Catastrophic injuries can rarely occur in cheerleaders.
Catastrophic injury: any severe cerebral, spinal cord or spinal injury (and to other organs) occurred during sports participation.
Outcomes:
(1) death
(2) permanent disability
Risk factors:
(1) fall from height (pyramids, basket tosses, etc)
(2) collapse of a structure
(3) impalement
(4) other stunt
Sites of catastrophic injury:
(1) head: concussion (52%), cerebral edema, hematoma, skull fracture
(2) cervical spine (32%): cervical fracture, severe ligament injury, spinal cord injury
(3) other areas of the spine
(4) heart or lung, including commotio cordis and pneumothorax
(5) intra-abdominal organs (spleen, liver, other)
