Cervical Disc Replacements in NHL Players — Are they holding up? Who else gets disc replacements?

So, who has the greater grip strength?!

We are changing up our format a little bit here, but TheAthleteSpine is back!
No special guest with us today — just the 2 of us chatting about how these widely publicized cervical disc replacements have been performing in the NHL players. Given that the NHL season just started a couple weeks ago — we thought that this would be a timely topic!

One of the biggest concerns with disc replacements is how they will handle to larger impact conditions in a repeated fashion. After Jack Eichel took a big hit to the neck last year, and was able to return to the game, and score a goal — provided some reassurance that these implants may be able to sustain the contact and whiplash that professional hockey players (and may other athletes) face.

We dive into the mechanics of disc herniations and our considerations for when to and who to perform a disc replacement in. We demonstrate one way we assess strength/weakness when considering the impact of a pinched nerve in the neck! Who is stronger …. at this moment?!

Although a disc replacement sounds like a great option, especially in younger patients — there are several things that we take into account when considering which surgery to perform! The indication for the surgery is often just as important as the technical aspects themselves!

Enjoy!

#cervicalspine #spine #nhl #discreplacement #spineinjury #discherniation #stenosis