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In many of todays sports, particularly contact sports, the neck is at risk for injury because of an inability to pad, brace, or protect the cervical spine and still allow it to maintain its function. It is necessary to deliver the head and eyes to the right places at the right time; therefore an athlete must maintain their flexibility of the cervical. The spine also functions as a means for the central nervous system, with the spinal cord and the cervical nerve roots passing through, makes injury to the neck a potentially catastrophic event. Approximately 10,000 severe cervical spine injuries occur annually in the United States, with about 1,000 of these injuries resulting from sport related events. Eighty percent of severe sports related central nervous system trauma occurs as a result of collision sports, predominantly American football and rugby football, followed by wrestling and gymnastics (Sports-Related Cervical Injuries, 2003). ... Injuries to the cervical spine may even result in permanent, severe neurological dysfunction and or even permanent neurological disability. American and rugby football are the sports mainly responsible for the cervical spine injuries with resultant quadriplegia. ... More than half of all spinal cord injuries occur in the cervical area, in the neck. ... There is a clear division of patients into a group aged eight years or less with exclusively upper cervical injuries, and an older group with lower cervical injuries. In the younger children, the injuries involved soft tissue and tended to occur through subchondral growth plates. ... The entire cervical axis is at risk, and there is a tendency to fracture bone rather than cartilaginous structures.
Anatomy
The human spine comprises 24 vertebrae, or small bones containing the spinal cord. These vertebrae are grouped into three sections according to location: cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (middle back), and lumbar spine (lower back). Soft tissues, such as ligaments (tissues that connect bones), muscles, and skin, surround and support the spine. Seven vertebrae form the cervical spine. This section of the spine connects the base of the head to the thorax (trunk and shoulders) and, with the help of soft tissues, supports the head. Cervical spine injuries may involve damage to the nerves within the spinal canal; most spinal chord injuries are caused by trauma to the vertebral column, thereby affecting the spinal cords ability to send and receive messages from the brain to the bodys systems that control sensory, motor and autonomic function below the level of injury. ... The segments in the neck, or cervical region, referred to as C1 through C8, control signals to the neck, arms, and hands. ... The effects of spinal cord injury at different segments along the spine reflect this organization. ...
Prevention
As with most sports injures, an active role should be taken to prevent injury. Studies have shown that strengthening the back can help protect the spine from injury. Building up the muscles in the abdomen can help to support the spine. If the spine is fully supported by well-conditioned muscles, even when the body is twisting and turning, the spine can stay neutral and pain free (The Center for Spinal Surgery, 2003). In organized sports, severe cervical spine injuries occur most often in football. ... These injuries may not be preventable. But spearing, purposely leading with the crown of the helmet to block or tackle the opponent, places the cervical spine precisely in the position where it is most at risk for catastrophic injury. Through the education of athletes, coaches, officials, and parents to the simple message: a football player cannot make initial contact with their opponent by using the crown of their head, many cervical spine injuries can be prevented. Time and analysis of injury data proves that teaching and enforcing the message does decrease cervical injury and quadriplegia. ... Between 1976 and 1987, as a result of these rule changes, a marked decrease in the total number of cervical spine injuries and those resulting in quadriplegia at both the high school and college level were documented. ... Between 1988 and 1990, a progressive increase in these injuries occurred. ... A second decrease in the occurrence of cervical quadriplegia occurred through this nationwide educational campaign. ... Injuries
Cervical Strains and Sprains The most common cervical condition occurring in the athletic and non-athletic populations is the muscle sprain or ligament strain. Mild injuries to the ligaments, paravertebral muscles, and intervertebral disk are rarely associated with neurologic signs and symptoms. An injured player will initially complain of neck pain and have limited range of cervical motion. Symptoms from cervical sprains or strains include localized tightness on one side of the neck that is associated with pain and limited motion in the neck. ... Avoid soft cervical collars, as prolonged immobilization will slow healing. ... After appropriate treatment, these individuals may return to activity when they are asymptomatic, have normal muscle strength, and have a full range of pain-free cervical motion.
Brachial Plexus and Nerve Root Neurapraxis Acute, transient brachial plexus injuries, often called burners, are typically traction neurapraxias occurring in younger athletes as a result of shoulder depression and lateral neck deviation away from the side of injury. It usually occurs in contact injuries with a pinched nerve or nerve root neurapraxias.
Approximate Word count = 4293
Approximate Pages = 17.2
(250 words per page double spaced)
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