No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Recreational mountain biking injuries
Abstract
Mountain biking is increasing in popularity worldwide. The injury patterns associated with elite level and competitive mountain biking are known. This study analysed the incidence, spectrum and risk factors for injuries sustained during recreational mountain biking.
The injury rate was 1.54 injuries per 1000 biker exposures. Men were more commonly injured than women, with those aged 30–39 years at highest risk. The commonest types of injury were wounding, skeletal fracture and musculoskeletal soft tissue injury. Joint dislocations occurred more commonly in older mountain bikers. The limbs were more commonly injured than the axial skeleton. The highest hospital admission rates were observed with head, neck and torso injuries. Protective body armour, clip-in pedals and the use of a full-suspension bicycle may confer a protective effect.
... The borderline ages were 8 years 14 and 66 years, 44 Between all types of orofacial injuries, dental trauma was the most popular and was reported in all studies' results. [44][45][46][47] In addition, only one study presented data about facial fractures. 46 Among the included studies, mountain bike riders were investigated by Aitken et al. 44 and Müller et al. 47 The first studied the prev- Table 1. ...
... Four of the included studies were judged to have a moderate risk of bias, 14,[44][45][46] while one had a low risk of bias. 47 The checklist questions about the representativeness of the sample and the sampling process (1 and 2, respectively) were determined to be high risk of bias as all studies were composed by convenience samples. ...
... 53 In addition, compared with sports in which the use of protective equipment such as mouthguards is mandatory during games and practice, it is easy to notice that the use of this type of protection is imperative for the reduction of the rates of orofacial injuries among all sports. 49 The orofacial injuries in the included studies of this SR 14,[44][45][46][47] were classified as general orodental injuries, 14 dental injuries, 44,45 and specific dental trauma types, such as crown fractures, avulsion and luxations, 14,46,47 and maxillary fractures. 44 This act of grouping orofacial F I G U R E 3 Meta-analysis' graph for lifetime prevalence of orofacial injuries in sports with non-motorized wheeled vehicles F I G U R E 4 Meta-analysis' graphs for the sub-group dental trauma prevalence of orofacial injuries in sports with non-motorized wheeled vehicles injuries in small sub-groups is a problem that occurs due to padronization of the term "orofacial injury," as this term is defined differently in the literature by many authors. ...
Background/aims:
As the popularity of sports activities grows, so do the number of sport-related injuries. Furthermore, sports that use equipment or vehicles that modify the speed of the player can present more serious injuries. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the overall prevalence of orofacial trauma in wheeled non-motor sports athletes.
Methods:
The search strategy was applied in eight electronic databases (Embase, LILACS, Livivo, PEDro, PubMed, Scopus, SportDiscus, and Web of Science). Additionally, a complementary search of the gray literature (Google Scholar, OpenGrey, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global), reference lists of included articles, and studies indicated by experts on the subject was done. The included articles were observational studies with sufficient data of orofacial trauma (type and anatomical site) in wheeled non-motor sport athletes, regardless of the competition level. Risk of bias was assessed by using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. The meta-analysis was performed using R Statistics software, and the strength of cumulative evidence was assessed by The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation.
Results:
From 4042 identified studies, after the removal of duplicates and phase one of selection (title and abstracts screening), 251 studies remained for phase two (full-text screening). Five articles were finally included. One study was considered to have a low risk of bias and four had a moderate risk of bias. The cumulative prevalence of orofacial injuries in wheeled non-motor sport athletes was 21.7% (CI: 8.7-34.7; I2 :97.6%) and the prevalence of dental injuries in these sports was 7.5% (CI:4.3-10.7; I2 :61.9%). The certainty in cumulative evidence was considered to be very low.
Conclusion:
About 22% of the wheeled non-motor sport athletes have suffered orofacial injuries. The most prevalent type of injury was classified as dental trauma.
... Kronisch et al. suggested that the risk of injury is greater for women than men in off-road bicycle racing [1]. Fractures in cyclists from recreation or sports were found to be common in the upper part of the body, and the most common location was the clavicle [1][2][3][4]. Others reported injuries of cyclists who were not designated to a specific purpose, such as sports or recreation. ...
... Previous reports showed that cyclists' fractures were common in the upper part of the body, such as the upper extremities or clavicle [1][2][3][4][5]. In our study, clavicle fractures were also common (9% of the CF compared with 5% of NCF). ...
... One study on the fractures of young cyclists for general use (from 1 to 58 years of age (mean 14.5 years)) showed a similar result: 22% claviclar, 32% radial and/or ulnar, 13% phalangeal, 11% humeral fractures [5]. And also in other reports of cyclists' fractures in sports or recreation, the clavicle and upper extremities were common locations [1][2][3][4]. Aitken et al. reported that there were only 6% lower limb fractures in recreational mountain bike riders but 36% of all the injuries occurred in the lower limbs [3]. This means that less severe injuries other than fractures occur much more frequently in the lower limbs. ...
Cyclists’ fractures were as common in the elderly as in the young. In cyclists’ fractures in the elderly, the ratio of women and the frequency of upper extremity fractures were significantly lower, compared with the young group.
Purpose
Bicycles are useful for both men and women of any age as a means of transportation. In the present aging society, it is common for elderly people to ride bicycles in their daily lives. There have been no reports describing the characteristics of elderly cyclists’ fractures. We conducted this study to elucidate these characteristics.
Methods
Data of cyclists’ fractures, excluding head or facial injuries, treated in an urban hospital were retrospectively collected. We documented the mechanism of injury, gender, age, and location of each fracture. We compared the gender, age, and location between cyclists’ fractures and non-cyclists’ fractures treated in the same period in the same hospital.
Results
Fifty percent of cyclists’ fractures occurred in cyclists over 60 years old (23% in their 60s, 19% in their 70s, and 7% in their 80s). The proportion of women was significantly higher among cyclists’ fractures than among non-cyclists’ fractures in patients under 60 years old (p = 0.0001), but was significantly lower in patients over 60 years old (p = 0.002). We found a significant relationship between the fracture location of three categories (upper extremities, lower extremities, and trunk) and CF/NCF (p = 0.04). The proportion of upper extremity fractures in cyclists compared with non-cyclists was similar under 60 years, but significantly lower in patients over 60 years (p = 0.049).
Conclusions
Our study showed that cyclists’ fractures were not uncommon in the elderly. In the elderly group, the ratio of women and the frequency of upper extremity fractures were significantly lower, compared with the young group.
... Few studies report injury rates for MTB participants. Among recreational mountain bikers, ages 10-58 years, one study reported a rate of 1.54 injuries per 1000 biker exposures incurred at the Glentress MTB Center in Scotland (Aitken, Biant, & Court-Brown, 2011). Nelson and McKenzie (2011) reported an annual overall rate of 6.2 per 100,000 US population, including competitive and recreational mountain bikers ages 8-97 years. ...
... Notably, in a study which involved a majority of children and adolescents, HNF injuries were more frequent (22.1%) than LE (14.6%) injuries (Romanow et al., 2014). Several studies indicate that injured mountain bikers often present with injuries at more than one site (Aitken et al., 2011;Ashwell et al., 2012;Romanow et al., 2014) which is not surprising given the speed and terrain factors. Some research suggests variation in distribution of injury anatomical location by age and gender. ...
... and laceration (5.9-17.7%) (Aitken et al., 2011;Becker et al., 2013;Kronisch et al., 1996b;Kronisch & Rubin, 1994). However, concussions were also common in these studies, ranging from 5-14.4% of all injuries. ...
