Though Cornellians won’t be seeing any recent graduates on the field in Arlington, TX today, the University has reserved a position to play an integral part in next year’s big game. Cornell received a $100k grant from the NFL to research artificial spinal discs, WNYC News reported on Friday. The NFL hopes that the research will create a new generation of replacement disks that are capable of sustaining the heavy blows and impacts that football players receive every Sunday.
Dr. Roger Hartl, a neurosurgeon at Weill Cornell Medical Center and a team physician for the New York Giants, is concerned by the fact that no such device is currently available. “Artificial discs that are on the market and that we’re using on regular patients right now – these discs are not being used in professional athletes because of concerns they may not be as stable, especially during high-velocity impacts,” he told WNYC News.
Spine problems of course, aren’t just limited to linebackers and wide receivers – nearly 11,000 Americans suffer from new spine injuries every year. While 6% of those are sports-related, the majority are a result of vehicular accidents and violence.
