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There is limited information on the potential risk factors for sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in National Basketball Association (NBA) athletes. This study evaluated 83 NBA players who sustained an ACL injury between 1984 and 2015 to determine the influence of minutes played on injury risk. Minutes played in the injury game, during the season, and over their career were assessed, along with the ability to return to play, player efficiency rating, and playing time after return. Athletes in the NBA played significantly fewer minutes before sustaining an ACL injury (17.1 minutes) than their average minutes per game that season (23.5 minutes; P<.01) or over their career (24.0 minutes; P<.01). One-third of all injuries occurred during the first quarter of the season (preseason to November). There was a 95% rate of return (78 players) to NBA competition the season following ACL injury. Players who were drafted as lottery picks (draft pick 1 to 15) or those who were starters played significantly more minutes the season following injury than those who were not (both P<.01). Players who returned to play had decreased player efficiency ratings when compared with matched controls. This study found that minutes played in a single NBA game did not contribute to the risk of sustaining an ACL injury. Although there was a high rate of return to NBA competition the season following injury, those who were elite athletes played more minutes per game than those who were not. Athletes who returned to play sustained a decrease in player efficiency ratings compared with similar athletes without ACL injury. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(4):e658-e662.].

Introduction The emergence of COVID-19 and its ensuing restrictions on in-person healthcare has resulted in a sudden shift towards the utilization of telemedicine. The purpose of this study is to assess patient satisfaction and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for individuals who underwent follow-up for shoulder surgery using telemedicine compared to those who received traditional in-person clinic follow-up. Methods Patients who underwent either rotator cuff repair or total shoulder arthroplasty during a designated pre-COVID-19 (traditional clinic follow-up) or peri-COVID-19 (telemedicine follow-up) span of time were identified. PROMs including the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons standardized assessment form, the three-level version of the EQ-5D form, the 12-Item Short Form survey, and a modified version of a published telemedicine survey were administered to participants six months post-operatively via phone call. Results Sixty patients agreed to participate. There was no significant difference between the pre-COVID-19 and peri-COVID-19 groups in patient satisfaction with their follow-up visit ( p = 0.289), nor was there a significant difference in PROMs between the two groups. In total, 83.33% of the telemedicine group and 70.37% of the in-person clinic group preferred traditional in-person follow-up over telemedicine. Discussion In a cohort of patients who underwent telemedicine follow-up for shoulder surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no difference in patient satisfaction and PROMs compared to traditional in-person clinic follow-up. This study indicates that while the majority of participants preferred face-to-face visits, patients were relatively satisfied with their care and had similar functional outcome scores in both groups, despite the large disruption in healthcare logistics caused by COVID-19.

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