Mountain-biking has become a popular competitive and recreational activity but also involves risk of injury. This article provides an overview of what is known about the scope of the injury problem affecting children and adolescent mountain bikers, the risk factors involved and injury prevention strategies. The proportion of injured child and adolescent mountain bikers ranges from 10.6% to 64.0%, but few studies provide separate analysis of youth injuries. Upper extremity injuries appear most common except among adolescents where the risk of head injury and traumatic brain injuries are greater. Concern is raised regarding the reported frequency of spine fractures and spinal cord injuries. Multi-faceted, longitudinal injury research focusing on youth mountain bikers is required to provide a reliable basis for testing risk factors and evaluating preventive measures. Reducing mountain biking-related injuries will require multiple strategies that integrate approaches from education, engineering, and evidence-based safety measures and their enforcement.
... With the rising popularity of the sport, an increasing number of enthusiasts are involved in exploring new, exciting but treacherous terrain. [1][2][3][4][5] We aimed to review the incidence and produce a breakdown of orthopaedic injuries related to this sport at a regional district general hospital in North of England, that serves a population of 550 000. This enabled us to report in greater detail on patients sustaining complex injuries of the shoulder girdle, involving disruption to the four-bar linkage consisting of disruption of the bony-soft tissue ring of structures namely, clavicle, coracoclavicular ligaments and coracoid linkage ( figure 1A). ...
... The age group most likely to be injured is 30-39 years. 2 We found that complex injuries to the Clavicle 7 7 5 10 29 Scapula 0 1 2 2 5 Humerus 2 0 2 1 5 Radial head 2 0 3 6 11 Distal radius 1 3 4 6 14 Ulna 0 2 3 1 6 Metacarpals 1 2 2 7 12 Phalanges 2 1 3 4 10 Subtotal 15 16 24 37 shoulder girdle involving disruption of the four-bar linkage were more common in older cyclists. ...
... Other papers suggest that the best way to reduce injury is to use proper equipment, wear a helmet and only ride within your skill level. [1][2][3][4] Riders are quick to adopt safety measures. Helmet usage is now increasingly common and handlebar adaptations have been discontinued. ...
Background Mountain and road bike accidents are particularly common with the increased popularity of the sport. We reviewed the attendances in our emergency department over a 4-year period looking at cycling injuries to detect the level and grade of these injuries and their outcomes.
Method Royal Blackburn Hospital caters for a population of 550 000. A search through the Hospital information system revealed 104 patients with fractures following mountain bike injuries. These were looked at in more detail. We present a series of 5 severe shoulder girdle injuries following mountain bike accidents in this cohort, to highlight the serious level of injury sustained in this sport. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE databases over the past 10 years using the keywords, mountain, biking and fracture. This yielded 7 papers. We compared our series with the literature.
Results 104 fractures following mountain bike accidents between 2008 and 2011. Fractures of the upper limb were the most common (88.5%) with the clavicle being the most commonly fractured bone (28.8%).
Conclusions Major scapular injuries with destruction or disruption of the four bar linkage of the shoulder girdle are very common following mountain accidents. Clavicular fractures are the commonest upper limb injury. It is easy to miss a disruption to the four-bar linkage associated with a clavicular injury. This paper highlights the severity of the injuries sustained in mountain bike accidents of the upper limb and requirement of adequate protection in this exhilarating sport.
... A recent insurance study in Tasmania showed that 20.7% of claims after road traffic accidents were for fractures these being the commonest types of injury leading to a claim [4]. A recent study of injuries in top-level cyclists showed that 90.5% of fractures were upper limb fractures [5] and it is accepted that clavicular fractures commonly occur as a result of cycling accidents [5,6,7]. The prevalence of spinal fractures has also been documented [8]. ...
... This has been previously reported [13][14][15] but we believe that the extent of the problem has not been appreciated. [5][6][7] and Aitken et al. [7] have previously reported that 26% of fractures associated with mountain biking were clavicle fractures. Analysis of the overall distribution of clavicle fractures in the study year showed that only 2.7% were in the medial third of the clavicle with 48.6% being in the middle third and 48.6% in the lateral third. ...
... This has been previously reported [13][14][15] but we believe that the extent of the problem has not been appreciated. [5][6][7] and Aitken et al. [7] have previously reported that 26% of fractures associated with mountain biking were clavicle fractures. Analysis of the overall distribution of clavicle fractures in the study year showed that only 2.7% were in the medial third of the clavicle with 48.6% being in the middle third and 48.6% in the lateral third. ...
Objective: To Understand the Epidemiology of Cycling Fractures. Cycling injuries are increasing in incidence but there is, as yet, very little information about which fractures are associated with cycling.
Methods: We have undertaken a prospective study of cycling fractures in adults over a one-year period in 2010- 11. All in-patient and out-patient fractures in patients aged ≥ 16 years were examined.
Results: The results show that 3.6% of all fractures are caused by cycling and that the highest incidence in males is between 30-39 years of age with the highest incidence in females being between 50-59 years. The highest incidence in all types of cycling is in young males following road traffic accidents. Overall 86.5% of the fractures were in the upper limb and 29.3% were around the shoulder with clavicular fractures being the most common cycling fracture. The commonest lower limb fracture was the proximal femoral fracture, this usually being considered to be an osteoporotic fracture. We believe that this fracture occurs in cycling because of the use of shoes that are fixed to the pedals. There were very few foot fractures associated with cycling.
Conclusions: Cycling is a common cause of fractures. It is the commonest cause of fracture after road traffic accidents and the third commonest cause of fracture after sports injury. Our results demonstrate the importance of protective clothing and cycle paths.
... While it is possible that the survey attracted an unrepresentative group of safe and conscientious riders, the demographics of the contributors reflects other papers (Aitken et al 2011, Gaulrapp et al 2001. ...
... While mountain biking can be the cause of some serious injuries, the results from this survey show that the majority (approximately 80%) of casual rides are accident free for all participants. This is an important perspective from papers that use hospital admissions to analyse mountain bike injuries (Aitken et al 2011;Dodwell et al 2010;Gassner et al 1999;Nelson and McKenzie 2010). Reporting only the most serious of injuries can introduce bias when considering the total risk of injuries to a participant. ...
... Solo riding is seen popularly as being more risky as the consequences are higher; should the rider have an accident, no one is around to help. However solo riding has the lowest accident per person and accident per group ratio, the cause of which may be similar to the risk compensatory effect found in Aitken et al (2011) and Rodgers (1996); solo riders ride with more care because they are alone. One of the contributors even went solo downhilling multiple times indicating that they, at least, were comfortable with the risks. ...
Mountain biking is generally perceived to be a risky undertaking with the disciplines of downhill and dirt jumping perceived as the most risky. There are many studies that examine various mountain bike injuries and their causes. However many of these use hospital admissions data with little relation to the numbers of people engaged in the sport. Other studies use cross-sectional surveys where respondents are invited to tally their accidents in the past year (or other time frame). This method would put emphasis on the most memorable of crashes. Very few studies of injury rates have been performed in Australia. This longitudinal survey tracks 30 riders from around Australia from all mountain bike disciplines (fire trail, cross country, freeride, downhill, dirt jumping and pump track) over six months. Every accident or incident, regardless of how minor, during a ride was recorded. These accidents were then categorised by severity and the various mountain bike disciplines compared. This study is to assist land managers to gauge the risks associated with various mountain bike facilities and to help trail advocates with their submissions.
