Abstracts Posters SICOT-SOF meeting Gothenburg 2010 _2_

Poster
Topic: Sports Medicine - Spine
Abstract number: 26480
CHRONIC WHIPLASH SYNDROME AFTER CERVICAL WHIPLASH INJURIES IN
ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES. CLINICAL OUTCOME
Charalambos MATZAROGLOU, Alkis SARIDIS, Christos GEORGIOU, Alexandros
VRIS, Alexandros CHATZIANTONIOU, Minos TYLLIANAKIS
Department of Orthopaedics, University of Patras, Rio, Patras (GREECE)
Purpose: We assess qualitatively and quantitatively the potential risk in athletic
activities to sustain cervical whiplash type spine injury and chronic whiplash
syndrome. Patients and Methods: We gathered information from sports accidents
type whiplash that occurred in Peloponisos between 1997 and 2007. One hundredtwenty
eight patients with WSI injuries were recorded in sports in our Orthopaedic
Department between the years of 1997 and 2007, and classified according to
Quebec Task Force (QTF) classification. The most of them classified in grade 0
according QTF (102/128). All the other patients (26/128) returned for the 6-months,
1-year and 2-year follow-up appointment. All these patients (average age, 26.8 years
old) underwent clinical, laboratorial and health related quality of life scales (SF 36)
and psychometric examinations (HADS). The mean posttraumatic interval was 28
months. Statistical analysis was performed using the GraphPad Prism 2.01. Results:
Only 3 patients 3/128 complained for neurological signs at the time of injury. The
other patients classified in the minor grades I and II according QTF classification. No
patient complained for neurological signs after six months from the injury. Only two
patients 2/128 remain with neck pain, vertigo, tinnitus, and tenderness, but with no
physical signs [grade I] one year posttraumatic. Conclusion: Our study shows that
there is a significant risk of whiplash type injuries in sports, especially indoor soccer
5x5. But serious injuries with neurologic sequelae and WAD remain very infrequent,
and most these injuries have minor severity.
498