Spinal Injuries in Athletes, a new reference guide from Wolters Kluwer and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, offers guidelines on how to manage spinal injuries both on and off the field, including when athletes can return to play after specific spinal injuries.
Spinal Injuries: New Return to Play Guidelines
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The book, according to a recent press release, will cover “the full timeline of care—from the [point] of injury on the field to diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and return to play.”
Andrew C. Hecht, M.D., editor of the book and a member of the NFL Brain and Spine Committee and chief of spine surgery for the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, told OTW that Spinal Injuries in Athletes is not a how-to guide on performing spinal surgery. Instead it focuses on practical issues like how to place an injured player on a backboard to carry them off the field, or whether or not the injured player’s helmet should be removed.
Both surgical and non-surgical treatment and rehabilitation plans will be discussed for common injury patterns that affect the cervical and lumbar spine including stingers/burners, cervical cord neurapraxia, cervical disk herniation, cervical stenosis, congenital cervical anomalies, cervical trauma, lumbar disk herniation, spondylolysis/spondylolisthesis, lumbar degenerative disk disease, pelvic and hip disorders that mimic spine problems and thoracic disk herniation. The book will also include simulation videos that take you step by step through a specific injury like a concussion or spondylolysis as well as case studies.
“The book stresses diagnosis, decision making, acute management, rehabilitation and return to play guidelines. The goal is to ensure the fastest yet safest return to play whenever possible.” said Hecht, who also serves as spine surgical consultant to the New York Jets and the New York Islanders, in the release.
Contributors to the book include H. Hunt Batjer, M.D., Andrew B. Dossett, M.D., Richard G. Ellenbogen, M.D.; Alexander R. Vaccaro, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.; Ronnie Barnes of the New York Giants and members of the NFL Brain and Spine Committee.
Spine Injuries in Athletes is available for pre-order now and for purchase on March 3, 2017. For more information, visit lww.com.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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