When Can I Return to Play After an Orthopedic Sports Injury?
As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, the timing of when a player can "return to sport" is one of the most frequently asked questions of me – from the patients themselves, their parents (if they're minors) and from the media, especially if I'm being interviewed about a professional athlete. The answer is rarely the same, and I'm sure you can understand why. Recovery is as unique to the individual as is their genetic makeup – it really does depend on a wide variety of factors. However, for many common orthopedic injuries, there's usually a fairly consistent timeline for return to sport or active living. In the interest of providing at least some answer to this frequently asked question, we'll dive into it here.
