Return to sport and functional outcomes following spine surgery in hockey players: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Ice hockey is a high-velocity collision sport associated with substantial axial loading, repetitive flexion-extension, and rotational forces across the spinal column, making spine injuries that require surgical intervention potentially career-altering. Despite this, hockey-specific postoperative outcome data remain fragmented and are often extrapolated from mixed-sport cohorts.

PURPOSE: To synthesize available literature evaluating return-to-sport rates, timing of return, functional recovery, performance outcomes, and career durability following spine surgery in ice hockey players.

PATIENT SAMPLE: Electronic database searches identified studies reporting postoperative outcomes following spine surgery in hockey athletes.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Extracted variables included: return-to-sport rates, time to return, performance outcomes, functional recovery metrics, surgical characteristics, complications, and career longevity.

METHODS: PRISMA guidelines to synthesize available literature.

RESULTS: Among 441 hockey athletes, return-to-sport rates following spine surgery ranged from 75% to 90% across cervical and lumbar procedures. Lumbar microdiscectomy permitted earlier return compared with fusion procedures, whereas anterior cervical discectomy and fusion demonstrated return timelines approaching 9-12 months. Despite high return participation rates, several studies demonstrated postoperative declines in games played, scoring productivity, and performance indices. Career longevity following lumbar pathology averaged approximately 3-4 years, while cervical-specific longevity data remain limited, with mixed-sport cohorts suggesting similar durations.

CONCLUSION: Overall, available evidence suggests that lumbar and cervical spine surgery can permit return to hockey participation in a majority of athletes; however, existing data are predominantly retrospective and frequently derived from mixed-sport cohorts. Performance decline and variable recovery timelines are commonly observed, and standardized criteria guiding return-to-play clearance, particularly following spinal fusion, are poorly defined and inconsistently reported. Prospective, sport-specific investigations incorporating standardized functional, radiographic, and performance metrics are needed to better guide surgical decision-making and postoperative rehabilitation.

STUDY DESIGN: Scoping Review.