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From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
* Address correspondence to Mark A. Palumbo, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2 Dudley Street, Suite 200, Providence, RI 02905 (e-mail: mpalmd{at}aol.com).
Catastrophic cervical spine injuries can lead to devastating consequences for the collision athlete. Improved understanding of these injuries can facilitate early diagnosis and effective on-field management. This article is the first of a 2-part series. The first part reviews the current concepts regarding the epidemiology, functional anatomy, and diagnostic considerations relevant to cervical spine trauma in collision sports. In the second part, to be published later, the principles of emergency care of the cervical spineinjured athlete are reviewed. This article provides a rational approach to the early recognition of the different clinical syndromes associated with catastrophic cervical spine injury. Rapid on-field diagnosis can help to optimize the outcomes of these catastrophic injuries.
Key Words: cervical spine injury collision athlete football hockey
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