Neurovascular trauma in athletes

Abstract

Injuries to neurovascular structures are not the most common injuries seen in athletes and for this reason may often be overlooked. Additionally, diagnosis and management may be more difficult because of inexperience with these injuries. The majority of acute sports-related neurovascular injuries are associated with contact sports such as rugby, wrestling, ice hockey, and especially football. These injuries most commonly occur about the shoulder girdle and brachial plexus, with "burners" syndrome being the most common. Less common injuries include thoracic outlet syndrome, effort-induced thrombosis, axillary artery occlusion, and peripheral nerve injuries, as well as compression syndromes involving the axillary, suprascapular, and long thoracic nerves.