... The lower end of the estimates are comparable to the injury rate in downhill skiing and snowboarding of approximately 2 -6 injuries per 1000 activity days (13). Serious injuries, defined as being limb or life threatening, occur at a rate of 2.5 per thousand hours of downhill riding, compared to 10 "catastrophic injuries" per million skier days at ski resorts, but direct comparison is impossible due to inadequate application of injury severity definitions (2,3,19). Since mountain bike parks are reluctant to share their injury and ticket sales date, investigators have used surveys to calculate injury rates. ...
... Helmets are almost always worn by mountain bikers (88% of riders report consistent helmet use) and have been shown to be effective (28% and 39% reduction in facial and head injuries, respectively) (18,16). Multiple studies have shown that concussions and more severe head injuries are common in mountain biking, ranging from 5% to almost 15% of all injuries (19,14). Of the cyclists with facial injuries, over half had facial bone fractures and 5 -10% suffered tooth damage or loss. ...
... Both sports showed a preponderance for upper limb injuries, with cycling recording 3 finger phalanx fractures and 3 forearm fractures (out of a total of 6 fractures) and mountain biking recording 2 forearm fractures. This pattern of injury reflects the findings of Aitken et al [12] , who reported that upper limbs fractures occurred 10 times more commonly than lower limb fractures during mountain biking. To note, mountain biking is increasing in popularity, and with our trauma centre being located close to Scotland's largest mountain biking centre (Glentress), one may expect to detect a significant incidence of injuries from this sport. ...
... To note, mountain biking is increasing in popularity, and with our trauma centre being located close to Scotland's largest mountain biking centre (Glentress), one may expect to detect a significant incidence of injuries from this sport. However, Aitken et al [12] , in their comprehensive study on recreational mountain biking injuries 2011, noted a trend away from serious injury in this sport, as a result of the use of personal protective equipment. This likely accounts for the low incidence observed in our study period. ...
AIM
To describe the epidemiology of sport-related open fractures from one centre’s adult patient population over a 15-year period.
METHODS
A retrospective review of a prospectively-collected database was performed: The database contained information all sport-related open fractures, sustained from 1995 to 2009 in the Edinburgh, Mid and East Lothian Populations.
RESULTS
Over the 15-year period, there were 85 fractures recorded in 84 patients. The annual incidence of open sport-related fractures was 0.01 per 1000 population. The mean age at injury was 29.2 years (range 15-67). There were 70 (83%) males and 14 females (17%). The 6 most common sports were soccer (n = 19, 22%), rugby (n = 9, 11%), cycling (n = 8, 9%), hockey (n = 8, 9%); horse riding (n = 6, 7%) and skiing (n = 6, 7%). The five most common anatomical locations were finger phalanges (n = 30, 35%); tibial diaphysis (n = 19, 23%); forearm (n = 12, 14%); ankle (n = 7, 8%) and metacarpals (n = 5, 6%). The mean injury severity score was 7.02. According to the Gustilo-Anderson classification system, 45 (53%) fractures were grade 1; 28 (33%) fractures were grade 2; 8 (9%) fractures were grade 3a; and 4 (5%) fractures were grade 3b. Out of the total number of fractures, 7 (8%) required plastic surgical intervention as part of management. The types of flaps used were split skin graft (n = 4), fasciocutaneous flaps (n = 2); and adipofascial flap (n = 1).
CONCLUSION
We analysed the epidemiology of open fractures secondary to sport in one centre over a 15-year period. Soccer and rugby were the most common causative sports while fractures of the finger phalanx and of the tibial diaphysis were the most common sites. Open fractures are uncommon in sport; however, when they are sustained they usually occur on muddy sport fields or forest tracks and therefore must be treated appropriately. It is important that clinicians and sports therapists have knowledge of these injuries, in order to ensure they are managed optimally.
... 80% der Verletzungen sind leichter Natur in Form von Schürfwunden und Prellungen, meist an den Extremitäten, besonders den Händen; rund 10% aller Verletzungen erfordern eine stationäre Behandlung. Insgesamt sind mehr Männer als Frauen betro en, am stärksten die Altersgruppe der 30-bis 39-Jährigen [1][2][3]. ...
... Verlauf besserte sich lediglich bei einem Drittel der Betro enen die Querschnittsymptomatik um einen ASIA-Grad. Eine entsprechende Schutzausrüstung, Clip-in-Pedale und die Benutzung vollständig gefederter Mountainbikes haben einen protektiven E ekt[1]. Daraus resultiert ein hohes Risiko für handgelenknahe Frakturen und Schulterverletzungen, jedoch auch für Läsionen der Wirbelsäule.Hauptrisikogruppe für Verletzungen bei Snowboardern sind Männer im Alter um 23 Jahre, während das durchschnittliche Alter von verunfallten Skifahrern mit rund 39 Jahren deutlich höher liegt. ...
Wesentliche Merkmale von Trendsportarten sind neben einer häufig assoziierten kulturellen Ausdrucksform, etwa durch spezielle Kleidung oder ein eigenes Vokabular, das hohe Tempo, in dem sie ausgeführt werden. Die zunehmende Popularität dieser schnellen Sportarten geht mit einem Anstieg spezifischer Verletzungen einher.
... The predominance of male (83%) mountain bikers in the three parks is similar to other studies that also found that mountain bike riding is far more popular among men than women (Aitken & Biant, 2011;Carothers et al., 2001;Chiu & Kriwoken, 2003;Getz & McConnell, 2014;Hardiman & Burgin, 2013;Horn, 1994;Mann & Absher, 2008;Moran et al., 2006;Morey et al., 2002;Needham et al., 2005;Skår et al., 2008;Wolf et al., 2015). This contrasts with sex ratios for some other popular recreational activities such as hiking where there are often equal numbers of men and women or the majority of hikers are women (Carothers et al., 2001;Chiu & Kriwoken, 2003;Mann & Absher, 2008;Needham et al., 2005) including for the same parks surveyed here (Rossi, 2015). ...
... The wide multipleuse type of trails we surveyed during high use periods may be preferred by cross-country bikers rather than downhill or free riding bikers, styles of riding that are often dominated by young men with a preference for adrenaline charged forms of riding (Hardiman & Burgin, 2013;Newsome & Davies, 2009). Some other studies of urban and peri-urban parks and mountain bike centres have found that the demographics of riders can reflect a more even spread of ages and levels of experience with beginners through to expert riders (Aitken & Biant, 2011;Chiu & Kriwoken, 2003;Wolf et al., 2015). ...
Mountain biking is a popular recreational activity including in protected areas close to cities. Although there has been increased research focus on this topic including mountain bikers’ characteristics such as who, when and where they ride, few studies have assessed why they visit peri-urban parks and their environmental values and perceptions about different recreation activities. We address these issues by surveying mountain bikers in three popular peri-urban national parks in Queensland, Australia. The riders were relatively homogeneous in socio-demographic factors, values and perceptions. They were mainly university educated males aged between 25 and 55 years, motivated by the desire for exercise, who engage in recreational activities and frequently visit the parks. Based on responses to a set of standardized questions relating to environmental values, nearly all riders would be characterized as having ecocentric values, particularly those who frequently visit the parks. They tended to have strongly positive perceptions about the three most popular activities during the survey, i.e. mountain biking (44%), hiking (14%) and running (8%). Overall, they had slightly positive perceptions about other activities such as picnicking, horse riding and dog walking that were uncommon during the survey, but where many riders had interacted with these park users on previous visits. As a result, bikers demonstrate limited interpersonal or social value conflict with a range of recreation activities. Expanding the survey to also (1) assess a wider range of activities such as trail bike riding and four-wheel driving, (2) asking other user groups about their values and perceptions, and (3) assess other locations and times may identify different social acceptability thresholds among park visitors.
