Editorials

Spinal cord injuries in rugby union players

Recognition nearly 20 years ago of a high incidence of spinal cord injuries in rugby union players¹ led eventually to changes in the rules in most rugby playing countries. New Zealand changed its rules in 1980 and 1984; Britain in 1979, 1984, and 1985; Australia in 1985; and South Africa in 1990. The consensus is that these changes have produced the desired effect, but how robust is the evidence? The week in which the Rugby World Cup begins in South Africa seems an apt time to address this question.

Silver's study of 63 spinal cord injuries in rugby union players between 1952 and 1982 was important in identifying mechanisms of injury in a representative sample of rugby players.² But it was not a study of incidence. Two further studies by him included all spinal cord injuries in rugby players treated . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Preventing spinal cord injuries in rugby union

Timothy David Noakes and Catherine E Draper
BMJ 2007 334: 1122-1123. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Spinal cord injury in Rugby Union players

Anne Savage
BMJ 1995 311: 511. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Noakes, T. D., Draper, C. E (2007). Preventing spinal cord injuries in rugby union. BMJ 334: 1122-1123 [Full text]  
• Bottini, E, Poggi, E J T, Luzuriaga, F, Secin, F P (2000). Incidence and nature of the most common rugby injuries sustained in Argentina (1991-1997). Br. J. Sports. Med. 34: 94-97 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Wilson, S. F, Atkin, P. A, Rotem, T., Lawson, J. (1996). Spinal cord injuries have fallen in rugby union players in New South Wales. BMJ 313: 1550-1550 [Full text]  
• Savage, A. (1995). Spinal cord injury in Rugby Union players. BMJ 311: 511b-511 [Full text]