Here are eight major athletes who have suffered spine injuries during their 2024 sports season:
1. New York Giants cornerback Tre Hawkins III suffered a fractured lumbar spine injury in a Dec. 8 game against the New Orleans Saints.
2. Cayden Lindstrom, a top prospect for the Columbus Blue Jackets, had a minimally invasive microdiscectomy in Los Angeles in November to address symptoms from an injury the 18-year-old suffered during the last NHL season.
3. Sheeraz Qureshi, MD, operated on professional golfer Tiger Woods' back at Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Fla. Mr. Woods underwent a successful microdecompression surgery in his lumbar spine for nerve impingement. This was Mr. Woods' sixth career back surgery.
4. Milwaukee Brewers player Christian Yelich underwent season-ending back surgery Aug. 16. Spine surgeon Brandon Rebholz, MD, of Milwaukee-based Medical College of Wisconsin, performed the procedure.
5. Andy Murray skipped the Wimbledon singles after having back surgery. He underwent back surgery to address a spinal cyst.
6. World Wrestling Entertainment star Braun Strowman underwent spinal fusion surgery for his C4 and C5 vertebrae at Birmingham, Ala.-based Andrews Sports Medicine in May. Mr. Strowman sustained a neck injury during a fight, which was later revealed to be spinal stenosis.
7. British Olympic diver Matty Lee had back surgery that kept him from the 2024 Paris Olympics. Mr. Lee had a lumbar discectomy to address chronic pain from a bulging disc.
8. Brooklyn Nets guard and forward Ben Simmons had a microscopic partial discectomy in March. Timur Urakov, MD, performed the surgery in consultation with Barth Green, MD, to alleviate a nerve impingement in his lower back.