... Mountain biking commonly involves high speeds on narrow and technically difficult trails with a loose or muddy surface (Jeys et al., 2001). Injuries on mountain bike trails have been observed across the full range of trail gradings (from green (easy) to black (severe)) although the majority of these were noted to have occurred in a freeride park, which commonly contains numerous jumps and technical hazards (Aitken and Biant, 2011). Protective body armour, clip-in pedals and the use of a fullsuspension mountain bike have been suggested to offer protection in these events (Jeys et al., 2001;Aitken and Biant, 2011), although further research is required to understand specific crash characteristics that may inform targeted injury prevention methods in this subgroup. ...
... Injuries on mountain bike trails have been observed across the full range of trail gradings (from green (easy) to black (severe)) although the majority of these were noted to have occurred in a freeride park, which commonly contains numerous jumps and technical hazards (Aitken and Biant, 2011). Protective body armour, clip-in pedals and the use of a fullsuspension mountain bike have been suggested to offer protection in these events (Jeys et al., 2001;Aitken and Biant, 2011), although further research is required to understand specific crash characteristics that may inform targeted injury prevention methods in this subgroup. ...
The aim of this study was to describe the crash characteristics and patient outcomes of a sample of patients admitted to hospital following bicycle crashes. Injured cyclists were recruited from the two major trauma services for the state of Victoria, Australia. Enrolled cyclists completed a structured interview, and injury details and patient outcomes were extracted from the Victorian State Trauma Registry (VSTR) and the Victorian Orthopaedic Trauma Outcomes Registry (VOTOR). 186 cyclists consented to participate in the study. Crashes commonly occurred during daylight hours and in clear weather conditions. Two-thirds of crashes occurred on-road (69%) and were a combination of single cyclist-only events (56%) and multi-vehicle crashes (44%). Of the multi-vehicle crashes, a motor vehicle was the most common impact partner (72%) and distinct pre-crash directional interactions were observed between the cyclist and motor vehicle. Nearly a quarter of on-road crashes occurred when the cyclist was in a marked bicycle lane. Of the 31% of crashes that were not on-road, 28 (15%) occurred on bicycle paths and 29 (16%) occurred in other locations. Crashes on bicycle paths commonly occurred on shared bicycle and pedestrian paths (83%) and did not involve another person or vehicle. Other crash locations included mountain bike trails (39%), BMX parks (21%) and footpaths (18%). While differences in impact partners and crash characteristics were observed between crashes occurring on-road, on bicycle paths and in other locations, injury patterns and severity were similar. Most cyclists had returned to work at 6 months post-injury, however only a third of participants reported a complete functional recovery. Further research is required to develop targeted countermeasures to address the risk factors identified in this study.
... The injury rate observed was 1.6 per 1000 h of exposure, which is similar to the reported injury rate of 1.5 injuries per 1000 h in mountainbike. [16] It appears that mountain activity (injury rate of 0.005 to 0.013 injuries per 1000 h) [17], or nordic walking (0.9 injuries per 1000 h) [18], are less dangerous. These comparisons, however, are limited due to different study design and injury definition. ...
Introduction: Mountain running races have grown in popularity in the recent years. Nonetheless, there are few studies on injuries and injury rates. Moreover, these studies have focused on long-distance events such as ultramarathons (>42 km). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the severity, type, and body location of musculoskeletal injuries during 20–42 km mountain running races. In addition, the injury rates in this type of races were examined.
Methods: Data on injuries were collected during 36 mountain running races over 5 consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2019. The participants reported all musculoskeletal injuries on a standardized injury report form. The results were presented as the number of injuries per 1000 h exposure and per 1000 participants.
Results: Twenty eight injuries were reported. Most injuries occurred in the ankle (32%) followed by the knee (14%) and foot/toe (11%). The number of injuries represented an overall injury rate of 1.6 injuries per 1000 h running and 5.9 injuries per 1000 runners. The case fatality rate was 0.
Conclusions: The incidence of musculoskeletal injuries during 20–42 km mountain running races is low. In addition, the majority of injuries experienced by runners are minor in nature and located in lower extremities, mainly the ankles.
... The injury rate differs, depending on whether the purpose is competitive or recreational, as well as the type of activity and geographic location. For example, Aitken et al. [8] found that, among recreational MTB in Scotland, the injury rate was 1.54 injuries per 100 bikers. For downhill mountain bikers the overall injury rate was 16.8 injuries/1000 hours of exposure [9]. ...
Few previous studies have examined acute injuries in competitive cycling or training as compared to other sports. By using nationwide insurance data including all injured cyclist registered in the Swedish Cycling Federation and all reported injuries during exercise race in Sweden, the objective was to examine acute injuries during competitive cycling or training for different types of cyclists. The injury incidence and injuries leading to permanent medical impairment were examined. All cyclists that were injured during 2008-2017 were included (n=1937). Among the 2666 licensed cyclists the incidence of cyclists injured during training or competition was 44 per 1000 licensed cyclists per year. Focusing on participants in exercise races, the incidence was annually 1.5 injured cyclists per 1000 participants per year. The most commonly injured body region was the upper extremity (41%), followed by head and neck (18%). In total 9.4% of all injured cyclists sustained a permanent medical impairment. Given an injury, non-licensed participants in exercise races were slightly older, and the proportion of females were higher (30% vs. 16%), than among licensed cyclists. The injury incidence among the cyclists was high, and to maintain a healthy and physically active population it is important to make efforts to prevent injuries.
... Although it has established cardiovascular beneficial effects, bicycle riding is also a well-known cause of urologic disorders in adulthood (including nerve entrapment syndromes, erectile dysfunction, urethritis, prostatitis, hematuria, and spermatic cord torsion), [10][11][12] among which high-flow priapism is included. 10-14 Priapism is a rare but possible clinical condition in children; clinical work-up can be extremely arduous when the most frequent causes are excluded in this age group. ...
Bicycle riding has multiple beneficial cardiovascular effects; however, it is a well-documented source of significant urologic injuries. Priapism is a rare condition in children, and occurs primarily because of congenital hematologic diseases or adverse drug reactions. A pediatric clinical case and literature review of a high-flow priapism secondary to cycling trauma is described here to highlight their etiopathologic correlation. Bicycle riding trauma is a rare but possible cause of high-flow priapism in children, and a high index of suspicion should ensure appropriate management.
... The observed variety of severity and patterns of injury in different studies are likely due to different injury definition and methodology (1,2,5,10,25,36,38,45,55,60). Because seeking the new challenges and riding the ''gnarlier'' terrains are part of the sport, the injury patterns might be changing over time. ...
With the increasing popularity of mountain biking, also known as off-road cycling, and the riders pushing the sport into extremes, there has been a corresponding increase in injury. Almost two thirds of acute injuries involve the upper extremities, and a similar proportion of overuse injuries affect the lower extremities. Mountain biking appears to be a high-risk sport for severe spine injuries. New trends of injury patterns are observed with popularity of mountain bike trail parks and freeride cycling. Using protective gear, improving technical proficiency, and physical fitness may somewhat decrease the risk of injuries. Simple modifications in bicycle-rider interface areas and with the bicycle (bike fit) also may decrease some overuse injuries. Bike fit provides the clinician with postural correction during the sport. In this review, we also discuss the importance of race-day management strategies and monitoring the injury trends.
... Although there is some well-documented literature on mountain biking traumatology [2,3,10], most previous reports are retrospective reviews of injuries incurred in both competitive [12] and recreational participants [14]. Only recently has the issue been investigated prospectively [1]. The purpose of this investigation was to prospectively collect data on the hand and wrist injuries incurred in recreational mountain bikers. ...
