![]() |
NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
|
Spine and Back Health |
Playing Football with Fused Vertebrae06/23/2009 |
I`m 16 years old and I recently found out I have fused vertebrae. These fused vertebrae caused a stress fracture in my L4 that happened in April and I`m still recovering. My question is can I still play football with fused vertebrae?
Hello, thank you for your question. Unfortunately, I can't give you a definite answer without seeing your x-rays, including a CT (CAT scan). Vertebrae can fuse in different ways, some of which are stable and some of which are not very stable.
If you have already experienced a stress fracture, especially if this was caused during normal activity, then playing football is probably a terrible idea. You should probably be evaluated by a spine specialist, possibly a sports medicine specialist with an interest in spinal problems if you can find such a doctor, or at the very least by an orthopedist who is knowledgeable about spine. Good luck.
|
David J Hart, MD Associate Professor of Neurosurgery Department of Neurological Surgery School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University |
|