Introduction: Symptomatic cervical spine disk hernations in high-level athletes are traditionally treated with anterior cervical disk fusion (ACDF) after failed conservative management. Unfortunately, an ACDF comes with decreased mobility and only a return to sport 73.5% of the time. In high-level athletes, mobility and range of motion can be critical to their long-term success. This case report will discuss the successful treatment of a C6–C7 disk herniation with a cervical disk replacement (CDR). Case Report:This is a 23-year-old football player whom had a left paracentral C6–C7 disk herniation causing foraminal stenosis. He had significant triceps muscle wasting and weakness and he was not able to participate in football secondary to his symptoms. After failing 6 weeks of conservative, he underwent a CDR. At 8 weeks postoperatively, he was cleared for football and return to sport without complications. Conclusion: The CDR provides high-level athletes the ability to return to contact sports safely. In this unique case, we present a division one football player with a symptomatic cervical herniated disk that was treated with a CDR and return to sport without any limitations or complications. The CDR was able to treat symptoms, improve strength and motion, and ultimately allow the player to return to football. More studies need to be performed, but ultimately CDR in athletes can get them back on the field, improve their cervical range of motion, and decrease their risk of adjacent segment disease in the long run when compared to the cervical fusion.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.