Background
Recreational mountain biking continues to increase in popularity and is a significant source of traumatic injury, including injuries to the hand and wrist.
Methods
A prospective survey of all hand and wrist injuries sustained while participating in recreational mountain biking presenting to the emergency department at the Municipality of Whistler and the District of Squamish was conducted over a 12-month consecutive period.
Results
An analysis of 765 unique emergency department visits with 1,079 distinct injuries was performed. Of these injuries, 511 were sustained to the upper limb. Injury to the metacarpal and metacarpal phalangeal joints was the most common hand injury (52) followed by proximal phalanx and proximal interphalangeal joint (20).
Conclusions
Mountain biking is a frequent source of a variety of upper limb trauma, and preventative efforts are necessary to minimize the burden of these injuries.
... The most recent study of mountain biking and helmets was identified through a PubMed search. 12 In that observational study, only 1 of the injured cyclists was not wearing a helmet. The authors remark that the high level of helmet use by mountain bike enthusiasts demonstrates the utility of protective equipment. ...
... Where spinal injury occurs, the mechanism is usually a forward fall over the handlebars (7), and usually while moving downhill (8). Overall, males are more commonly injured than females (1,10). Carmont observes however that the most serious injuries are more common in women, since females tend to be lighter than males, and thus more easily thrown over the handlebars (4). ...
Although the vast majority of injuries suffered while cycling are minor, acute spinal injuries have been reported. We describe three cases of acute spinal injury occurring while cycling. All three patients reported being thrown over the handlebars, while travelling downhill at speed. Two of the cases resulted in profound neurological deficit. These cases show that there is a spectrum of spinal injury due to bicycle accidents, ranging from no neurological deficit to profound insult, and from high cervical injury to mid-thoracic spinal injury. In cases of bicycle accidents, increased awareness of the possibility of such spinal injury is advisable.
Wrestling is an ancient traditional sport first mentioned in the history of Sumer civilization approximately 5000 years ago (United World Wrestling History of Wrestling, 2021; Poliakoff, Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present, 1996). As one of the oldest Olympic sports in Hellenic history, it was also included in the Ancient Olympic program (Halloran, Orthop Nurs, 27:189–192, 2008). Wrestling was also among the first sports of the Modern Olympic Games, and it still holds its worldwide popularity (Guttmann, The Olympics: a history of the modern games, 2002). However, the sport’s arduous nature results in high injury rates. Due to the many different situations encountered in any individual match, the exact mechanism of injury is not always easily identified (Myers, West J Emerg Med, 11:442–449, 2010). In addition to musculoskeletal problems, other medical conditions and diseases may impact the ability of the wrestler to safely participate (Hewett, Med Sport Sci. 48:152–178, 2005; Maffulli, Br Med Bull. 97:47–80, 2011).KeywordsAerobicAnaerobicConcentrationContactElbowKneeSkinShoulderSpine
Extreme sports are profoundly transforming sports participation, and many of them have been recognized as Olympic disciplines.This chapter aims to discuss the physiological and biomechanical demands on athletes, review the epidemiology of injuries in extreme sports, and highlight some aspects that are common to the therapeutic–rehabilitative approach to these sports.From the physiological perspective, extreme sports may be broadly categorized into two groups, namely: sports involving extreme mental stress and ultra-endurance activities.Sport-specific orthopedic injuries include tenosynovitis, ligament tears, and fractures caused by the distinct athletic gestures involved in these activities.In the treatment and rehabilitation of extreme sports-related injuries, it is essential to consider the over adherence to rehabilitation exhibited by participants and the need for a complete functional restoration before returning to their sport.KeywordsExtreme sportsSports scienceFractureDiagnostic imagingPhysiologyRehabilitationACL rupture
Technische Neuerungen (z. B. Werkstoff Carbon, Scheibenbremsen, Stoßdämpfer, Schaltgetriebe) und ein verändertes Freizeitverhalten haben in der letzten Dekade zu erheblichen Veränderungen im Radsport geführt. Während der ambitionierte Freizeitfahrer noch vor wenigen Jahrzehnten primär am Erholungswert in der Natur beim Radfahren interessiert war, dominieren bei mittlerweile zahlreichen Freizeitsportler aller Altersklassen Leistungsanspruch und der Wunsch nach permanenter Selbstoptimierung. Gleichzeitig haben sich die Hersteller dem unterschiedlichen Anforderungsprofil ihrer Kunden angepasst: Neben den beiden traditionellen extremen Radformen, dem Rennrad und dem Mountainbike, existiert mittlerweile eine Vielzahl von Zwischen- und Ausführungsstufen: Trekking, Cyclocross, Gravel, Fullsuspension, Singletrail, Hardtail, Downhill, Fatbike etc. Für Radbegeisterte, die aufgrund individueller Leistungseinschränkungen nicht mehr in der Lage sind, ihrem Anspruch nachzukommen, wurden vor wenigen Jahren elektrogetriebene Räder (E-Bikes, Pedelecs) auf den Markt gebracht. Diese erfreuen sich zunehmender Beliebtheit, führen jedoch zu einem Anstieg an Unfällen und Verletzungen. Der vorliegende Beitrag fasst die wesentlichen sportmedizinisch relevanten Auswirkungen dieser Entwicklungen zusammen.
Youth have very high participation and injury rates across sport and recreational activities, including in adventure and extreme sports. Sport and recreation is the leading cause of injury in youth and may lead to lower levels of physical activity, higher adiposity, and long-term consequences such as overweight/obesity, post-traumatic osteoarthritis, and post-concussion syndrome which can adversely affect future health. Injuries are predictable and preventable in youth sport, including adventure and extreme sport. However, injury prevention strategies can have a significant impact in reducing the number and severity of injuries in many sports. This article provides an evidence-informed overview on what is known about injury prevention strategies which have been evaluated in youth adventure and extreme sports. Recommendations to contribute to effective and sustainable injury prevention in youth adventure and extreme sports have been summarized.
Deaths occurring in the setting of nonprofessional, vehicle-related, recreational sporting activities occurring on land or in water during warm or winter months represent a diverse group of cases. These deaths tend to involve scenarios where the participants are purposefully attempting to enjoy themselves prior to experiencing sudden, catastrophic accidents resulting in lethal outcomes. Ultimately, many of the deaths are related to the high speed at which these vehicle-related activities normally occur. Three broad categories of factors may play contributory roles in death: human factors, vehicle factors, and environmental factors. A series of selected cases are presented, representing examples of varying activity types, involving motorized and nonmotorized vehicles, land and water activities, and warm weather and cold weather environments. For each case, the various human, vehicle and environmental factors believed to be contributory to the accident are considered, and strategies for prevention of these and similar deaths involving recreational sporting vehicles are presented.
Mountain biking is a popular outdoor recreational activity, an exciting adventure sport, and now an Olympic cycling discipline. The overall injury rate is 16.8 injuries per 1,000 h exposure; 0.4 riders are injured per 100 h cross-country and 4.3 riders per 100 h downhill racing. The rate is higher for experts (17.9/1,000 h) compared to professional riders (13.4/1,000 h). More serious injuries to the head and neck occur while falling over the handlebars rather than falling off the bike to the side, which tends to result in lower limb injuries. Most injuries sustained mountain biking occur in young males aged 20–39 years. This chapter reviews the current literature on mountain biking injuries and developments in injury prevention.
