title: Return to play considerations for cervical spine injuries in athletes.
abstract: Injuries to the cervical spine during sports are relatively common, depending on the specific sport. Given the adjacent neurovascular structures, any injury to the cervical spine must be evaluated with caution to assess its severity. With proper management, most injuries resolve quickly and allow for rapid return to play (RTP). The purpose of this article is to synthesize the current literature on the most common cervical spine injuries in athletes, including injury prevalence, mechanisms of injury, and RTP decision-making processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, 450 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paulus
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, 450 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA. Electronic address: djkenned@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kennedy
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Cervical cord neuropraxia; Cervical fractures; Cervical stenosis; Disc herniation; Return to play; Stingers