title: Superior Labrum Anterior-Posterior Tears in the National Football League.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Shoulder disorders are common in football players, with up to 50% of National Football League (NFL) recruits reporting a history of shoulder injuries. Superior labrum anterior-posterior (SLAP) tears are an entity with well-described detrimental effects on return to play in overhead-throwing athletes but with minimal data in contact athletes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the incidence, predisposing factors, and effect of SLAP tears in NFL athletes and prospects as well as the treatment patterns of NFL team physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive epidemiology study.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a comprehensive analysis of SLAP tears in elite football players using a dual approach: (1) SLAP injuries recorded in the NFL Injury Surveillance System from 2000 to 2014 were evaluated by player position, type of play, days/games lost, and surgical intervention; (2) NFL Scouting Combine athletes from 2003 to 2011 with prior SLAP repair were evaluated for draft success, and drafted athletes were compared with matched controls for career length and performance scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SLAP tears represented a small portion (3.1%) of shoulder injuries in NFL athletes from 2000 to 2014, occurring most commonly in offensive linemen (28%). Surgically treated SLAP tears (42%) resulted in more days missed than did nonoperatively managed tears (140.2 vs 21.5 days; P < .001) and more games missed (8.4 vs 2.6 games; P = .003). SLAP repairs were also rare in NFL Combine athletes (n = 25 of 2965 athletes), with most having been performed in offensive linemen (32%). As compared with control NFL Combine athletes without SLAP tears, those drafted into the NFL with prior SLAP repair played significantly fewer games (33.7 vs 48.3; P = .049) and had fewer game starts (19.6 vs 35.4; P = .036).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this comprehensive analysis of SLAP tears in elite football players, it is clear that these injuries have the potential to cause significant detriment to an athlete's career.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors: Caitlin C
authors: CC
authors: Chambers
authors: Center for Shoulder, Elbow and Sports Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
authors: T Sean
authors: TS
authors: Lynch
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors: Daniel B
authors: DB
authors: Gibbs
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors: Jason H
authors: JH
authors: Ghodasra
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors: Shawn
authors: S
authors: Sahota
authors: Quintiles, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors: Kristina
authors: K
authors: Franke
authors: Quintiles, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors: Christina D
authors: CD
authors: Mack
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, NorthShore University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors: Gordon W
authors: GW
authors: Nuber
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005538:Football / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D000070599:Shoulder Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: National Football League; SLAP tear; football (American); glenoid labrum; shoulder