Review Question - QID 5784

A 27-year-old professional football player complains of acute onset neck and radiating left arm pain after making a tackle. For approximately 1 week after injury his left deltoid strength was 4/5. An MRI is performed, which demonstrates a C4-5 disc herniation without evidence of cord compression. He was treated with a brief course of oral steroids followed by aggressive physical therapy. At this time he is asymptomatic and his neurologic exam is normal. If the patient returns to professional football play, what is his increased risk of sustaining a catastrophic spinal cord injury?