Cervical Spine Sprain Strain Injuries eMedicine Sports

Description: The most frequent cervical injuries in athletes are probably acute strains and sprains of the musculature of the neck. Strain refers to an injury to a muscle, occurring when a muscle-tendon unit is stretched or overloaded. Cervical muscles that commonly are strained include the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), the trapezius, the rhomboids, the erector spinae, the scalenes, and the levator scapulae. Sprain refers to a ligamentous injury, and the diagnosis of cervical sprain implies that the ligamentous and capsular structures connecting the facet joints and vertebrae have been damaged.
Synonyms and related keywords: cervical strain, cervical sprain, musculotendinous injury, ligamentous injury, flexion-extension injury, deceleration injury, whiplash
Gerard A Malanga, MD