{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T17:23:58Z","timestamp":1785432238493,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine Statewide Campus System","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,5]],"date-time":"2023-12-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1701734400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"introduction\">\n                    <jats:title>INTRODUCTION<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Open fractures are potentially devastating injuries for the professional athlete. We sought to compare return to sports (RTS) and performance in National Football League (NFL) athletes sustaining open versus closed fractures.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"methods\">\n                    <jats:title>METHODS<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>NFL athletes with surgically treated open and closed fractures of the forearm, tibial shaft, and ankle from 2009-2018 were identified through publicly available reports and records. Data including demographics, RTS, career duration, and the approximate value performance metric before and after injury were collected. Statistical analyses were performed comparing open to closed injuries. Continuous variables were compared using Mann-Whitney U or two sample t- tests while categorical variables were compared using Fisher\u2019s exact test.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"results\">\n                    <jats:title>RESULTS<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Ninety-five athletes met inclusion criteria (10 open and 85 closed fractures). Overall, 90% (n = 9) returned to sport after an open injury and 83.5% (n = 71) returned after closed injury with a median time missed of 48.9 (range 35.1 \u2013 117.4) weeks and 43.0 (range 2.4 \u2013 108.0) weeks, respectively. Athletes undergoing forearm surgery were able to return sooner, at around 20.8 weeks, and ankle fractures conferred the lowest return rate at 80% (n = 48). There were no significant differences in career duration and post-injury performance between open or closed fracture cohorts.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"conclusions\">\n                    <jats:title>CONCLUSIONS<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Although open fractures are relatively uncommon injuries seen in NFL athletes, our study suggests RTS for these players is high. Athletes undergoing surgical treatment for open fractures had similar RTS rates, performance metrics, and career durations compared to those with comparable closed fractures. This information can provide guidance for providers counseling elite athletes on postoperative expectations.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.51894\/001c.87846","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,12]],"date-time":"2024-03-12T11:02:00Z","timestamp":1710241320000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Open Fractures in National Football League Athletes: Analyzing Performance and Return to Sport"],"prefix":"10.51894","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Brandon","family":"Nudelman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05megwx07","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"San Francisco Orthopaedic Residency Program"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05megwx07","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Southern California Orthopedic Institute"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brandon B","family":"Gardner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine","department":["Orthopaedic Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stewart A","family":"Bryant","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Advanced Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine","department":["Orthopaedic Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Drew A","family":"Lansdown","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of California San Francisco","department":["Orthopaedic Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brian T","family":"Feeley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of California San Francisco","department":["Orthopaedic Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nirav K","family":"Pandya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of California San Francisco","department":["Orthopaedic Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"29343","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,5]]},"reference":[{"issue":"12","key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2864","DOI":"10.1177\/0363546517713001","article-title":"Professional athletes' return to play and performance after operative repair of an Achilles tendon rupture","volume":"45","author":"David P. 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