Mountain biking is a popular outdoor recreational activity, an exciting adventure sport, and now an Olympic cycling discipline. The overall injury rate is 16.8 injuries per 1,000 h exposure; 0.4 riders are injured per 100 h cross-country and 4.3 riders per 100 h downhill racing. The rate is higher for experts (17.9/1,000 h) compared to professional riders (13.4/1,000 h). More serious injuries to the head and neck occur while falling over the handlebars rather than falling off the bike to the side, which tends to result in lower limb injuries. Most injuries sustained mountain biking occur in young males aged 20-39 years. This chapter reviews the current literature on mountain biking injuries and developments in injury prevention. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012, 2015, All Rights Reserved.
The origins of mountain biking understandably began as a means of transport rather than recreation during nineteenth-century wartime when “Buffalo” soldiers are reported to have cycled home, cross-country from Missoula, Montana, to Yellowstone. Japanese forces recognized that cycle provided faster travel on some jungle paths during the Second World War.
Wesentliche Merkmale von Trendsportarten sind neben einer häufig assoziierten kulturellen Ausdrucksform, etwa durch spezielle Kleidung oder ein eigenes Vokabular, das hohe Tempo, in dem sie ausgeführt werden. Die zunehmende Popularität dieser schnellen Sportarten geht mit einem Anstieg spezifischer Verletzungen einher.
In der Sportwissenschaft werden biomechanische Messmethoden eingesetzt, um kinematische und dynamische Daten von menschlichen Bewegungsmustern zu visualisieren und damit in der Trainingspraxis motorische Lernprozesse zu unterstützen. In diesem Beitrag wird mit der Bewegungssonifikation eine ergänzende akustische Darstellung von Bewegungsdaten auf der Basis von Inertialsensoren vorgestellt, die eine effektivere multisensorische Ansteuerung motorischer Prozesse in Sport und Rehabilitation ermöglicht.
Purpose:
To describe the characteristics of all sports related fractures in patients aged ≥ 15 years in South East Scotland in one year.
Methods:
Medical records of 990 consecutive patients aged ≥ 15 years who presented to the Orthopaedic Trauma Unit of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with sports-related fractures between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008 were reviewed. Acute fractures of the upper limbs, lower limbs, pelvis, and cervical spine were included, but those of the skull, facial bones, and thorax were excluded, as were stress and chronic fractures.
Results:
The incidence of sports-related fractures was 1.8/1000/year (82% involving men). The median age of patients was 25 (interquartile range, 19-35) years. Sports-related fractures accounted for 24.6% and 5.1% of all fractures in men and women, respectively. Men aged 15 to 19 years were 9 times more likely to have sports-related fractures than women of the same age. The sports-related fractures involved the upper limbs (52.4%), lower limbs (45.4%), and axial skeleton (2.2%). 12 of 49 sports (football, rugby, skiing, snowboarding, 3 cycling disciplines, horse riding, motocross, basketball, martial arts, and ice skating) accounted for 82.8% of all sports-related fractures. Upper limb fractures outnumbered lower limb fractures in all sports, except for horse riding and motocross that the proportions were similar.
Conclusion:
In South East Scotland, most sports related fractures involved the upper limbs.
Soft tissue and bony injuries are well described risks of the increasingly popular sport of mountain biking. Priapism, a persisting unwanted penile erection, as a result of perineal straddle injury due to a fall astride bicycle handlebar, is rare. We present a case of a competitive mountain biker with high flow priapism after such an injury who presented late but was successfully treated by non-invasive selective arterial embolization.
This case-control study describes the profile of bicyclists injured in mountain bike terrain parks (MBTPs) and examines risk factors for severe injury among MBTP riders. Cases were hospitalised bicyclists injured in MBTPs. Controls were bicyclists injured in MBTPs who were discharged from the emergency department. No significant differences were observed in the distribution of age and sex between cases and controls. A higher proportion of cases compared with controls suffered a head injury (22%), fracture (41%) or internal organ injury (32%). Controls suffered a higher proportion of superficial injuries (26%), sprains (10%) or wounds (16%). Upper extremity protective equipment (e.g. elbow or shoulder pads) was used more by cases than controls (23% vs. 11%, p = 0.03). Riders who self-reported cycling faster than usual had significantly higher risk of severe injury compared with others. The risk of severe injury may be reduced by encouraging bicyclists to control their speed or by modifying MBTP design to limit the opportunity to gain speed.
In recent years, many researchers have studied the risk models, which are able to prevent various accidents occurred on riding mountain bike. The bikers prevent themselves from the accidents using a model, which is able to predict the risk of mountain bike. The objective of this paper is to build a method of risk model for predicting mountain bike accident using information of mountain bike courses obtained by global positioning system and difficulty of courses for bikers. We evaluate the classification methods such as C5.0, Bayesian network, neural network, and support vector machine to find a method with higher accuracy comparing with other. Also, we build a risk model using factors with high risk on riding mountain bike. Proposed method ensures better selection of a course and reduction of the accident risk for mountain bikers.
Off-road bicycles, commonly called ‘mountain bikes’, have become increasingly popular worldwide since their introduction in the western US in the late 1970s. This popularity is partly because these vehicles can be ridden on a wide variety of terrain which is not accessible to other types of bicycle. Although early versions were rather crude, off-road bicycles today typically include high strength, lightweight frames with a wide array of available suspension and braking systems. Virtually all aspects of the technology continue to evolve, including components and protective equipment. As the popularity of off-road cycling has increased, so too has the interest and level of participation in the competitive aspects of the sport. Currently, 2 organisations — the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) — sponsor the major events within the US and around the world.
To date, the majority of studies have been descriptive in nature, with data collected via self-report, questionnaire formats. Only 1 prospective study has been reported thus far, which surveyed a major international competition held in the US in 1994. Injury rates calculated on the basis of injuries per ride or event in competitive venues have been reported, ranging from 0.2 to 0.39% compared with 0.30% for recreational participants. Retrospective data collected from recreational and competitive riders indicate that from 20 to 88% of those surveyed reported having sustained an injury during the previous year of participation. The majority of injuries appear to be acute, traumatic episodes involving the extremities, with contusions and abrasions being the most common. In general, the incidence of more severe injuries such as dislocations, fractures and concussions is low. Comparisons between road and off-road cycling events indicate that off-road cyclists sustain more fractures, dislocations and concussions than their road-event counterparts.
Future research should incorporate epidemiological methods of data collection to determine the relationships between vehicle design, terrain and safety equipment and riding-related accidents. Further, those engaged in such research should attempt to set a standard definition for injury.
All injuries occurring over a 7-week period at a local indoor soccer arena were documented for analysis of incidence rates. All injury rates were calculated per 100 player-hours. The overall injury rates for male and female players were similar, 5.04 and 5.03, respectively. The lowest injury rate was found among the 19- to 24-year-old athletes and the highest injury rate was found among the oldest age group (> or = 25 years). Collision with another player was the most common activity at the time of injury, accounting for 31% of all injuries. The most common injury types were sprains and muscle contusions, both occurring at a rate of 1.1 injuries per 100 player-hours. Male players suffered a significantly higher rate of ankle ligament injuries compared with female players (1.24 versus 0.43, P < 0.05), while female players suffered a significantly higher rate of knee ligament injuries (0.87 versus 0.29, P < 0.01). Goalkeepers had injury rates (4.2) similar to players in nongoalkeeper positions (4.5).
This study was conducted to investigate injury patterns at three major off-road bicycle races in the Western United States in 1995. All cyclists forced out of the cross-country (CC) and downhill (DH) competitions due to injury were examined and interviewed. The overall injury rates were 0.49% (20/4074) for the CC and 0.51% (11/2158) for the DH event. In the CC there were 0.37 injured cyclists for every 100 h of racing time versus 4.34 injured cyclists/100 h in the DH (P = 0.01). Injury rates in the CC were higher for women than for men (1.05% vs 0.40%, P = 0.04; 0.75/100 h vs 0.31/100 h, P = 0.01). Injured CC cyclists who fell forward over their handlebars had higher mean injury severity scores (3.0 vs 1.3, P = 0.01) and required more emergency room visits (6/100 vs 1/10, P = 0.02) than cyclists who fell off their bicycles (5/6 vs 5/14, P = 0.05) and were taken to the hospital (4/6 vs 3/14, P = 0.05) more often than men. These data suggest that 1) the risk of being injured during a race is similar in the CC And DH events, 2) the long-term risk may be greater to DH racers than to CC competitors, 3) the severity of injury is greater when a CC cyclists falls forward off the bicycle, and 4) women CC competitors are more likely to fall forward off their bicycles and be injured than men.
To describe the incidence, nature, and circumstances of injury experienced by a cohort of rugby union players during a full competitive club season.
A prospective cohort study followed up 356 male and female rugby players throughout the 1993 competitive club season. Players were interviewed by telephone each week to obtain information on the amount of rugby played and the injury experienced.
Detailed information was collected for 4403 player-games and 8653 player-practices. A total of 671 injury events were reported, of which 569 were rugby related. The injury rate for games was higher than that for practices (rate ratio 8.3). At 10.9 injuries per 100 player-games, males had a higher rate of injury than females at 6.1 injuries per 100 player-games (p<0.001). Injury rates varied by position, with male locks (13.0 injuries per 100 player-games) and female inside backs (12.3 injuries per 100 player-games) having the highest rate in their respective sexes. The lower limb was the body region most often injured in games (42.5%) and practices (58.4%). Sprains/strains were the most common type of injury in games (46.7%) and practices (76.1%). In games the tackle was the phase of play in which the most injuries occurred (40%), followed by rucks (17%) and mauls (12%). Thirteen per cent of game injury events were the result of foul play.
Rugby injury was common among the study subjects and varied according to grade and gender. Identifying the causes of injuries in the tackle, lower limb injuries, and dealing with the issue of foul play are priority areas for the prevention of rugby injury.
Off road mountain biking is now an extremely popular recreation and a potent cause of serious injury.
To establish the morbidity associated with this sport.
Data were collected prospectively over one year on all patients presenting with an injury caused by either recreational or competitive off road mountain biking.
Eighty four patients were identified, 70 males and 14 females, with a mean age of 22.5 years (range 8-71). Most accidents occurred during the summer months, most commonly in August. Each patient had an average of 1.6 injuries (n = 133) and these were divided into 15 categories, ranging from minor soft tissue to potentially life threatening. Operative intervention was indicated for 19 patients (23%) and several required multiple procedures. The commonest injuries were clavicle fractures (13%), shoulder injuries (12%), and distal radial fractures (11%). However, of a more sinister nature, one patient had a C2/3 dislocation requiring urgent stabilisation, one required a chest drain for a haemopneumothorax, and another required an emergency and life saving nephrectomy.
This sport has recently experienced an explosion in popularity, and, as it carries a significant risk of potentially life threatening injury across all levels of participation, the use of protective equipment to reduce this significant morbidity may be advisable.
To describe the mechanisms of injury from crashes during competitive off-road bicycling (mountain biking) and to examine the type, location, and severity of the resulting injuries.
We examined and interviewed all bicyclists injured while competing at 7 off-road bicycling events. Information regarding the direction of fall and the presence of a collision or mechanical failure was obtained, and the injury patterns were compared.
There were 97 injured riders, with a mean age of 28.3 years. Most victims were male (74%), and all cyclists wore helmets. Most injuries were minor and involved the extremities (70.5%). Injuries sustained from falling forward over the handlebars occurred more often than from falling to the side (65% vs 25%), tended to lead to injuries that were more severe (mean injury severity score [ISS] = 3.4 vs 1.7, P < .05), and produced more head and neck injuries (56% vs 8%, P < .05). Falls to the side generally led to a lower extremity injury (88% vs 57%, P < .05). Riders who were involved in collisions had injuries that were similar in severity and location to those of riders who had no collision.
These findings suggest that off-road bicyclists whose mechanism of injury involves falling forward over the handlebars are at risk for more severe injury, especially to the head and neck.
To evaluate injury rates and patterns in off-road bicycle racing, and to compare the findings in male and female cyclists.
The study was conducted from 1994-2001 at a large off-road bicycling competition held for 4 days each summer at Mammoth Mountain, California.
Injured cyclists were evaluated at the first aid station or at the local hospital. Registration data were used to estimate the number of male and female competitors in each race.
Cyclists who sustained an injury during a race and were unable to finish the race due to the injury were included in the study. 22 female subjects and 71 male subjects met the inclusion criteria during the 8-year study period. There were a total of 20,769 race participants during the study period.
Injuries were categorized, and injury rates were calculated.
The overall injury rate during the study period was 0.77% (22/2,869) for women versus 0.40% (71/17,900) for men (p = 0.01). Fractures were sustained by 45.5% (10/22) of female subjects versus 21.1% (15/71) of male subjects (p = 0.03). Odds ratios indicate that overall, women were 1.94 times more likely than men to sustain an injury and 4.17 times more likely to sustain a fracture.
These data suggest that although participation in this sport is higher among men, the risk of injury is greater for women.
This article reviews the available literature regarding injuries in off-road bicyclists. Recent progress in injury research has allowed the description of several patterns of injury in this sport. Mountain biking remains popular, particularly among young males, although sales and participation figures have decreased in the last several years. Competition in downhill racing has increased, while crosscountry racing has decreased somewhat in popularity. Recreational riders comprise the largest segment of participants, but little is known about the demographics and injury epidemiology of noncompetitive mountain cyclists.
Most mountain bikers participating in surveys reported a history of previous injuries, but prospective studies conducted at mountain bike races have found injury rates of <1%. The most common mechanism of injury involves a forward fall over the handlebars, usually while riding downhill, which can result in direct trauma to the head, torso and upper extremities. Avariety of factors can be associated with this type of fall, including trail surface irregularities, mechanical failures and loss of control. In mountain bike racing the risk of injury may be higher for women than men.
Minor injuries such as abrasions and contusions occur frequently, but are usually of little consequence. Fractures usually involve the torso or upper extremities, and shoulder injuries are common. Head and face injuries are not always prevented by current helmet designs. Fatal injuries are rare but have been reported.
Improvements in safety equipment, rider training and racecourse design are suggested injury prevention measures. The authors encourage continued research in this sport.
There has been recent concern about neuropsychological injuries experienced by soccer players, particularly related to the purposeful heading of the ball. There are few population based analyses examining whether this is a legitimate concern.
To explore, using an existing injury surveillance system, one of many parts of this issue: acute injuries requiring emergency medical care experienced by youth soccer players.
Descriptive epidemiological analysis of emergency department injury surveillance data (1996-2001) for youths aged 10-24 years from the Kingston sites of the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program.
A total of 1714 cases of soccer injury were identified (mean 286 a year); 235 (13.7%) involved diagnoses of injuries to the head. Leading mechanical factors resulting in head injury were contact with other players or persons (153/235; 65.1%) and balls (62/235; 26.4%). Heading was reported in 4/62 (6%) of the ball contact injuries, and attempted heading was reported in 15/153 (9.8%) of the cases involving person to person contact. Unspecified head to head contact between players was reported in 39 cases.
