Return to Play After Injuries to the Cervical Spine.

Abstract

Return to play (RTP) after sports-related traumatic injuries to the cervical spine is important for athletes and teams, especially at the elite level. While early RTP may be incentivized for athletes and organizations, treating clinicians must have a thorough understanding of cervical spine injuries, treatments, and RTP guidelines to make safe recommendations. In general, patients can RTP when asymptomatic from prior injury with no neurological deficits and a full, painless, active range of motion of the neck. However, injury diagnosis, injury symptoms and severity, history of cervical spine injuries, anatomic variants/anomalies, history of treatment/surgery, and any ongoing or persistent symptoms may modify RTP recommendations. In the current review, we summarize the common cervical spine injuries associated with contact sports and the available guidelines for RTP. It is important to note, however, that despite these guidelines, there is little consensus among treating physicians regarding these recommendations. Therefore, clinical judgment should be used to ensure conservative decisions are made and patient safety is maintained.