JUNE 30, 2025
Professional football is a physically demanding sport in which many players face debilitating injuries at a young age. Because of their occupation, American football players have a higher risk for spinal injuries, particularly in the lumbar or cervical spine regions, that could require surgery before returning to play. But their longevity in terms of the remainder of their careers has not been studied previously.
In a new study (Cureus 2025 Jun 10. doi:10.7759/cureus.85706), investigators
Professional football is a physically demanding sport in which many players face debilitating injuries at a young age. Because of their occupation, American football players have a higher risk for spinal injuries, particularly in the lumbar or cervical spine regions, that could require surgery before returning to play. But their longevity in terms of the remainder of their careers has not been studied previously.
In a new study (Cureus 2025 Jun 10. doi:10.7759/cureus.85706), investigators examined various performance metrics regarding NFL players returning to play following lumbar or cervical spinal surgeries.
“This study aims to evaluate the impact of spine surgeries on National Football League (NFL) players’ return-to-play rates and performance,” the authors wrote. “We hypothesize that players undergoing lumbar surgeries would demonstrate greater performance improvement and return-to-play rates compared to those undergoing cervical surgeries, with differences influenced by player position and injury location.”
In the study, the investigators examined NFL injury reports between 2005 and 2022 and identified players who had undergone spinal surgery, collecting data on player position, return-to-play rates and years played following the procedure. They also examined performance metrics, including Super Bowl wins and Pro Football Focus player performance ratings.
Overall, the investigators identified 144 spine surgeries among 136 players. Of this, 77 surgeries were lumbar and 67 surgeries were cervical. Positionally, linemen with higher body mass indexes tended to fall in the lumbar surgery group, while players in skill positions, who generally have lower BMIs, were more frequently in the cervical group.
Players in the lumbar group had a 61% return-to-play rate, compared with 47% of the cervical surgery group. The lumbar group had an average performance rating increase of 6.3%, while the cervical group had an average performance rating decrease of 5.8%. And players who had a history of lumbar surgeries were more likely to return to play than those who did not have a history of those surgeries.
“Spinal surgeries significantly impact the careers of NFL players. Lumbar surgeries show better outcomes in terms of return-to-play rates and performance improvements compared to cervical surgeries,” the authors wrote. “The differences in surgical outcomes based on injury location and player position highlight the need for tailored rehabilitation protocols. This study provides valuable insights for medical practitioners, team management, and athletes, contributing to a broader understanding of the implications of spine surgeries in professional football.”
— Kenny Walter
