While motor vehicle accidents are still the leading cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States, with recent high school students suffering from debilitating sport-related injuries, more national attention is now being given to the increased risk that sports also carries.

When looking at these recent injuries, both students were hockey players who ended up suffering from spinal cord injuries. One 16-year-old was checked from behind and fell into the boards. His spinal cord was severed, and he is never expected to walk again.

In the other case, an 18-year-old student now has no feeling in her legs. Her parents claim that she was checked into the boards too, but officials claim there was never any contact during the game.

Amir Vokshoor, who is a neurological spine surgeon, said teenagers have more of a risk of suffering from a spinal cord injury because their necks have not fully developed. This, coupled with the fact that sports have become even more competitive, puts young people at risk. These injuries can be as minor -- yet still very serious -- as losing feeling in an extremity, to very severe, like quadriplegia, which will most likely cost a family millions of dollars for necessary day-to-day care.

"Hockey is one of those sports where violence meets athleticism," he said about the sport.

Looking to the future, as more attention is given to the possible physical dangers of high school sports, some say that officials need a better understanding of the risks involved, and students need to learn how to play in a way to protect themselves and opposing players against life-altering injuries.

Source: Pioneer Press, "Spinal-cord injuries hit teen athletes hardest," Mary Jo Webster and Brian Murphy, Jan. 15, 2011