Abstract
BACKGROUND: Rugby is a contact team sport with a high risk of injury to the cervical spine. Different radiological imaging studies have been proposed for the screening of players most at risk of neurological sequelae. It is not rare, though, that a severe radiological spinal cord compression is accompanied by mild symptoms while a mild compression is often accompanied by severe neurological symptoms, hence the need for more accurate diagnostic tools. METHODS: We performed a neurological evaluation and examined 29 rugby players with electromyography (EMG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies. 28 healthy volunteers were studied as a control group. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study was performed on players with abnormal findings at the TMS testing. RESULTS: No neurological anomalies were present in both groups. Significant slower central conduction times were recorded in the TMS studies of the left ulnar nerve, both right and left tibial nerves and, considering the F-wave evaluation, of the right ulnar nerve and the left tibial nerve of the rugby players (P<0.05). Some kind of alteration at TMS testing was present in a total of 16 players on 29 (55.2%). There were no abnormal result in the control group. EMG and MRI studies failed to identify frank signs of myelopathy or radiculopathy. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that TMS could be a promising diagnostic tool for the identification of myelopathy and/or radiculopathy that may not be necessarily evident at clinical and radiological evaluations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 262-269 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche |
| Volume | 175 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 1 2016 |
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Keywords
- Electromyography
- Football
- Radiculopathy
- Spinal cord diseases
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Abnormalities of transcranial magnetic stimulation in rugby players : A possible diagnostic tool for the identification of players at risk for symptomatic cervical myeloradiculopathy? / Gaetani, Paolo; Bongetta, Daniele; Dellacristina, Elisa; Montini, Alessandra; Arrigo, Andrea; Alfonsi, Enrico; De Icco, Roberto; Arpesella, Marisa; Moglia, Arrigo.
In: Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche, Vol. 175, No. 6, 01.06.2016, p. 262-269.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Abnormalities of transcranial magnetic stimulation in rugby players
T2 - A possible diagnostic tool for the identification of players at risk for symptomatic cervical myeloradiculopathy?
AU - Gaetani, Paolo
AU - Bongetta, Daniele
AU - Dellacristina, Elisa
AU - Montini, Alessandra
AU - Arrigo, Andrea
AU - Alfonsi, Enrico
AU - De Icco, Roberto
AU - Arpesella, Marisa
AU - Moglia, Arrigo
PY - 2016/6/1
Y1 - 2016/6/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Rugby is a contact team sport with a high risk of injury to the cervical spine. Different radiological imaging studies have been proposed for the screening of players most at risk of neurological sequelae. It is not rare, though, that a severe radiological spinal cord compression is accompanied by mild symptoms while a mild compression is often accompanied by severe neurological symptoms, hence the need for more accurate diagnostic tools. METHODS: We performed a neurological evaluation and examined 29 rugby players with electromyography (EMG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies. 28 healthy volunteers were studied as a control group. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study was performed on players with abnormal findings at the TMS testing. RESULTS: No neurological anomalies were present in both groups. Significant slower central conduction times were recorded in the TMS studies of the left ulnar nerve, both right and left tibial nerves and, considering the F-wave evaluation, of the right ulnar nerve and the left tibial nerve of the rugby players (P<0.05). Some kind of alteration at TMS testing was present in a total of 16 players on 29 (55.2%). There were no abnormal result in the control group. EMG and MRI studies failed to identify frank signs of myelopathy or radiculopathy. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that TMS could be a promising diagnostic tool for the identification of myelopathy and/or radiculopathy that may not be necessarily evident at clinical and radiological evaluations.
AB - BACKGROUND: Rugby is a contact team sport with a high risk of injury to the cervical spine. Different radiological imaging studies have been proposed for the screening of players most at risk of neurological sequelae. It is not rare, though, that a severe radiological spinal cord compression is accompanied by mild symptoms while a mild compression is often accompanied by severe neurological symptoms, hence the need for more accurate diagnostic tools. METHODS: We performed a neurological evaluation and examined 29 rugby players with electromyography (EMG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies. 28 healthy volunteers were studied as a control group. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study was performed on players with abnormal findings at the TMS testing. RESULTS: No neurological anomalies were present in both groups. Significant slower central conduction times were recorded in the TMS studies of the left ulnar nerve, both right and left tibial nerves and, considering the F-wave evaluation, of the right ulnar nerve and the left tibial nerve of the rugby players (P<0.05). Some kind of alteration at TMS testing was present in a total of 16 players on 29 (55.2%). There were no abnormal result in the control group. EMG and MRI studies failed to identify frank signs of myelopathy or radiculopathy. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that TMS could be a promising diagnostic tool for the identification of myelopathy and/or radiculopathy that may not be necessarily evident at clinical and radiological evaluations.
KW - Electromyography
KW - Football
KW - Radiculopathy
KW - Spinal cord diseases
KW - Transcranial magnetic stimulation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84989872002&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84989872002&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
VL - 175
SP - 262
EP - 269
JO - Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche
JF - Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche
SN - 0393-3660
IS - 6
ER -