TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2001//
TI  - Missed lumbar transverse process fractures in a high school football player
JO  - Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
A1  - Brynin, R.
A1  - Gardiner, L.
SP  - 123
EP  - 126
VL  - 24
IS  - 2
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To discuss the case of a football player who had suffered a transverse process fracture of the lumbar spine that was overlooked on initial chiropractic and medical examination. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 17-year-old male football player had been speared in the back by another player. He reported severe initial pain that caused him to fall to the ground, and there was a moderate degree of pain at the time of his chiropractic examination 1 week after injury. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: Initial chiropractic treatment consisted of spinal manipulation to the lumbar spine. Follow-up care consisted of lumbar spine radiographs that showed evidence of a lumbar transverse process fracture at 2 levels. The boy was referred to his medical doctor, who was not convinced of the presence of a fracture and returned him to play. A computed tomography scan was subsequently performed; this confirmed fractures of the transverse processes of L2 and L3. The patient was precluded from contact sports for 4 weeks. Chiropractic care 3 weeks after injury included physiotherapy and drop table mobilization to the sacroiliac joints. The patient returned to play 4 weeks after the injury. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Transverse process fractures commonly occur secondary to blunt trauma in contact sports such as football. With high-force direct trauma, radiographs should be performed to rule out fracture before returning the athlete to play or commencing spinal manipulation.    Keywords: American football <p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0161-4754
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1067/mmt.2001.112562
ID  - ref1
ER  -