period and were included in the overall RTP rate but were excluded from performance analyses owing to the confounding effects of an ipsilateral retear or contralateral tear.
resultsThe overall RTP rate was 61.3%. Age, number of prior seasons, position type, or draft round status did not significantly affect RTP when evaluated with Kaplan-Meier analysis. In the season before their injury, players who did RTP played in a significantly greater number of regular season games (13.7) compared with players who did not RTP (8.71) (
conclusionRate of RTP following primary Achilles tendon tears may be lower than previously published. However, for those able to return, performance only in the season immediately following injury appears to be affected; players return to preinjury levels if given the opportunity to play >1 season after injury.
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