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Thoracic Pathology in Athletes

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Spinal Conditions in the Athlete

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Abstract

The thoracic spine is characterized by significant biomechanical stability and functions in athletics to stabilize the trunk and enable coordinated upper extremity actions. While pathologies are rare, they may range from muscular injuries that are treated conservatively to life-threatening neurologic injury such as complete paraplegia requiring operative decompression and stabilization. Comprehensive history and physical and radiographic imaging are the initial workup for thoracic injuries, with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging playing important roles in furthering our understanding of individual pathologies such as fractures, disc herniations, and spinal cord injuries. Because the incidence of thoracic spine injuries is relatively rare, there remains no consensus regarding return-to-play recommendations, although full strength without neurologic deficit and full painless range of motion are useful return-to-play criteria.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Joseph P. Maslak

  2. Center for Spine Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Jason W. Savage

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  1. Joseph P. Maslak
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  2. Jason W. Savage
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Wellington K. Hsu

  2. Columbia Orthopedic Group, Columbia, MO, USA

    Tyler J. Jenkins

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Maslak, J.P., Savage, J.W. (2020). Thoracic Pathology in Athletes. In: Hsu, W., Jenkins, T. (eds) Spinal Conditions in the Athlete. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26207-5_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26207-5_19

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-26206-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-26207-5

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