Evaluation and treatment of common spine and trunk problems.

This article was written not with the intent of establishing a comprehensive list of all problems seen in the trunk and spine of athletes nor as a cookbook for the treatment of these problems. In addition to the simple muscular strains and contusions of the back the physician must be aware of the possibility of underlying spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, Scheuerman's kyphosis, and variants of Scheuerman's. In addition to these basic pain-related problems the team doctor should keep the possibility of spinal deformities such as scoliosis and silent kyphosis in mind and observe for those during team physicals. Finally, we note that there are several entities such as disc protrusion, infection, tumors, and fractures that are not frequently seen in athletes but must be considered in the workup of those patients who are refractory to the usual simple conservative treatment.