Association of Burners with Cervical Canal and Foraminal Stenosis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the burner phenomenon is associated with cervical canal and foraminal stenosis in a scholastic population. Lateral cervical radiographs were reviewed for 64 athletes, 15 to 18 years of age, who had sustained at least one burner. Controls consisted of age-matched athletes who had sustained head or neck trauma without evidence of the burner phenomenon (N = 32). Pavlov ratios were calculated for levels C-3 through C-6; both mean minimum and mean average ratios were determined. Available oblique radiographs from both the study (N = 31) and control (N = 15) groups were then used to calculate the foramen/vertebral body ratio--a measure of relative foraminal height. Significant differences were found between the burner and control groups for the mean minimum and mean average Pavlov ratios and foramen/vertebral body ratios. Scholastic athletes sustaining the burner phenomenon have an increased risk of cervical canal and foraminal stenosis as measured by the Pavlov and foramen/vertebral body ratios, respectively. The foramen/vertebral body ratio is an easily reproducible and reliable means of assessing foraminal dimensions from oblique radiographs and controls for x-ray magnification and rotation. Foraminal stenosis assessment may prove useful in predicting burner risk, especially in athletes with extension-compression injuries.

Torg’s ratio in normal adult nepalese population

“…7 The Torg's ratio for diagnosis of stenosis of the cervical canal has been used by many researchers. 3,8 Till date no study has been conducted on the Torg's ratio in normal Nepalese population. So this study determines the normal range of Torg's ratio in Nepalese population as a reference value.…”

(i) The diagnosis and treatment of shoulder injuries in contact and collision athletes

“…25 It is usually involves a brachial plexus injury of C5-C6, typically an upper trunk injury at Erb's point. The reported incidence in American college football players is 49e65% with recurrence rates as high as 87%.…”

Morphometry of the spinal canal at cervical region in asymptomatic military young men

“…A estenose do canal cervical é conhecida como agravante no "menor trauma", aumentando o risco de dano neurológico permanente. Uma série de registros traz consistência a esta afirmação (3,5,7,9,10,12,16,17,19,22,23,24,26,29,37,42,49) . A mielopatia associada à estenose do canal cervical, especialmente em jovens atletas, tem provavelmente o mecanismo de lesão medular diferente daquele visto em pacientes idosos (13,18,27,57) .…”

“…A estenose cervical também pode trazer repercussões neurológicas exclusivamente ao plexo braquial, pois o canal estreito neste caso faz um fulcro na saída da raiz e produz um estiramento na sua emergência causando uma disfunção neurológica com sintomatologia transitória (10,17,20,32,55) . Atletas com estenose do forame intervertebral apresentaram índice de TORG significativamente menores do que o grupo controle (54) , os quais estão sujeitos à neurapraxia radicular conseqüente a trauma esportivo, especialmente quando envolve colisão corporal (10) .…”

“…The phatophysiologic bases of transient tetraplegia are not completely understood, even though a growing concerning overcoming academic interest (42) . Cervical stenosis can as well have neurological effects only in brachial plexus once a narrow canal in this case plays a fulcrum by the exit of the root producing stretching at its exit causing a neurological dysfunction with transient symptoms (10,17,20,32,55) . Athletes with intervertebral foramen stenosis presented significantly lesser TORG index than the control group (54) who are subject to radicular neuro apraxia in consequence of sport trauma, mostly when involving physical contact (10) .…”