Return to Collision Sports - Cervical Spine | Guests: Dr. Gregory Schroeder and Dr. Jose Canseco

TheAthleteSpine - Schroeder/Canseco & The Cervical Spine Research Society

For this episode, we bring on Dr. Gregory Schroeder and Dr. Jose Canseco from the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Both are spine surgeons and have extensively studied how athletes have returned to collision sports after cervical spine injuries (and surgeries). In fact, a couple years, they led a landmark Delphi consensus study with the Cervical Spine Research Society to assess cervical spine injury management in collision sport athletes from leading experts in spine surgery, sports injuries, and cervical trauma.
We wanted to discuss this important topic after Xavier Newman’s scary injury during Sunday Night Football last weekend.

An awkward fall, left him temporarily “paralyzed.”
Newman was stabilized immediately & his his facemask was removed from his helmet.
He was stabilized on a backboard and stretcher.
He was not moving any of his extremities for the first 5 minutes after the injury.
On the way to a local hospital and he was noted to have movement in his extremities as he squeezed a trainer’s hand!

He has since been discharged and reportedly has full motor function.

Given the mechanism of injury (whiplash of neck after the head hits the ground) and the temporary “paralysis” --
This is very likely some sort of cervical spine (specifically SPINAL CORD) injury...
Our concern, is that he has suffered a SPINAL CORD INJURY in the setting of CONGENITAL CERVICAL STENOSIS (or early degenerative changes in the cervical spine).

We discuss the implications of these cervical spine injuries and the ability of patients to return back to collision sports, like the NFL!
In summary:
Athletes that have had an episode of “transient paralysis” but no longer have evidence of spinal cord/nerve root compression - can return to play!
Athletes that have successfully recovered from a 1-level cervical fusion and have “normal/baseline” function - can return to play
Return to play after 2-level cervical fusion remains controversial!

As clinician-scientists — we value the research that provides evidence to make these decisions — and these collision athletes are a tough population to study.

We spend some time talking about generating research on these patients and this topic of returning to play after cervical spine injuries/surgery — and how important organizations like the Cervical Spine Research Society lead the way and provide a platform for these important collaborations. Btw — the CSRS annual meeting is coming up Dec 11-14 in Chicago!

Enjoy!


#xaviernewman #spineinjury #spinalcord #spinalcordinjury #nfl #neckinjury #cervicalspineresearchsociety #CSRS