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.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Albright JP, McAuley E., Martin RK, et al Head and neck injuries In college football An eight-year analysis Am J Sports Med13147-152, 1985 2 Bergfeld JA, Hershman EB, Wilbourne A. Brachial plexus injury in sports A five-year follow-up Orthop Trans12743-744, 1988
2.
Cantu RC Functional cervical spinal stenosis A contraindication to participation in contact sports Med Sci Sports Exerc25316-317, 1993 4 Clancy WG Jr, Brand RL, Bergfeld JA Upper trunk brachial plexus injuries in contact sports Am J Sports Med5209-216, 1977
3.
Eismont FJ, Clifford S., Goldberg M., et al Cervical sagittal spinal canal size in spine injury Spine9663-666, 1984
Herzog RJ, Wiens JJ, Dillingham MF, et al Normal cervical spine morphometry and cervical spinal stenosis in asymptomatic professional football players Plain film radiography, multiplanar computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging Spine16S178-S186, 1991
6.
Hovis WD, Limbird TJ An evaluation of cervical orthoses in limiting hyperextension and lateral flexion in football Med Sci Sports Exerc26872-876, 1994
7.
Kelly JD, Clancy M., Marchetto PA, et al The relationship of transient upper extremity paresthesias and cervical stenosis Orthop Trans16732, 1992-3
8.
Matsuura P., Waters RL, Adkins RH, et al Comparison of computerized tomography parameters of the cervical spine in normal control subjects and spinal cord-injured patients J Bone Joint Surg71A183-188, 1989
9.
Meyer SA, Schulte KR, Callaghan JJ, et al Cervical spinal stenosis and stingers in collegiate football players Am J Sports Med22158-166, 1994
10.
Moiel RH, Raso E., Waltz TA Central cord syndrome resulting from congenital narrowness of the cervical spinal canal. J Trauma10502-510, 1970
11.
Odor JM, Watkins RG, Dillin WH, et al: Incidence of cervical spinal stenosis in professional and rookie football players Am J Sports Med18. 507-509, 1990
12.
Pavlov H., Torg JS, Robie B., et al Cervical spinal stenosis Determination with vertebral body ratio method Radiology164771-775, 1987
13.
Poindexter DP, Johnson EW Football shoulder and neck injuries A study of the "stinger" Arch Phys Med Rehabil65. 601-602, 1984
14.
Robertson WC Jr, Eichman PL, Clancy WG Upper trunk brachial plexopathy in football players JAMA241. 1480-1482, 1979
15.
Speer KP, Bassett FH III The prolonged burner syndrome Am J Sports Med18591-594, 1990
16.
Tall RL, DeVault W. Spinal injury in sport Epidemiologic considerations Clin Sports Med12441-448, 1993
17.
Torg JS Epidemiology, pathomechanics, and prevention of football-induced cervical spinal cord trauma Exerc Sports Sci Rev20321-338, 1992
18.
Torg JS Epidemiology, pathomechanics, and prevention of athletic injuries to the cervical spine Med Sci Sports Exerc17295-303, 1985
19.
Torg JS, Pavlov H., Genuario SE, et al Neurapraxia of the cervical spinal cord with transient quadriplegia J Bone Joint Surg68A1354-1370, 1986
20.
Torg JS, Sennett B., Pavlov H., et al Spear tackler's spine An entity precluding participation in tackle football and collision activities that expose the cervical spine to axial energy inputs Am J Sports Med21640-649, 1993
21.
Torg JS, Sennett B., Vegso JJ, et al Axial loading injuries to the middle cervical spine segment An analysis and classification of twenty-five cases Am J Sports Med196-20, 1991
22.
Torg JS, Vegso JJ, O'Neill MJ, et al The epidemiologic, pathologic, biomechanical, and cinematographic analysis of football-induced cervical spine trauma Am J Sports Med1850-57, 1990
23.
Wilbourne AJ , Hershman EB, Bergfeld J. Brachial plexopathies in athletes, the EMG findings Muscle Nerve9254, 1986
24.
Yoo JU Zou D., Edwards WT, et al Effect of cervical spine motion on the neuroforaminal dimensions of human cervical spine. Spine171131-1136, 1992
