Catastrophic Cervical Spine Injuries in High School and College Football Players

Abstract BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Injuries in professional football players are common because of the nature of the collisions and the frequency of axial loading to the cervical spine. These injuries should be thoroughly evaluated because they can put the player at risk of future injury and even paralysis. The focus of this report is to present 2 cases of this injury and review the current body of literature. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We present 2 cases of professional football players who experienced injuries to the lower posterior elements of their cervical spine simultaneously on a kickoff during a game. Both players described transient symptoms consistent with a “stinger,” which is commonly encountered. Workup revealed fractures of the lower cervical spine in both patients. One patient was able to be managed conservatively and returned to football the following season. The second patient had an unstable fracture that ultimately required operative intervention, and the patient retired from professional football. CONCLUSION: Cervical spine injuries in football players need to be adequately evaluated, and in many cases can be career threatening. We recommend that players with persistent pain after a transient neurapraxia undergo radiography and computed tomography of the cervical spine to evaluate for a fracture.

Download Full-text

Cervical Spine Injuries in Football Players

Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ◽

10.5435/00124635-199909000-00006 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 338-347 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Bruce E. Thomas ◽

Geoffrey M. McCullen ◽

Hansen A. Yuan

Keyword(s):

Cervical Spine ◽

Football Players ◽

Cervical Spine Injuries ◽

Spine Injuries

Download Full-text

Helmet Fit and Cervical Spine Motion in Collegiate Men's Lacrosse Athletes Secured to a Spine Board

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-45.3.215 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 215-221 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Meredith A. Petschauer ◽

Randy Schmitz ◽

Diane L. Gill

Keyword(s):

Cervical Spine ◽

Range Of Motion ◽

Sports Medicine ◽

Sagittal Plane ◽

Football Players ◽

Cervical Spine Injuries ◽

Medicine Research ◽

Spine Injuries ◽

Spine Motion ◽

Spine Board

Abstract Context: Proper management of cervical spine injuries in men's lacrosse players depends in part upon the ability of the helmet to immobilize the head. Objective: To determine if properly and improperly fitted lacrosse helmets provide adequate stabilization of the head in the spine-boarded athlete. Design: Crossover study. Setting: Sports medicine research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Eighteen healthy collegiate men's lacrosse players. Intervention(s): Participants were asked to move their heads through 3 planes of motion after being secured to a spine board under 3 helmet conditions. Main Outcome Measure(s): Change in range of motion in the cervical spine was calculated for the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes for both head-to-thorax and helmet-to-thorax range of motion in all 3 helmet conditions (properly fitted, improperly fitted, and no helmet). Results: Head-to-thorax range of motion with the properly fitted and improperly fitted helmets was greater than in the no-helmet condition (P < .0001). In the sagittal plane, range of motion was greater with the improperly fitted helmet than with the properly fitted helmet. No difference was observed in helmet-to-thorax range of motion between properly and improperly fitted helmet conditions. Head-to-thorax range of motion was greater than helmet-to-thorax range of motion in all 3 planes (P < .0001). Conclusions: Cervical spine motion was minimized the most in the no-helmet condition, indicating that in lacrosse players, unlike football players, the helmet may need to be removed before stabilization.

Download Full-text

Bridging the Gap: Prevention of cervical spine injuries in high school athletics

National Strength & Conditioning Association Journal ◽

10.1519/0744-0049(1984)006<0041:siapa>2.3.co;2 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 41

Author(s):

Gary Allen Shankman

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Cervical Spine ◽

High School Athletics ◽

Cervical Spine Injuries ◽

Spine Injuries

Download Full-text

Bridging the Gap: Prevention of cervical spine injuries in high school athletics

National Strength & Conditioning Association Journal ◽

10.1519/0744-0049(1984)006<0040:pocihs>2.3.co;2 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 40

Author(s):

Gary Allen Shankman

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Cervical Spine ◽

High School Athletics ◽

Cervical Spine Injuries ◽

Spine Injuries

Download Full-text

Epidemiology of Cervical Spine Injuries in High School Athletes Over a Ten-Year Period

PM&R ◽

10.1016/j.pmrj.2017.09.003 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 365-372 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Adele Meron ◽

Christopher McMullen ◽

Scott R. Laker ◽

Dustin Currie ◽

R. Dawn Comstock

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Cervical Spine ◽

High School Athletes ◽

Cervical Spine Injuries ◽

Spine Injuries

Download Full-text

Helmet and Shoulder Pad Removal in Football Players with Unstable Cervical Spine Injuries

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.25.2.119 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 119-132 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Michael C. Dahl ◽

Dheera Ananthakrishnan ◽

Gregg Nicandri ◽

Jens R. Chapman ◽

Randal P. Ching

Keyword(s):

Cervical Spine ◽

Team Sports ◽

The United States ◽

Football Players ◽

Patient Handling ◽

Lateral Direction ◽

Cervical Spine Injuries ◽

Spine Injuries ◽

Unstable Cervical Spine ◽

The Right

Football, one of the country’s most popular team sports, is associated with the largest overall number of sports-related, catastrophic, cervical spine injuries in the United States (Mueller, 2007). Patient handling can be hindered by the protective sports equipment worn by the athlete. Improper stabilization of these patients can exacerbate neurologic injury. Because of the lack of consensus on the best method for equipment removal, a study was performed comparing three techniques: full body levitation, upper torso tilt, and log roll. These techniques were performed on an intact and lesioned cervical spine cadaveric model simulating conditions in the emergency department. The levitation technique was found to produce motion in the anterior and right lateral directions. The tilt technique resulted in motions in the posterior left lateral directions, and the log roll technique generated motions in the right lateral direction and had the largest amount of increased instability when comparing the intact and lesioned specimen. These findings suggest that each method of equipment removal displays unique weaknesses that the practitioner should take into account, possibly on a patient-by-patient basis.

Download Full-text