title: Lumbar spine injuries in athletes.
abstract: Lumbar spine injuries in athletes are not uncommon and usually take the form of a mild muscle strain or sprain. More severe injuries sustained by athletes include disc herniations, spondylolistheses, and various types of fracture. The recognition and management of these injuries in athletes involve the additional consideration that to return to play, the lumbar spine must be able to withstand forces similar to those that were injurious. The authors consider common lumbar spine injuries in athletes and discuss management principles for neurosurgeons that are relevant to this population.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurologic Sports Injury, and Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's/Children's Hospitals, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Ian F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Proctor
authors.forename: Arthur L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Day
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D013169:Spondylolysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery