Cervical Spine Degeneration in Rugby Players: Position-Specific Differences in Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedics
• Radiology

Background:

• Rugby's high mechanical loads, particularly in scrums and tackles, may lead to premature cervical spine degeneration.
• Understanding these effects is crucial for athlete health and injury prevention in collision sports.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess cervical spine degeneration and sagittal alignment in Brazilian rugby athletes.
• To compare findings between forwards and backs and explore links between alignment, pain, and disability.

Main Methods:

• Cervical spine radiography on 64 professional rugby athletes.
• Analysis of degenerative changes and sagittal parameters (cervical lordosis, T1 slope, cervical sagittal vertical axis, T1-CL mismatch).
• Pain and disability assessed via Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Neck Disability Index (NDI).

Main Results:

• Cervical degeneration observed in 20.3% of participants.
• Forwards reported significantly higher pain levels (VAS) compared to backs (p=0.007).
• Deviations in cervical lordosis correlated with increased VAS scores (p=0.024).

Conclusions:

• Rugby forwards exhibit a greater symptom burden and more cervical degenerative changes, suggesting positional demands influence spinal health.
• Findings underscore the need for targeted preventive measures and further research into cervical misalignment in collision athletes.