Ch.9 Spinal Injuries

Burner

A group of symptoms including burning, numbness, tingling, and pain down the arm that results from stretching a group of nerves called the brachial plexus. This condition is also called a stinger

Spondylolysis

A stress fracture or bone degeneration of the vertebrae

Axial load

End-to-end loading of a bone or series of vertebrae. This term is commonly used to denote loading of the cervical spine when a player makes contact with the top of his head

Lordosis

Excessive curvature at the lumbar spine

Kyphosis

Excessive roundedness that can occur at the thoracic spine

Scoliosis

Excessive side-to-side curvature of the spine

Neutral spine

Normal cervical, thoracic, and lumbar curvature having neither too much flexion not too much extension in a position that is comfortable for the athlete

What is the difference between spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis?

Spondylolysis is a stress fracture or bone degeneration of the vertebrae. Spondylolisthesis is bone degeneration that leads to the vertebrae to slip onto the one below it.

Intervertebral disk

Structures between the vertebrae that cushion them

Sacrum

The bottommost segment of the spine, which consists of bones that are fused

Spondyloisthesis

A Spondylolysis degeneration of a vertebra that fails to heal, therefore separating and causing the spine to become unstable. The resulting instability allows a vertebra to shunt, or slip, forward on the vertebra below it

Stinger

A group of symptoms including burning, numbness, tingling, and pain down the arm that results from stretching a group of nerves called the brachial plexus. This condition is also called a burner

Describe the types of spinal injuries and how they occur.

Bone injuries which are spoiled in the lumbar spine occur due to compression, Disk injuries can occur from putting pressure on the front of the disk which pushes the nucleus pulposus posterity, muscle and tendon injuries can occur by overusing or putting too much pressure on the muscles and tendons in a certain area, ligament injures occur when athletes either excessively trunk file or attempt to flex the spine and rotate at the same time.

Lumbar spine

The five vertebrae that compose the low back; located just above the sacrum

Why is proper posture important, and why do you think it is hard for some people to use proper posture?

The proper posture is being in a straight line that goes from behind the ear to just in front of the lateral malleolus. Using proper posture is hard because it uses many muscles and requires a lot of work, and also it is not as relaxing.

Annulus fibrosus

The rings of tissue that surround the nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disk

Cervical spine

The seven vertebrae that compose the uppermost region of the spine

Nucleus pulposus

The soft structure at the center of an intervertebral disk

List the spinal segments, and discuss which of the segments is most commonly injured and why.

The spinal segments are the sacrum, the lumbar spine, the thoracic spine, and the cervical spine.

Thoracic spine

The twelve vertebral segments that have little motion because they are firmly attached to the ribs and sternum.

Why do you think lumbar supports recommended for lifting?

They are important because they keep the spine straight and don't allow it to bend and cause any injury to the back when an athlete is lifting weights.

If an AT were working with an athlete who reported burning sensations down the arm that lasted about 15 seconds, what might have happened?

This might have been a burner or stinger which means a brachial plexus injury.

Forward head posture

When the head juts forward so that the athletes ears are not lined up with the shoulders