Spine Surgeon Shares Update on Lions LB Jack Campbell After Neck Injury
There is finally some encouraging news on Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell.
After a frightening neck injury in Sunday’s 19-15 win over the Minnesota Vikings that saw him placed on a stretcher and transported to a Detroit hospital, Campbell released his first statement on Wednesday.
“I’m incredibly encouraged by the progress I’ve made in such a short period of time. I have full movement in my lower body, and I’m continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body,” Campbell said. “I remain very optimistic.”
Now, a prominent spine physician has offered an encouraging perspective on what that update means.
Dr. Ari Berg, a spine surgeon at Hackensack Meridian Health, told the New York Post on Thursday that the movement in Campbell’s legs is “definitely encouraging,” though the specific severity remains unclear.
Berg explained that Campbell’s symptoms could be consistent with central cord syndrome, which occurs when hyperextension of the neck causes a contusion to the center of the spinal cord.
“At the very center of the spinal cord is where you have control of the arms. More toward the periphery, you have control of the legs,” Berg explained. “That’s why when you have this contusion of the center of the spinal cord, it’s more common that you see this weakness in the arms and the upper extremities more so than the legs.”
The good news, according to Berg, is that this would be an incomplete spinal cord injury, meaning the cord appears to be fully intact.
As for recovery, Berg said it’s too soon to set a timeline: “It could be weeks. It could be months. It could take longer than that. It’s just too soon to call. Again, encouraging that he’s already shown improvements and hopefully he continues on that upper trajectory.”
Campbell added in his statement: “One thing I’ve learned about Detroit is that this city is built on toughness, resilience, and grit. That’s exactly how I’m going to approach this challenge.”
The Lions (5-2) face the Dolphins (1-6) on Sunday as they continue to navigate linebacker depth issues, having just signed K.J. Britt and Joe Bachie.
