There was a high percentage of National Football League running backs and wide receivers who were able to return to play after concussion, according to recently published results. In addition, players were able to perform at a similar level in both the acute and long-term period following their concussion.

“While concussions have been associated with short- and long-term cognitive problems, the effect of concussion injuries on the return-to-play rates and performance of NFL players is not fully understood,” study co-author Toufic R. Jildeh, MD, told Healio.com/Orthopedics. “We found that 89% of NFL running backs and wide receivers were able to return to play the same season after a concussion injury, missing an average of 18.9 ± 7.6 days or 1.5±0.9 games. The remaining four players return the subsequent season.”