Observations on the treatment of lumbar disk disease in college football players

Abstract

Over a 4 year period, 12 college players were treated for diskogenic injury. The most common position af fected was down-lineman. Symptoms consisted of low back and/or radicular pain. No players could recall the onset of symptoms relative to football activity; weight- lifting was associated with symptoms in three cases. Tentative clinical diagnosis was herniated disk disease. Method of diagnosis in the athletic population is pre sented along with results of surgical treatment. Percu taneous diskectomy appears to be successful for disk herniations occurring at the L4-5 space or higher.