Epidemiology of Catastrophic Spine Injuries in High School, College, and Professional Sports

Sporting events are the fourth most common cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States. They are the third leading cause in patients younger than 30 years of age. Catastrophic cervical spinal trauma leads to most of these injuries with the key mechanism involving an axial force to a slightly flexed spine. Several sports have a greater risk of catastrophic spinal injuries: football, ice hockey, cheerleading, wrestling, swimming and diving, snow skiing and snowboarding, rugby, and baseball. This article reviews the available epidemiologic data concerning these sports and the catastrophic spinal cord injuries associated with them.