Teardrop fracture following head-first impact in an ice hockey player: Case report and analysis of injury mechanisms

It's in the game: A review of neurological lesions associated with sports

INTRODUCTION

The practice of sports may lead to neurological injuries. While relatively uncommon (overall incidence of approximately 2.5%), and mostly benign and transient, some conditions may be life-threatening and permanent. Thus, both clinical neurologists and sports physicians should be aware of their existence and relevance. We aimed to review all sports-related neurological injuries and illnesses reported in the literature.

METHODS

Following SANRA guidelines, we performed a narrative review and searched PubMed and Scopus databases. Relevant sports were selected based on their recognition as an Olympic sport by the International Olympic Committee. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other neurodegenerative disorders were not included.

RESULTS

A total of 292 studies were included concerning 33 different sports. The most reported neurological injury was damage to the peripheral nervous system. Traumatic injuries have also been extensively reported, including cerebral haemorrhage and arterial dissections. Non-traumatic life-threatening events are infrequent but may also occur, e.g. posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, cerebral venous thrombosis, and arterial dissections. Some conditions were predominantly reported in specific sports, e.g. yips in baseball and golf, raising the possibility of a common pathophysiology. Spinal cord infarction due to fibrocartilaginous embolism was reported in several sports associated with minor trauma.

CONCLUSION

Sports-related neurological injuries are increasingly receiving more social and medical attention and are an important cause of morbidity and mortality. This review may serve as a guide to physicians managing these challenging situations.

Chasing the Cup: A Comprehensive Review of Spinal Cord Injuries in Hockey

Ice hockey is a high-speed sport with a high rate of associated injury, including spinal cord injury (SCI). The incidence of hockey-related SCI has increased significantly in more recent years. A comprehensive literature search was conducted with the PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases using the phrases “hockey AND spinal cord injuries” to identify relevant studies pertaining to hockey-related SCIs, equipment use, anatomy, and biomechanics of SCI, injury recognition, and return-to-play guidelines.

Fifty-three abstracts and full texts were reviewed and included, ranging from 1983 to 2021. The proportion of catastrophic SCIs is high when compared to other sports. SCIs in hockey occur most commonly from a collision with the boards due to intentional contact resulting in axial compression, as well as flexion-related teardrop fractures that lead to spinal canal compromise and neurologic injury. Public awareness programs, improvements in equipment, and rule changes can all serve to minimize the risk of SCI.

Hockey has a relatively high rate of associated SCIs occurring most commonly due to flexion-distraction injuries from intentional contact. Further investigation into equipment and hockey arena characteristics as well as future research into injury recognition and removal from and return to play is necessary.

Cervical Spine Injuries in the Ice Hockey Player: Current Concepts in Epidemiology, Management and Prevention

STUDY DESIGN

This review article examines the biomechanics that underly hockey-related cervical spine injuries, the preventative measures to curtail them, optimal management strategies for the injured player and return to play criteria.

OBJECTIVE

Hockey is a sport with one of the highest rates of cervical spine injury, but by understanding the underlying pathophysiology and context in which these injuries can occur, it is possible to reduce their incidence and successfully manage the injured player.

METHODS

Multiple online databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Columbia Libraries Catalog, Cochrane Library and Ovid MEDLINE were queried for original articles concerning spinal injuries in ice hockey. All relevant papers were screened and subsequently organized for discussion in our subtopics.

RESULTS

Cervical fractures in ice hockey most often occur due to an increased axial load, with a check from behind the most common precipitating event.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the recognized risk for cervical spine trauma in ice hockey, further research is still needed to optimize protocols for both mitigating injury risk and managing injured players.

Reduction and Open Fixation of a Cervical Teardrop Fracture: A Technical Note

BACKGROUND

Cervical teardrop fractures are hyperflexion and axial loading injuries associated with significant ligamentous disruption. Patients sustaining these types of injury are classically treated with a cervical corpectomy and anterior fusion. However, there are notable disadvantages of this approach, namely, disruption of the patient's true anatomic alignment and a reduction in the number of fixation points available for cervical fusion. Here we present a novel method of open reduction and internal fixation in a neurologically intact patient with cervical teardrop fracture.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 34-year-old man presented to Ryder Trauma Center after a helmeted motorcycle accident. The patient was found to be neurologically intact on arrival, and imaging demonstrated a C5 teardrop fracture without bony retropulsion. The patient was taken to the operating room for an open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture using a novel technique. This technique used traditional diskectomies at the C4-5 and C5-6 levels, along with a temporary, unicortical screw into the C5 body to capture the anteriorly displaced fragment. A bicortical screw was then placed into the contralateral side, and now, having fully reduced the fracture, the first (temporary) screw was replaced with a bicortical screw. The patient was neurologically intact postoperatively, with 2-month follow-up computed tomography scan demonstrating stable reduction of the fracture.

CONCLUSIONS

Here we present a novel technique for open reduction and internal fixation of a cervical teardrop fracture that does not require cervical corpectomy. This technique is particularly useful in patients with an anteriorly displaced fragment and without neurologic deficit or compromise.