Endoscopic Spine Surgery in Athletes: Case Series and Review of Literature

Abstract

Degenerative spine disease is common in athletes and can progress to requiring surgical intervention. Traditional open surgical techniques necessitate prolonged recovery time and time away from play. Newly developed endoscopic surgical techniques may promote faster healing and recovery, and increased return to play. The goal of this paper is to summarize the current evidence in return to play after spine surgery and to present our series of 3 athletes who underwent endoscopic spine surgery. A complete search of all PubMed indexed articles pertaining to spine surgery in athletes was conducted. This was supplemented by a 3-patient case series of our own endoscopic spine experience in athletes. There are no current widely accepted guidelines for return to play after spinal surgery. The best evidence available cites a return to play of 81% at 5.2-8.7 months after traditional open and minimally invasive surgery, and endoscopic surgery produces an average 88% return to play rate at 3 months. Although return to play can vary widely, case-based evidence as well as biomechanical principles support endoscopic spine surgery as a viable surgical modality for the treatment of spinal pathologies in athletes.