querying the Cochrane Collaboration, Educus journal search, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases using the following phrases: “spine injury return to play,” “cervical spine injury athletes,” and “return to play thoracolumbar.” Additionally relevant references from these articles were reviewed. Results: All recommendations represent level III evidence. Absolute contraindications for return to play include atlantoaxial fusions, occipitalcervical fusions, atlantodental interval >3mm adult (> 4mm child),acute herniated discs, discs with pain and neurologic deficits
Search Results
Abstracts of the 2013 Annual Meeting of the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves
Phoenix, Arizona • March 6–9, 2013
orthosis, 2 with a Minerva brace, and 1 with a halo. Two patients required cervical surgery; an occipital cervical fusion for a type 2 odontoid fracture and one atlantoaxial fusion for atlantoaxial instability was performed. At the follow up appointments, none of the patients were found to have delayed instability based on clinical examination, upright x-rays or flexion-extension x-rays. Conclusion: All isolated OCF are likely stable injuries. Our data suggests all isolated OCF may be treated conservatively with any type of cervical orthosis and minimal follow up
