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SPORTS INJURIES OF THE SPINE
Francis P. Lagattuta MD,
Medical Director
LAGS Medical Centers
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No disclosures to report.
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LUMBAR SPINE INJURIES
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-015-0424-6
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■ 1-94% in sports
Highest LowestRowing Basketball
Cross Country Skiing
Prevalence in Sports
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Prevalence in SportsAmerican Football Ice Hockey NBA
30% - all lumbar spine
28% - disc herniation
95% - all injuries
• 82% cervical
• 7.3% thoracic
• 4.8% lumbar (checked from
behind)
44% back pain spondylolysis
73% on side of shooting
10% of all injuries – spine
14% - ankle sprain
Soccer Ballet Gymnastics
Japan
• 76% players vs 53.5%
non-players
20% - lumbar
38% - foot and ankle
Degenerative Disc Disease
• 24% - Non-Olympic
• 63% - Olympic
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Risk Factors
■ Previous low back pain
■ Decreased lumbar flexion
■ Decreased lumbar extension
■ Hip flexor tightness
■ Increased BMI
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Case Report
■ 15- year old gymnast
■ 7-year history of club and high school gymnastics participation
■ Back pain with activity for 3 months
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Most Common Cause
■ Repetitive extension
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-015-0424-6
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VERTEBRAE
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2843565/
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Injuries
■ Lumbar Sprain
■ Spondylolysis
■ Spondylolisthesis
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All 3 diagnoses have same history
■ No back pain at rest
■ Back pain with extension
■ Back pain with twisting and rotating
■ Usually no leg pain
■ If severe, radicular symptoms
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Physical Exam
■ Pain with extension and rotation
■ Normal neurological exam
■ Positive Patrick Test and Reverse Tomas Tests
■ Tender to palpation to vertebrae
■ Pain with hyper-extension while standing
https://www.physio-
pedia.com/Spondylolysis_in_Young_Athletes
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Lumbar Spine X-Rays
AP
AP, Lateral, and Oblique
Lateral Oblique
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If negative,…
■ Bone Scan with SPECT
■ CT scan
■ MRI
– Not as good as CT Scan, but gives more information on soft tissues
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If all imaging is negative,…
■ Diagnosis is lumbar sprain
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General Treatment
■ Physical Therapy
■ Chiropractic care
■ Flexion-based exercise program
■ Address flexibility issues
■ Strengthen hip flexor muscles
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Diagnosis for Spondylolysis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841113/
https://www.physio-pedia.com/File:Spondylolysis_CT_scan_(1).docx.jpg
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11604-014-0371-4
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Spondylolysis
■ Positive X-Ray OR Bone scan with spec, CT scan, or MRI
■ Need flexion and extension exercises to rule out spondylolisthesis
■ Treatment brace for 12 weeks
■ Same rehab program
■ Train with corset that prevents hyper extension
■ Fusion if pain persists and affects your career.
■ Stop playing sport, if recreational.
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Diagnosis for Spondylolisthesis
https://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/spondylolisthesis/spondylolisthesis-back-condition-
treatment#targetText=Spondylolisthesis%20can%20be%20described%20according,over%20the%20body%20beneath%20it.
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Diagnosis for Spondylolisthesis (cont.)
https://radiopaedia.org/cases/spondylolysis-and-spondylolisthesis?lang=us
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Changes-in-lumbar-spondylolisthesis-on-axial-loaded-Kanno-Ozawa/b7612168755a556f4e057b9b44c1fb0b84a6ddfd
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Spondylolisthesis
■ Same work up as Spondylolysis
■ If radicular symptoms - EMG and NCV
■ If EMG is positive - use anti-inflammatories, NSAIDS, prednisone
■ If leg pain not improved - transforaminal epidural
■ If back or leg pain not improved - lumbar fusion
■ May be able to avoid surgery if patient stops participating in activity
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Case Report
■ 27-year old male with hamstring tightness
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Herniated Disc, Lumbar Spine
■ Mechanism torsional stress on disc causing the annular fibrosis to tear
■ The nucleus pulpous leaks out. (Large molecules that are very inflammatory)
■ If more leg pain than back pain or mimics a hamstring strain – review history.
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/crior/2016/1538072/fig2/
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“Scottie Pippen Syndrome”
■ Work up MRI, EMG, and NCV
■ Treatment
– Physical therapy extension based
– Strengthening core, especially hip musculature
– If fail conservative treatment, then minimally invasive spine
surgery
– *Quicker return to play with conservative care than surgery
■ 38% returned after surgery
■ 65% returned after conservative care
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Case Report
■ 17-year old male offensive lineman and linebacker with weakness of
right arm
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Cervical Spine
■ Most injuries:
– Cervical sprains
– Stingers
– Cervical radiculopathy
– Brachial plexopathy
– Cervical fractures
– Transient quadriparesis
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/sports-injuries/Pages/Burners-and-Stingers.aspx
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Mechanism of Injury to Stingers
■ Mechanism laterally flexed to opposite side with downward traction to ipsilateral
shoulder
– Causes traction on upper trunk of brachial plexus
■ Axial load to head or shoulder
– Causes injury to cervical roots in foramen
■ History of pain down the arm with numbness and possible weakness lasting 15 to 30
minutes
■ Order 5 views of Cervical spine X-Rays with Flexion and Extension
■ Order MRI, EMG, and NCV.
– Wait 3 weeks for EMG from time of original injury
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Mechanism of Injury to Stingers (cont.)
https://davelessard.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/sideline-tests-for-cervical-radiculopathy/
https://www.aafp.org/afp/1999/1101/p2035.html
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Physical Exam of Patient with Stingers
https://geekymedics.com/shoulder-examination/
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MRI OF STINGERS
https://www.ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.10.5560
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Stingers
■ MRI positive HNP in college and pro athletes
■ MRI negative in high school athletes – more of brachial plexus lesions
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Treatment for Neck Injuries
■ NSAIDS, prednisone
■ Cervical transforaminal epidural for
HNP
■ Cervical braces
■ Cervical sprains
■ If history contains pain in the neck,
loss of motion, then cannot return to
play depending upon cervical spine X-
Rays with flexion and extension
Cervical braces
https://www.aafp.org/afp/1999/1101/p2035.html
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Transient Quadriplegia
■ 80% all 4 extremities
– Usually resolves within 15 to 30
minutes
– May last 24 to 48 hours
■ Related to cervical stenosis congenital vs.
acquired
■ Spinal stenosis less than 14mm
■ Return to play with transient quadriplegia
symptoms
https://www.ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.10.5560
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Returning to Sports Activities Guidelines
■ 1 point unilateral arm numbness and dysesthesia
■ 2 points bilateral motor and sensory loss
■ 3 points ipsilateral arm and leg symptoms
■ 4 points transient quadriparesis
■ 5 points transient quadriplegia
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Returning to Sports Activities Guidelines
■ Time from injury
– 1 point less than 5 minutes
– 2 points less than 1 hour
– 3 points less than 24 hours
– 4 points less than 1 week
– 5 points greater than 1 week
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Returning to Sports Activities Guidelines
■ Narrowing of central canal
– 1 point greater than 12mm
– 2 points 10 to 12mm
– 3 points 10mm
– 4 points 10 to 8mm
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Returning to Sports Activities Guidelines
■ Scoring
Type Scoring
Minimal Risk 0 to 6
Moderate Risk 6 to 10
Serious Risk 10 to 15
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Questions?
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SPORTS INJURIES OF THE SPINE
Francis P. Lagattuta MD,
Medical Director
LAGS Medical Centers