spinal injury in sport Flashcards
The challenges of transitioning to SMR concepts “Spinal Motion Restriction” included:
geographic variations *
medico-legal issues
* health policies
* resistance to change * risk tolerance
* historical and cultural perspectives.
As sideline healthcare professionals our goals are to
provide the best appropriate care possible
- be familiar with current literature findings
- adapt skill sets
- embrace change for the sake of athlete health and safety.
T/F “First Aid Providers” should not use immobilization devices because their benefit has not been proven.
T
Is For first aid providers, the routine application of cervical cervical is recommended.
no
what first aid provider are recommend to do in a suspected cervical spine injury
t is recommended to manually support the person’s head in a position limiting angular movement until more advanced care arrive”
in special circumstance what can be use for extrication by trained HCP
traditional immobilization
correct application of cervical collar would require
require training, regular practice and the ability of the first aid provider to distinguish between high risk and low risk injuries
Long backboard use has been shown to cause and lead to the following:
Agitation and anxiety
* Altered physical examination
* Delay in treatment, time consuming to apply
* Increased cranial pressure (collar)
* Painful (>30 min)
* Pressure sores (usually less than 1 hour)
* Airway and Respiratory compromise, risk of aspiration
* Unnecessary radiographs
* Expensive to buy, maintain, train
* Does not usually achieve neutral spinal alignment …
It is the position of International Trauma Life Support that
- Spinal motion restriction (SMR) is not indicated in every trauma
patient. - The long spine board and other rigid devices are primarily
extrication devices designed to move a patient to a transport stretcher. Having the patient remain on the board for prolonged periods can produce discomfort, pressure sores and respiratory compromise. - In order to minimize these negative occurrences, patients should be removed from the long spine board as soon as it is safe and practical to do so. 4. Maintenance of in-line spinal alignment when moving the patient and appropriately securing them to the transport stretcher remain important components of SMR.
- SMR should be applied appropriately to those patients who have indicators that they may have sustained or are at high risk for spinal injuries, or who cannot be adequately
assessed clinically for the presence of such injuries. Providers should apply the appropriate guideline in these situations and apply a rigid cervical collar and other rigid devices as clinically appropriate. - Spinal Motion Restriction onto a long board is not indicated in penetrating wounds of the torso, head or neck unless there is clinical evidence of a spinal injury
the spine board is an excellent _ device
extraction
Overall, _% of the patients developed pain within the 30-minute observation period, and _% graded their pain as moderate or severe. Of these, _% developed additional symptoms over the next 48 hours.”
100, 55, 29
t/f.The prolonged immobilization is often unnecessary and adds to the burden of already overtaxed emergency medical services systems and crowded emergency departments.
T
Canadian C-spine rule
- any high-risk factor
age >/= 65
dangerous mechanism
paresthesias in extremity
-> if no move to step 2, if yes immobilize - low-risk factor
- simple rear end MVC
- ambulatory at any time
- delayed onset of neck pain
- absence of middling
c-spine tenderness
-> if yes move to #3, if no immobilize - able to actively rotate neck 45º left and right
-> if unable immobilize
what are some dangerous mechanism of C-spine rule
fall from elevation >/+ 3 feet/5 stairs
axial load to head
high speed MVC
motorized recreational vehicle
bycile struck or collision
what are simple rear end MVC exclude of C-spine rule
pushed into oncoming traffic
hit by bus/large truc
rollover
hit by high speed vehicule
Sports Medicine Responder ROLE
BETTER SPINAL ASSESSMENT & SCREENING IN THE FIELD TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY HOSPITAL TRANSFERS.
❑APPROPRIATE SPINAL MOTION RESTRICTION PRINCIPLES WITH SUSPECTED SPINAL INJURED ATHLETES.
❑EXPERTISE WITH PROTECTIVE SPORTS EQUIPMENT REMOVAL BEFORE TRANSPORT TO A MEDICAL FACILITY.
C1-C2 do _% rotation
C3-C6 do _% rotation
58
24
C3 spinal cord occupied _ % of canal
Lumbar spinal cord occupies _ % of canal
95
65
C3 have _mm clearance of cord in canal
3
C2-C5 have which nerve involvement
phrenic
The spine can normally withstand forces of up to _ ft-lbs of energy. Contact sports can cause forces in excess of this.
1000
are burner/stinger spinal
Not spinal, but unilateral peripheral nerve (compressive or tensile).
what is neurogenic shock
Secondary to spinal cord injury:
* *
Lesion to vaso-regulatory fibers which
produce loss of sympathetic tone to vessels (vaso-dilation) below level of lesion.
s/s neurogenic shock
S/S: skin warm / dry Pulse will be slow
BP will be low
* Produces relative hypovolemia
… may cause hypo-perfusion
what is spinal shock
Lasts variable time period after spinal cord injury
* Loss of all sensory/motor fcn, flaccidity, paralysis
* Loss of reflexes below level of spinal injury
* Usually caused by penetrating type or bony #
* Severity depends am’t bleeding into tissues
* Damage / disruption of spinal cord blood supply
can result in local cord tissue ischemia
what are burner
Are not “spinals”, but peripheral nerve injuries
s/s burner/stinger
-burning that usually begins in the shoulder and radiates “unilaterally” into the arm and hand.
-weakness, numbness or both are occasionally associated with in a C5-C6 nerve root distribution.
-recovery usually occurs in minutes, but some S/S can last for for days/ weeks if recurrent condition
MOI of stinger/burner
- Compressive mechanism when head and neck are forcibly
moved into postero-lateral direction toward symptomatic upper limb. - Tensile mechanism occurs when involved arm and neck are forced in opposite directions.
Both mechanism are more of a cervical radiculopathy that a brachial plexopathy. (as the cervical nerves are more fragile)
differentiation of burner stinger
burners are usually unilateral, spinals lesion involve both arms Mechanism of injury is paramount to proper diagnosis
what are some specific MOI of spinal injury
AXIAL LOADING (most common in sport) EXCESSIVE FLEXION
EXCESSIVE EXTENSION
EXCESSIVE ROTATION
EXCESSIVE SIDEBENDING DISTRACTION