Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 7, 2026

A Pediatric Concussion Model in Mice: Closed Head Injury with Long-Term Disorders (CHILD)
Published on: February 7, 2025
Cervical Spine Dysfunction Following Pediatric Sports-Related Head Trauma
Michael J Ellis1, Patrick J McDonald, Ashley Olson
1Department of Surgery (Dr Ellis), Pediatrics and Child Health (Drs Ellis and Russell), Diagnostic Radiology (Dr Koenig), and Section of Neurosurgery (Dr Ellis), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Pan Am Concussion Program, Pan Am Clinic, Winnipeg, Canada (Drs Ellis and Koenig); Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada (Drs Ellis and Russell); Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada (Ms Olson); Canada North Concussion Network, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Drs Ellis, McDonald, and Russell); University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Drs Ellis, Koenig, and Russell).
Objective:
To examine the prevalence of cervical spine injuries among children and adolescents referred with suspected and diagnosed sports-related concussion (SRC); and evaluate the effect of cervical spine dysfunction (CSD) on physician-documented clinical recovery following SRC.
Setting:
A multidisciplinary pediatric concussion program.
Participants:
A total of 266 patients (6-19 years) referred with suspected SRC.
Design:
A retrospective cohort study.
Main Measures:
CSD defined as neurological symptoms localized to the cervical spine or the presence of neck pain, headache, or dizziness and abnormal cervical spine examination findings; physician-documented clinical recovery.
Results:
One patient was diagnosed with a T1 compression fracture. Of the 246 patients diagnosed with SRC, 80 (32.5%) met the clinical criteria for CSD including 4 patients with central cord neuropraxia and 1 with a spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA). Excluding patients with central cord neuropraxia OR SCIWORA, patients with SRC with CSD took longer to achieve physician-documented clinical recovery (28.5 days vs 17 days, P < .0001) and were 3.95 times more likely to experience delayed physician-documented clinical recovery (>4 weeks postinjury) compared with those without CSD.
Conclusions:
Patients with suspected and diagnosed SRC can present with a wide spectrum of coincident cervical spine injuries. Cervical spine dysfunction may be a risk factor for delayed clinical recovery.
Related Concept Videos
Muscles that Move the Head
The bilateral sternocleidomastoid, or SCM, and the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles are significant head flexors. The SCM muscles originate at the sternum and clavicle and attach to the mastoid process of the temporal bone. The SCM contracts bilaterally to bend the head forward, whereas...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
Arteries of the Head and Neck
The internal carotid arteries supply blood to the anterior portion of the cerebrum. They enter the...
Veins of Head and Neck
On the other hand, the vertebral veins, unlike their arterial counterparts, are not primarily responsible for brain drainage. Instead, they drain the cervical vertebrae, spinal cord, and some small...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

