Return to Sport After Proximal Hamstring Tendon Repair: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have evaluated functional outcomes and return-to-sport rates after proximal hamstring tendon (HT) repair. PURPOSE: To systematically review the literature in an effort to evaluate return-to-sport rates after proximal HT repair. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A systematic review was performed by searching PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase to identify studies that evaluated postoperative lower extremity function and return-to-sport rates in patients after proximal HT repair. Search terms used were “hamstring,” “repair,” “return to sport,” and “return to play.” Patients were assessed based on return to sport, return to preinjury activity level, type of HT tear (complete or partial), and interval from injury to surgery. Patients were also divided into subgroups depending on timing of the surgical intervention: early, <1 month; delayed, 1 to 6 months; and late, >6 months from the time of injury. RESULTS: Sixteen studies (one level 2, five level 3, ten level 4) met the inclusion criteria, including 374 patients with a complete proximal HT tear (CT group) and 93 patients with a partial proximal HT tear (PT group), with a mean follow-up of 2.9 years. Overall, 93.8% of patients (438/467) returned to sport, including 93.0% (348/374) in the CT group and 96.8% (90/93) in the PT group (P = .18). The mean time to return to sport was 5.7 months, and 83.5% of patients (330/395) returned to their preinjury activity level. The early group demonstrated the greatest rate of return to sport at 94.4% (186/197) as well as the quickest time to return at a mean of 4.8 months, although this was not found to be statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Over 90% of patients undergoing repair of a complete or partial proximal HT tear can be expected to return to sport regardless of the tear type. Early surgical interventions of these injuries may be associated with a quicker return to sport, although the rate of return to sport does not differ based on timing of the surgical intervention.