Back in the Game: Analyzing Performance Outcomes Following Spinal Surgery in WNBA Athletes

Purpose: Professional female basketball players are at risk for spinal pathology although there is limited information on the impact of surgical intervention on postoperative performance. Our focus was to assess athletes in the WNBA who underwent surgical intervention for spinal pathologies and how these injuries influence return-to-play statistics and performance metrics. Methods: A retrospective case series of WNBA players undergoing spine surgery from 2007 and 2020 that were identified via publicly available injury reports and player profiles. Athletes' information collected included age , position , years of service in WNBA , height, body mass index. Statistics were collected for 1 season prior to surgical intervention and 2 seasons postoperatively and the player efficiency rating was calculated. Results: The mean age of the players was 31.5 years at the time of spinal surgical intervention with an average of the 8 years in the WNBA. It was observed a non-significant decline in the average player efficiency rating (PER) by 6.2 and 6.3 in the first and second seasons post-surgery. Of the six subjects, five underwent surgery for activity-related injuries, while one player underwent surgery for schwannoma removal. Notably, age above 33 correlated with a significant decrease in PER after spinal surgery (p<0.001), while taller players demonstrated a significant increase in PER following surgery ( p<0.001,). Discussion: These findings suggest that older athletes may face challenges in returning to pre-injury performance levels, while taller individuals may experience more favorable post-surgery performance outcomes. Limited sample size warrants caution, emphasizing the need for larger cohorts for validation and expansion of findings. These insights provide a helpful starting point in exploring the impact of surgical intervention in treating spinal injuries for female athletes.