Upper Extremity Neurovascular Injuries in Collegiate Athletes: Sex, Race, and Return to Sport.

BACKGROUND

Upper extremity neurovascular injuries (UENVIs) are a significant yet understudied aspect of sports medicine. Although distinct UENVIs have been independently studied, no report describes the incidence of UENVIs across all collegiate sports.

PURPOSE: To analyze the occurrence, demographics, treatment modalities, and outcomes associated with UENVIs across various sports in collegiate athletes using data from the Pac-12 Health Analytics Program database.

STUDY

DESIGN

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS

The Pac-12 Health Analytics Program database was queried for brachial plexus injuries and sports-related UENVIs over a 7-year period (2016-2022). UENVIs were subdivided into neurologic neck injury, transient brachial plexus injury, and thoracic outlet syndrome. Statistical analysis consisted of the chi-square test for categorical variables and analysis of variance for continuous variables. Significance was defined as P < .05.

RESULTS

In total, 15,609 athletes with injuries across 21 sports were identified, of whom 213 experienced UENVIs. Of the athletes, 155 (72.8%) were male and 58 (27.2%) were female. Football players comprised the largest number of UENVI cases. When football players were excluded from the analysis, female athletes had a higher incidence of UENVIs at 61.7% compared to males at 38.3%. Most players were White (50.8%) or Black (23%). Among all athletes in each sport, the highest rates of UENVIs were observed in wrestling (3.9%), football (3.6%), and tennis (2.6%). Of the athletes, 95.5% with UENVIs returned to their previous level of activity or reported no interference with their sport from the injury.

CONCLUSION

Most UENVIs in collegiate athletes are transient and self-limited. This is the first study to report on sex and race distribution for UENVIs. Many athletes return to sport at a similar or higher level.