Abstract
Sports injuries often involve the spine, and both musculoskeletal structures and neurological components may be affected. In particular, injuries to the spinal cord can have serious consequences, including significant morbidity and even mortality. The sports that pose the greatest risk for spinal injuries are soccer, ice hockey, wrestling, diving, skiing, snowboarding, rugby, cycling, motocross, motorcycling, equestrian, auto racing, and baseball. Besides the aforementioned sports, activities such as fencing, climbing, skateboarding, ice skating, mountaineering, and extreme sports also carry risk of spinal injuries.
Most spinal injuries in athletic sports can be successfully treated with conservative methods. However, it should be kept in mind that spinal cord injuries can cause catastrophic results and even death. There is a broad spectrum of spinal injuries, which can include cervical sprains, strains, contusions, facet injuries, traumatic disk injuries, as well as minor and major cervical fractures, thoracic and thoracolumbar junction injuries, lumbar discopathies, and spondylolysis. Although there is a certain standard approach, each injury should be considered unique. In addition, treatment decisions are influenced by various factors, including the athlete complaints physical examination findings, and the site and type of injury. The first intervention should be made and then, if necessary, the treatment course should be decided in light of examinations and even advanced imaging methods.
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Tezer, M., Kultur, Y., Erdem, M.N., Botanlioglu, H., Aydingoz, O. (2024). Sports Injuries of the Spine. In: Doral, M.N., Karlsson, J. (eds) Sports Injuries. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36801-1_352-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36801-1_352-1
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