Spine Injury
Of the 11,000 annual cases of spinal cord injury in the United States, sport participation is the second leading cause for individuals between the ages of 16 and 30.
According to the 2009 NATA position statement, an average of 7.8 catastrophic cervical spinal injuries with incomplete recovery and six quadriplegic events occur annually in football alone. Advances in research and rule changes have paved the way towards improvements in prevention and best practices management of acute spinal injury.
NATA Position Statements
NATA Consensus Statements
- Appropriate Care of the Spine Injured Athlete(pdf) (2015)
NATA Official Statements
- EMS Changes to Pre-Hospital Care of Athlete with Acute Cervical Spine Injury (pdf) (2014)
- Calling Crown of Helmet Violations( pdf) (2014)
Other Resources
- ACEP: Head and Neck Injuries in Athletes w/ Case Studies
- KSI: Cervical Spine Injury
- NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook: Use of the Head as a Weapon in Football and Other Contact Sports
- NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook: Helmet Fitting and Removal
- The Eric LeGrand Story, 2013
- NCAA Catastrophic Insurance Program