Injuries and abnormalities of the cervical spine and return to play criteria.
Publication/Presentation Date
7-1-2012
Abstract
Cervical spine injury has a wide spectrum of consequences for the contact athlete, ranging from minimal to catastrophic. Because of the potentially grave sequelae of cervical injury, it is incumbent on team physicians or treating spine surgeons to be knowledgeable of postinjury treatment and return-to-play algorithms. Sideline physicians must have a rehearsed, comprehensive protocol for ensuring rapid treatment should an on-field injury occur with contingency plans to transport an injured player to a medical facility if necessary. Likelihood of return to play is variable with the extent of injury, but high for stingers, relatively low for patients who suffer episodes of transient neuropraxia, and intermediate for players who undergo cervical fusion for disk herniation based on the best available evidence. However, patients must be evaluated carefully on a case-by-case basis because of the heterogeneity of injury severity and associated pathology.
Volume
31
Issue
3
First Page
499
Last Page
508
ISSN
1556-228X
Published In/Presented At
Kepler, C. K., & Vaccaro, A. R. (2012). Injuries and abnormalities of the cervical spine and return to play criteria. Clinics in sports medicine, 31(3), 499–508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csm.2012.03.005
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
22657998
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article