Greater Cervical Spine Degeneration Seen in Former Rugby Players

A comparative study has revealed that former professional rugby players display advanced spine degeneration past any normal occurrences, calling for wider awareness of the risks and impact of the sport on current and future players. A group of French researchers sponsored by the Fédération Française de Rugby, Ligue Nationale de Rugby published their findings in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine detailing a direct comparison of a population of rugby players versus random non-players. MRI scans and a qualitative analysis of reported symptoms reveal that damage to the neck and back were remarkably common among former players. “A few years after the end of their careers, professional rugby players seem to have more degenerative symptoms and lesions on the cervical spine. These symptoms are exceptionally disabling (three of 101 cases in this study),” said the lead author of the study. “Our definitive conclusion should be reasonably prudent; we still can’t assert that the lesions worsen with time or that the disease stabilizes with the end of the rugby activity.” To learn more about this study, click here.