Sports medicine stats: Hip arthroscopy for FAI in NHL players
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina. He loves discussing and writing about sports & exercise injuries,
and has been featured in major media publications over 1,200 times throughout his career.
A recent study looked at 60 NHL professional hockey players who underwent hip arthroscopy for FAI in 69 hips. A total of 12 centers, 15 defensemen, 16 goalies, and 17 wings had surgery to treat their femoroacetabular impingement. This study showed that hockey players were able to continue playing for an average of 5.9 years after surgery. However, those players who continued to play 5 or more years after arthroscopy were significantly younger than those who did not. Additionally, athletes who played less than 5 years after arthroscopy had a longer average duration of symptoms before surgery when compared with those who played 5 or more years.
Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine, published online July 11, 2016
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defensemen, 16 goalies, and 17 wings had surgery to treat their femoroacetabular impingement. This study showed that hockey players were able to continue playing for an average of 5.9 years after surgery. However, those players who continued to play 5 or more years after arthroscopy were significantly younger than those who did not. Additionally, athletes who played less than 5 years after arthroscopy had a longer average duration of symptoms before surgery when compared with those who played 5 or more years.