Nick Collins preparing for comeback

[3irty1]

Here's a document exploring 15 cases of pro wrestlers and NFL players who got an anterior cervical disectomy and fusion (ACDF). http://w3.cns.org/dp/2012CNS/1207.pdf

Conclusions: A player can return to contact sports with a single fusion if there is a normal examination, full range of motion, and solid arthrodesis (aka a nice sturdy fusion). 4 had the injury in the same place as Nick Collins. 13 returned to play, 2 retired. Of the 13 that played, 1 quit due to discongenic pain in a disk adjacent to the fusion (a wrestler), 1 re-injured it and needed the operation again. The return to play duration was from 1 to 4 years. 14 had spinal stenosis.

[Bossman641]

Have there been any other players with a 3-4 fusion who have returned to the league?

I'd hate to be a doctor who cleared a player or a GM who signed a player with a high vertebrate fusion who leaves the field never to walk again (or worse) because the fusion reduced the players ability to safely take a hit.

There have been a few.

Keion Carpenter played 3 seasons at safety after fusion.

SF center Chris Dalman had surgery while still in college.

There was a Raven LB (*EDIT* Jameel McClain) who came back this year but I can't remember his name.

[Patler]

Wha!!!!

What happened to "Collins was a corporate asset...an executive's duty is to preserve and enhance corporate assets?"

His asset value was zero. No one would give anything for him. It's really pretty simple if you actually think about it instead of just trying to be disagreeable.

[Patler]

the packers being unwilling to clear players who have had the neck fusion comes from their reliance on the advice of one doctor in LA who says he won't clear anybody to play if the c-3 or higher is involved

however, there are many other doctors, including the guy who did finley's fusion that said its perfectly safe to return to playing after the c3-c4 fusion

so it comes down to he said vs he said

The why did no other team come looking for Collins? It doesn't seem it was just the Packers.

[call_me_ishmael]

It is an interesting idea that more healing and a stronger bone formed in the past 2-3 years. I'd be interested in having him examined by the Packers doctors, certainly.

What was Jarvis Jones' injury? I believe he had a similar fusion or something.

[3irty1]

Jones came into the league with stenosis for sure but no injury that ever required surgery. What sidelined him at USC was a stinger and a cautious medical staff.

[bobblehead]

we need nick collins

leroy butler spilled the beans about a month ago that nick was in shape and wanted to come back

i think the packers need to do some more reserch and take a look at the risks of collins playing vs a healthy guy like finley (at the time of his neck injury)

neck injuries can happen to any player at any time

If he is cleared to play and is going to play somewhere anyway, I see no moral problem with the packers putting him on the field. Ultimately the choice is his.

[bobblehead]

I'm not sure what about his condition could have improved so that GB (or any team) would clear him to play now when they did not before.

I am neither agreeing or disagreeing, but Peyton took about 18 months to heal after his fusion. I also do not know which vertebrae Manning had fused.

[mraynrand]

Wha!!!!

What happened to "Collins was a corporate asset...an executive's duty is to preserve and enhance corporate assets?"

Yes. Yes. He would be a great asset. Can he be signed?

[Jimx29]

so it is the same as the finley injury, same area anyways

but with titanium plates and all, wouldn't his neck now be much stronger?

I had C4/C5 discectomy back in 2007 and was told that in an average recovery from a C4/C5 discectomy, one can expect that under normal instances that at the 10-12 year post-op that you could expect to have either the next upper or lower disc also removed and fused.
I can kinda understand how Manning could play after it since the QB is very seldom hit really hard, but as a safety or anywhere in the secondary the chance for a hard hit is greatly increased, and i don't know how any doctor would clear him knowing where he'd play.

This is how it looks:

[pbmax]

I am neither agreeing or disagreeing, but Peyton took about 18 months to heal after his fusion. I also do not know which vertebrae Manning had fused.

He had three surgeries in 18/19 months. His last was in Sept 2011 and he played the following year.

[pbmax]

I had C4/C5 discectomy back in 2007 and was told that in an average recovery from a C4/C5 discectomy, one can expect that under normal instances that at the 10-12 year post-op that you could expect to have either the next upper or lower disc also removed and fused.
I can kinda understand how Manning could play after it since the QB is very seldom hit really hard, but as a safety or anywhere in the secondary the chance for a hard hit is greatly increased, and i don't know how any doctor would clear him knowing where he'd play.

This is how it looks:
[]

Wow. Suggest next time they use smaller screws.

I can now understand why Dr. Leonard McCoy was always so up in arms about 20th century medical procedures. That looks like something I constructed.

[red]

If he is cleared to play and is going to play somewhere anyway, I see no moral problem with the packers putting him on the field. Ultimately the choice is his.

if the guy is gonna play no matter what, would people rather have him playing for us or someone else, like maybe the bears

if he is playing for the bears, and he takes a massive hit and he never walks again, are we really going to be sitting here saying "whew, at least he wasn't playing for the packers when it happened"?

[red]

I am neither agreeing or disagreeing, but Peyton took about 18 months to heal after his fusion. I also do not know which vertebrae Manning had fused.

its amazing how hard it is to find out what player had what vertebrae fused. the time i can find c3 or c4 or c2 mentioned is with packer players. its almost like the packers are the only ones that care where it is in the neck, every other team and player just cares about it being "neck vertebrae fusion", it seems like for everyone else, the neck is the neck

[Guiness]

I had C4/C5 discectomy back in 2007

All I can say it sweet mother....