HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Castro, F. P. Articles by Whitecloud, T. S. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Castro, F. P., Jr Articles by Whitecloud, T. S.

Stingers, the Torg Ratio, and the Cervical Spine

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana

James Ricciardi, MD

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana

Michael E. Brunet, MD

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana

Michael T. Busch, MD

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana

Thomas S. Whitecloud, MD

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana

We prospectively determined the risk of initial stinger experience in a group of college football players while considering the presence of cervical canal stenosis and each player's position, playing time, and body type. Prospective analysis revealed a 7.7% incidence of initial stinger experience. The average Torg ratio for all players was 0.924 ± 0.122, with the seventh cervi cal level being the narrowest. Initial stinger experience depended on position played and body type. The Torg ratio did not influence initial stinger occurrence. Play ers who experienced multiple stingers, however, had significantly smaller Torg ratios than players experi encing only one stinger (0.75 versus 0.87). A Torg ratio of 0.70 may be a more statistically and clinically appro priate threshold for determining significant cervical ste nosis and advising collegiate athletes of their risk of experiencing recurrent stingers.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. M. Aval, P. Durand Jr, and J. A. Shankwiler Neurovascular Injuries to the Athlete's Shoulder: Part I J. Am. Acad. Ortho. Surg., April 1, 2007; 15(4): 249 - 256. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. R. Safran Nerve Injury About the Shoulder in Athletes, Part 2: Long Thoracic Nerve, Spinal Accessory Nerve, Burners/Stingers, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Am. J. Sports Med., June 1, 2004; 32(4): 1063 - 1076. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]