The issue of return to play in professional sports includes multiple interests of many different constituencies, some of them potentially at odds with each other. While return to play has received the most public attention in the context of the immediate and long-term implications of concussion, the complexity of decisions on return to play apply to any other injury that could keep an elite athlete sidelined.
Consider a recent a 500-page report1 issued last fall by Harvard Law School's Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics that acknowledges that "player health concerns are broader than concussions alone. Players also have concerns about cardiac health, arthritis and other joint damage, pain management, and a wide variety of other issues."
(For more on PTs and concussion management, see "Beyond Rest" on page 18 of this issue of PT in Motion.)
The following scenario takes place at the intersection of professional ethics and the expediency often attached to big-time sports. As you read it, put yourself in the PT's shoes and consider the responsibilities and pressures involved.