Cervical Spine Injuries in Athletes: Cervical Disk Herniations and Fractures/Ligamentous Injuries

Cervical spine injuries in the athlete range from a simple stinger to cervical cord neuropraxia and in some cases complete spinal cord injuries. These injuries can be a result of a herniated disk or fracture dislocation of the spine. Treatment is tailored to the degree of neurological injury and location of neural compression as well as the desire to return to sports. Radiographic criteria of ligamentous instability and characteristics of fractures that are known to progress to instability are critical for treatment decision-making. The mainstay of surgical treatment is decompression and fusion with many patients allowed to return to contact sports after a healed single level fusion. Although the results of cervical disk replacements are promising in the general population, in athletes who wish to return to collision sports, a cervical disk replacement is not recommended.