Abstract
An estimated 38 million children and 170 million adults participate in organized sports each year in the United States. Organized sports provide a wide range of physical and mental health benefits and lower the risk of chronic, lifestyle-induced conditions like cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. Participation in these activities inevitably leads to injuries. Trauma resulting in injury to the spine and spinal cord is a significant issue in many contact and noncontact sports. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a transient or permanent injury that affects sensory, motor, or autonomic function, leading to neurological impairment or disability. SCI involving axon damage is mostly irreversible due to the nonregenerating properties of the central nervous system (CNS). Proper neurosurgical care is critical in the acute management of these injuries to reduce or prevent long-term damage. In this review, we will address the acute neurosurgical management of spinal cord injuries.