TABLE 2.
Summary of Injury-Specific NFL Combine Level 4 Studies
| First Author | Injury/Surgery | Years | Injuries (Athletes), n | Methods | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foot | |||||
| Low23 | Jones fracture | 1988-2002 | 86 (83) | Case series of athletes with a history of a Jones fracture Outcomes: radiographic union, complications |
53% of fractures were treated surgically; of these, 89% healed without complication and 7% developed nonunion 20% of fractures treated nonoperatively developed nonunion |
| Hand | |||||
| Moatshe26 | Scaphoid fracture | 2009-2015 | 56 (56) | Case series of athletes with a history of a scaphoid fracture Outcomes: clinical outcomes (ROM, pain, stiffness, grip strength, pinch test), complications |
76% treated with screw fixation, 4% treated with resection and fusion, 18% treated nonoperatively 72% had normal ROM of wrist, 93% reported no pain, 83% reported no stiffness; grip strength and pinch strength were 91% and 96% vs uninjured side 25% nonunion rate, 34% had degenerative changes, 15% had hardware complications |
| Hip/groin | |||||
| Larson18 | Hip or groin pain | 2009-2010 | 239 (125) | Case series of athletes with hip radiographs Outcomes: radiographic pathomorphology/abnormalities, radiographic predictors of athletic-related “hip” and “groin” symptoms |
87% had ≥1 finding on radiograph suggestive of cam- or pincer-type FAI 75 hips in the symptomatic group, 164 hips in the asymptomatic group Although the symptomatic group had greater prevalence of cam-type FAI (P = .009), combined-type FAI (P < .001), and osteitis pubis (P = .014), increased α angle (larger cam deformity) was the only independent predictor of groin pain (P = .01) FAI not correlated to BMI or player position |
| Rebolledo33 | Lower extremity and core muscle injuries | 2015 | 107 (107) | Case series of athletes with low vitamin D levels Outcomes: association between vitamin D levels and lower extremity muscle strain (adductor/groin, hamstring, hip flexor, quadriceps) or core muscle injuries |
59% of athletes with inadequate vitamin D levels, 10% with deficient levels Lower extremity or core muscle injury was present in 50% of athletes, which was associated with vitamin D levels (P = .03) African American race (P < .001) and positive injury history (P < .001) were associated with lower vitamin D levels No significant differences in age, BMI, or Functional Movement Screen scores among vitamin D groups |
| Knee | |||||
| Bedi2 | ACLR | 2012 | 34 (NA) | Case series of athletes measured for hip ROM Outcomes: association between reduction in hip ROM (internal rotation) and history of ACL injury |
Reduction of left hip internal rotation was associated with increased odds of ACL injury in either knee (P < .001) 30° reduction of left hip internal rotation was associated with 4.1- and 5.3-times-greater odds of ACL in the ipsilateral and contralateral limbs, respectively |
| Mall24 | ACLR | 2005-2009 | 137 (125) | Case series of athletes with a history of ACLR and radiographs/MRI Outcomes: association between graft obliquity and knee laxity on Lachman physical examination |
64% of knees had vertical grafts based on radiography and 35% based on MRI Knees with a sum score of ≤66 (sum of tibial and femoral tunnel positions on lateral radiograph), tibial tunnel ≤37% from anterior tibial plateau, and sagittal obliquity of ≤60° were less likely to have increased translation on Lachman examination than knees with higher corresponding values (P < .05) |
| Logan21 | PCL injury | 2009-2015 | 69 (69) | Case series of athletes with a history of PCL injury Inclusion criteria: positive clinical findings or previous surgery consistent with PCL injury Outcomes: posterior drawer physical examination, concomitant injuries identified on MRI, draft status, collegiate games missed |
Running back and offensive lineman were most common positions with PCL injuries (20% each) 16% treated surgically 52% of athletes had a grade II/III posterior drawer; athletes with grade III posterior drawer examination went undrafted Concomitant injuries: MCL (42%), ACL (12%), chondral (32%) |
| Shoulder | |||||
| LeBus19 | Latarjet procedure | 2009-2016 | 13 (13) | Case series of athletes who had undergone Latarjet procedure Outcomes: fixation type, hardware complications, bone block status, draft status, games played and started, total snaps, percentage of eligible snaps |
61% had 2-screw fixation, 39% had 1 screw 46% demonstrated hardware complications All athletes had evidence of degenerative changes on radiographs (77% mild, 8% moderate, 15% severe) 54% drafted; of these, no player participated in more than half of the plays during rookie season |
aACL, anterior cruciate ligament; ACLR, ACL reconstruction; BMI, body mass index; FAI, femoroacetabular impingement; MCL, medial collateral ligament; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; NA, not available; NFL, National Football League; PCL, posterior cruciate ligament; ROM, range of motion.