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Cervical and Thoracic Spine Injuries

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Book cover The Adolescent Athlete

Part of the book series: Contemporary Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine ((PASM))

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Abstract

Acute cervical and thoracic spine injuries in sports range from mild sprains to fracture dislocations with catastrophic consequences. Serious acute cervical and thoracic spine injuries in youth sports are rare but are seen with greater frequency in certain sports such as football, hockey, and gymnastics. Timely diagnosis and treatment of acute cervical and thoracic injury are essential. Overuse injuries to the cervical and thoracic spine are seen in noncontact sports and can result in spinal deformity and adult pattern injury. Understanding when an athlete can safely return to play after an acute cervical or thoracic spine injury is necessary to prevent secondary injury. This chapter covers common acute and overuse cervical and thoracic spine injuries in youth sports, with a focus on clinical and radiographic diagnosis, acute management of the injury, and return-to-play guidelines.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Sports Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Pierre d’Hemecourt MD, FACSM

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA

    Jessica Flynn Deede MD

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  1. Pierre d’Hemecourt MD, FACSM
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  2. Jessica Flynn Deede MD
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Correspondence to Pierre d’Hemecourt MD, FACSM .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Sports Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Lyle J. Micheli

  2. Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Laura Purcell

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d’Hemecourt, P., Deede, J.F. (2018). Cervical and Thoracic Spine Injuries. In: Micheli, L., Purcell, L. (eds) The Adolescent Athlete. Contemporary Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56188-2_5

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