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Spine Injuries in Collision/Heavy Contact Sports

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Spinal Injuries and Conditions in Young Athletes

Part of the book series: Contemporary Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine ((PASM))

Abstract

Adolescents who participate in collision and heavy contact sports are at risk for several mechanisms of spinal injury, including hyperflexion, hyperextension, and rotational and axial loading forces. This chapter reviews spinal injuries and injury mechanisms that are common to adolescent collision sport athletes. The incidence of catastrophic spinal injury is reviewed, as well as measures aimed at decreasing this incidence in sports such as American football, rugby, and hockey. A wide range of non-catastrophic injuries to the adolescent spine can also occur during participation in collision sports, including sprains and strains, acute fractures, disc injuries, apophyseal injuries, overuse/stress injuries, and transient neurological injury. The physician who cares for adolescent athletes should be familiar with the differences in the patterns and presentations of spinal injuries between adolescents and adults. Return-to-play decisions should be considered individually based on injury type, severity, and symptoms. The presence of underlying developmental or acquired abnormalities of the spine should be considered when making decisions about participation in collision sports.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Albany Medical College, Latham, New York, USA

    Deborah I. Light MD

  2. Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA

    Hamish A. Kerr MD, MSc

Authors
  1. Deborah I. Light MD
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  2. Hamish A. Kerr MD, MSc
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Correspondence to Hamish A. Kerr MD, MSc .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Sports Medicine, Childrens Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Lyle Micheli

  2. Division of Sports Medicine, Childrens Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Cynthia Stein

  3. Division of Sports Medicine, Childrens Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Michael O'Brien

  4. Division of Sports Medicine, Childrens Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Pierre d’Hemecourt

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Light, D., Kerr, H. (2014). Spine Injuries in Collision/Heavy Contact Sports. In: Micheli, L., Stein, C., O'Brien, M., d’Hemecourt, P. (eds) Spinal Injuries and Conditions in Young Athletes. Contemporary Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4753-5_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4753-5_8

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