What does the future hold for treatment of cervical disk herniation in elite athletes?
Until this year, very little data were available that healthcare practitioners and athletes could use to help guide the decision-making process when faced with a cervical or lumbar disk herniation. The data in this study suggest that because NFL players can return to play at a high rate and sustain long, productive careers even after surgical treatment such as a single-level anterior diskectomy and fusion, elite athletes should not necessarily be afraid to undergo this procedure, should it be recommended. Although it appears that defensive backs of American football have poorer outcomes after a cervical disk herniation than other positions, other surgical procedures may be better suited for this type of athlete, such as a posterior foraminotomy. Our current prospective research initiative may answer questions such as these for elite athletes across several sports who may be predisposed to such cervical disk injuries.
