Laryngeal fracture in a high school football player.
Laryngeal injuries are rare in the athletic setting, but such sports as football, basketball, and hockey often place the athlete in a position to receive blunt trauma to the throat area. Such an injury has the potential of developing into a life-threatening situation. A high school athlete sustained a fractured larynx during a football game. The injury required surgical repair. Unfortunately, because this type of injury is uncommon in sports, many athletic training books do not extensively address soft tissue and cartilaginous injuries to the structures of the anterior neck. Athletic trainers must be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of a laryngeal injury and refer the athlete for immediate medical attention.
Susan M. Bechman is Athletic Trainer at East Suburban Sports Medicine Center, Ltd., Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
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