Return to Sport of Male Judokas who have Various Surgical Treatments of Lumbar Disk Herniation

Lower back pain is one of the most common sources of pain in professional athletes. Regarding flexion pain in athletes, lumbar disk herniation is the most common disorder. The limited evidence on the effectiveness of surgical treatment does not allow conclusions to be drawn about the relative effectiveness of various surgery treatments for facilitating a rapid return to sport. The present paper aimed to search for objective data on the period return to sport of elite male judokas with various surgical treatment modalities of lumbar disk herniation. Participants: elite male judokas (n=8). All athletes had complaints of lower back pain. All judokas were recommended surgery: removal of lumbar disk herniation (L5-S1). Two methods of surgical treatment were used: Group 1 (n=4): total resection of the intervertebral disc and installation of the functional endoprosthesis and Group 2 (n=4): spinal fusion. Athletes’ pain level using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Russian Oswestry Disability Index (RODI) was assessed for 3, 6, and 9 months after surgery. Athletes’ personal diary data to estimate the period return to sport was used. Group 1 VAS and RODI indicators were significantly (p<0.01) lower 6 and 9 months after surgery. The daily training time of Group 1 was significantly (p<0.01) longer in 6 and 9 months after surgery. A special judo performance test (60 Ippon-seoi-nage) showed a significant (p<0.01) advantage of Group 1 9 months after surgery. Research shows that Group 1 judokas returned to sport after 6-9 months, and Group 2 judokas after more than 9 months.