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. 2025 Aug 4;14(15):5471.
doi: 10.3390/jcm14155471.

Outcomes Following Achilles Tendon Ruptures in the National Hockey League: A Retrospective Sports Database Study

Bradley A Lezak  1 , James J Butler  1 , Rohan Phadke  1 , Nathaniel P Mercer  1 , Sebastian Krebsbach  1 , Theodor Di Pauli von Treuheim  1 , Alexander Tham  1 , Andrew J Rosenbaum  2 , John G Kennedy  1
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Outcomes Following Achilles Tendon Ruptures in the National Hockey League: A Retrospective Sports Database Study

Bradley A Lezak et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate Achilles tendon ruptures (ATR) in NHL players and the effects on return to play and player performance metrics. The incidence, mechanism of injury, management strategy, return to play (RTP), and post-injury were assessed from official online sports databases. Methods: A retrospective review of NHL players who sustained a partial or complete tear of the Achilles tendon from 2008 to 2024 was performed. Data were collected from NHL injury databases and media reports, and included player demographics, injury mechanism, treatment, and post-injury performance metrics. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare pre-injury and post-injury performance metrics, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Here, 15 NHL players with a mean age of 27.8 years were identified, with a prevalence rate of 0.125 injuries per 10,000 athletic exposures. Overall, 73.3% of ATRs were non-contact in nature, with 60.0% of ATRs occurring during off-season training. Fourteen players were managed with non-operative treatment, with no re-ruptures reported. The RTP rate was 93.3%, with players missing a mean number of 45.7 games. However, there was a deterioration in post-injury performance metrics, including games played per season, plus/minus rating, and time on ice per game post-injury. Conclusions: This study found that Achilles tendon ruptures are an uncommon injury in NHL players, with a prevalence rate of 0.125 injuries per 10,000 athletic exposures. A high RTP rate of 93.3% was observed in this cohort. However, there was a deterioration in post-injury performance metrics, including games played per season, plus/minus rating, and time on ice per game post-injury, highlighting the potential devastating sequelae of ATRs in elite NHL athletes.

Keywords: Achilles tendon rupture; ice hockey; performance metrics; return to play.

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Conflict of interest statement

J.G.K. is a consultant for Arthrex and In2Bones. J.G.K. receives financial support from Mr. Winston Fisher, the Ohnell Family Foundation, and Ms. Tatiana Rybak. Each author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. The authors report no other conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Performance metrics of NHL players with Achilles tendon rupture directly one season pre- and post-injury. * Represents p-values < 0.05.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Performance metrics of NHL players with Achilles tendon rupture in all pre-injury seasons and post-injury seasons. * Represents p < 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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