Previous studies evaluating National Hockey League (NHL) performance following shoulder labral repair and stabilization have relied on traditional statistics (goals, assists, points). Traditional statistics are influenced by randomness, coaching strategy, player utilization, teammate performance, and game context, potentially leading to systematic biases. Our objective was to assess performance in NHL players after shoulder labral repair and stabilization using advanced statistics that address the limitations of traditional metrics. NHL players who underwent surgical procedures for labral repair and stabilization between 2008 and 2022 were identified using a publicly available injury database. We obtained demographic and outcome data for one-year pre and two years post injury. Our primary outcome was wins above replacement per 60 minutes played (WAR/60). A matched cohort based on position, draft year, and index season performance was established. Outcomes were compared between cases and controls with a paired T test. We identified 55 patients who underwent isolated labral repair and 39 who underwent a stabilization procedure. In patients who underwent isolated labral repair, preinjury, postinjury year one, and postinjury year two WAR/60 were 0.03, 0.01, and 0.03 compared to 0.04, 0.06, and 0.05 in controls (p=0.41, 0.00, 0.12 respectively). In patients who underwent stabilization, preinjury, postinjury year one, and postinjury year two WAR/60 were 0.02, 0.03, and 0.03 compared to 0.03, 0.06, and 0.03 in controls (p=0.61, 0.02, 0.34 respectively). Shoulder labral tears and glenohumeral instability requiring surgical management are associated with decreased performance one year post surgery with return to baseline by postinjury year two.
Hayes et al. (Wed,) studied this question.