Degenerative Disease of the Cervical Spine and Its Relationship to Athletes.

The article discusses the clinical implications and association of cervical degeneration and neurologic injury. The epidemiology of degenerative changes to the cervical spine due to sports injuries has been described. Various studies have been cited which examine cervical damage of different etiologies. The return-to-play (RTP) criteria vary with the specific injury. There is no consensus for RTP guidelines and each case must be considered individually with regard to the sport involved.