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Cervical Spine Injuries in Athletes

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The Management of Disorders of the Child’s Cervical Spine

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Abstract

Millions of children suffer sports-related injuries every year. The incidence of cervical spine injuries is low, but the consequences can be catastrophic. The pattern of injury has changed over the decades due to changes in specific sport rules. Impact sports such as American football, rugby, and ice hockey are the main causes of severe cervical injury. Unique physeal anatomy in the growing child accounts for a different pattern of injury compared with adults. Severity ranges from sprains and strains through burners and stingers to complete quadriplegia due to fracture dislocations. Guidelines for return to sports are patient specific and complex.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Firoz Miyanji

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  1. Firoz Miyanji
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  1. Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Daniel J. Hedequist

  2. Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, USA

    Suken A. Shah

  3. Rady’s Children’s Hospital Associate, San Diego, California, USA

    Burt Yaszay

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Miyanji, F. (2018). Cervical Spine Injuries in Athletes. In: Hedequist, D., Shah, S., Yaszay, B. (eds) The Management of Disorders of the Child’s Cervical Spine. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7491-7_12

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