title: Pediatric Return to Sports After Spinal Surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pediatric patients who undergo spinal surgery are frequently involved in sporting activities. Return to play is often an important postoperative concern for the patient and family.
  
  
  METHODS
  A PubMed search was conducted for articles in the English language on return to play after treatment of pediatric acute disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, and scoliosis from 1980 to 2015. Reference lists were reviewed for additional pertinent articles. We included articles that focused on return to sports after surgical treatment of these conditions in this review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level 4.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are no published guidelines, and most of the literature in this area has focused on return to play after spinal injury rather than after spinal surgery. Most children and adolescents have excellent outcomes with minimal pain at 1 year after lumbar discectomy. The majority of surgeons allow return to full activity once pain-free range of motion and strength are regained, typically at 8 to 12 weeks postoperatively. Pediatric patients with spondylolysis have good outcomes after direct pars repair. Satisfactory outcomes have been demonstrated after fusion for low- and high-grade spondylolisthesis. Most surgeons allow return to noncontact sports by 6 months after surgical treatment of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. Return to contact and collision sports is controversial. After posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis, most surgeons allow return to noncontact sports by 3 months and return to contact sports between 6 months and 1 year. Return to collision sports is controversial.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is little evidence to guide practitioners on return to sports after pediatric spinal surgery. Ultimately, the decision to allow any young athlete to resume sports participation after spinal injury or surgery must be individualized.
authors.affiliation: C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Tyler
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Christman
authors.affiliation: C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan yingyuli@med.umich.edu.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000601:surgery; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery; D000068958:Return to Sport; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000601:surgery; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013131:Spine / Q000601:surgery*; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000601:surgery; D013169:Spondylolysis / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: discectomy; pars repair; pediatric return to play; scoliosis; spinal fusion; spondylolisthesis; spondylolysis