Minor head injuries that result in emergency medical treatment do not happen often in youth soccer, and very few can be attributed to the purposeful heading of the ball. Player contact injuries appear to be a more important injury control concern. This study informs one of many aspects of the soccer heading injury debate.
Objective:
To review 15 years of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) injury surveillance data for men's soccer and to identify potential areas for injury prevention initiatives.
Background:
The NCAA sanctioned its first men's soccer championship in 1959. Since then, the sport has grown to include more than 18 000 annual participants across 3 NCAA divisions. During the 15 years from 1988-1989 to 2002-2003, the NCAA Injury Surveillance System accumulated game and practice injury data for men's soccer across all 3 NCAA divisions.
Main results:
The injury rate was 4 times higher in games compared with practices (18.75 versus 4.34 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures, rate ratio = 4.3, 95% confidence interval = 4.2, 4.5), and preseason practices had a higher injury rate than in-season practices (7.98 versus 2.43 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures, rate ratio = 3.3, 95% confidence interval = 3.1, 3.5). In both games and practices, more than two thirds of men's soccer injuries occurred to the lower extremities, followed by the head and neck in games and the trunk and back in practices. Although player-to-player contact was the primary cause of injury during games, most practice injuries occurred without direct contact to the injured body part. Ankle ligament sprains represented the most common injury during practices and games, whereas knee internal derangements were the most common type of severe injury (defined as 10+ days of time loss).
Recommendations:
Sprains, contusions, and strains of the lower extremities were the most common injuries in men's collegiate soccer, with player-to-player contact the primary injury mechanism during games. Preventive efforts should focus on the player-to-player contact that often leads to these injuries and greater enforcement of the rules that are in place to limit their frequency and severity. Emphasis also should be placed on addressing the high rate of first-time and recurrent ankle ligament sprains.
At the BMX Cycling European Championship in 1989 with 976 participants of both sexes, aged between six and 40 years, all injuries were registered. A total of 6.3% of the participants sustained injuries (1.6% per individual start), 52.5% required medical attendance and 3.3% necessitated hospital admission. Women were injured twice as frequently as men. Most injuries, 72.1%, were minor, 6.6% were fractures with 75% of the fractures affecting the upper limbs. BMX bicycle riding has the high injury risk of 1190 injuries per 1000 competition hours.
Off-road bicycle racing has shown rapid growth in participation during the past 10 years. Although no comprehensive studies have yet been conducted regarding the medical aspects of participation at all levels of the sport, limited data obtained from the Pro/Elite category of NORBA have provided some useful information. The majority of injuries sustained by this group were wounds and contusions. In addition, the lower extremities accounted for a majority of the injuries seen, with the exception of the low back region, which had the highest incidence of injury for the female cyclists in the present study. The absence of catastrophic head/neck-related injuries lends support to the premise that at the Pro/Elite level off-road bicycle racing appears to be a relatively safe sport. More research is needed, particularly that which examines riders in other NORBA categories as well as off-road riders at the recreational level to determine injury patterns. In addition, information needs to be collected at race sites by medically trained personnel in order to collect more precise information regarding the types and severity of injuries. Data from the present study must be treated with caution, because a self-report protocol was used.
We questioned members of 2 southern California off-road bicycling organizations about injuries associated with the use of all-terrain bicycles. Cyclists were asked about riding and safety habits, the kind(s) of injury sustained with their most recent accident and whether they sought medical treatment, and the circumstances of the accident. Of 459 mailed surveys, 268 (58.4%) were returned. Respondents (82.8% of whom were male) ranged in age from 14 to 68 years. Of these, 225 (84%) had been injured while riding all-terrain bicycles, 51% in the past year. Although most injuries were characterized as minor, 26% required professional medical care, and 4.4% of those injured were admitted to hospital. Extremity injuries--abrasions, lacerations, contusions--occurred in 201 (90%) cyclists with 27 (12%) sustaining a fracture or dislocation. High levels of helmet use (88%) may explain the low occurrence of head and neck trauma (12%). Frequent riding and riding on paved terrain were associated with increased severity of injury, although most accidents--197 (87.6%)--occurred off paved roads. These results suggest that, compared with regular bicyclists, all-terrain cyclists have more, but not necessarily more severe, injuries. Clinicians and emergency medical personnel should be aware that the increasing popularity of off-road cycling may change the frequency and nature of bicycling injuries.
Bicyclists and mountainbikers are prone to facial trauma. In the current study, we present a large series of cycling-related sports trauma to the face in an effort to identify the injury pattern among mountainbikers compared with bicyclists.
The medical records of a single pediatric and adult Level I trauma center were evaluated from January 1, 1991, through October 31, 1996. All admissions with injuries caused by cycling-related sports were reviewed, analyzed, and compared according to age and sex distributions, causes of accidents, injury types, frequency, and localization of fractures and associated injuries. The injury types were divided into three categories: fractures, dentoalveolar trauma, and soft-tissue injuries.
Five hundred sixty-two injured bicyclists (10.3% of all trauma patients) were registered at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Innsbruck, Austria, during the study period, accounting for 31% of all sports-related or 48.4% of all traffic collisions, respectively. The review of the patient records revealed especially more severe injury profiles in 60 mountainbikers, with 55% facial bone fractures, 22% dentoalveolar trauma, and 23% soft-tissue injuries, compared with 502 street cyclists showing 50.8% dentoalveolar trauma, 34.5% facial bone fractures, and 14% soft-tissue lesions. The dominant fracture site in bicyclists was the zygoma (30.8%), whereas mountainbikers sustained an impressive 15.2% Le Fort I, II, and III fractures. Condyle fractures were more common in bicyclists, with 18.8% opposing 10.8% in mountainbikers.
Appropriate design of helmets with faceguards will reduce the incidence of facial injuries caused by cycling-related accidents and incentives are needed for making helmet use compulsory for all cyclists, particularly for mountainbikers.
Mountain biking has become an increasingly popular recreational and competitive sport with increasingly recognized risks. The purpose of this study was to review a population based approach to serious injuries requiring trauma center admission related to mountain biking, identify trends and develop directions for related injury prevention programs.
Three trauma centers in the Greater Vancouver area exclusively serve a major mountain bike park and the North Shore Mountains biking trails. The Trauma Registries and the patient charts were reviewed for mountain bike injuries from 1992 to 2002. The data were analyzed according to demographics, distribution, and severity of injuries, and need for operative intervention. Findings were reviewed with injury prevention experts and regional and national mountain-biking stakeholders to provide direction to injury prevention programs.
A total of 1,037 patients were identified as having bicycling-related injuries. Of these, 399 patients sustained 1,092 injuries while mountain biking. There was a threefold increase in the incidence of mountain biking injuries over a 10-year period. Young males were most commonly affected. Orthopedic injuries were most common (46.5%) followed by head (12.2%), spine (12%), chest (10.3%), facial (10.2%), abdominal (5.4%), genitourinary (2.2%), and neck injuries (1%). High operative rate was observed: 38% of injuries and 66% of patients required surgery. One patient died from his injuries. Injury prevention programs were developed and successfully engaged the target population.
Mountain biking is a growing cause of serious injuries. Young males are principally at risk and serious injuries result from intended activity and despite protective equipment. Injury prevention programs were developed to address these concerns.
There are limited data on the epidemiology of indoor soccer injuries.
Injury rates and risk factors for injury in adolescent indoor and outdoor soccer in the same cohort of players will be identified and compared.
Cohort study (prevalence); Level of evidence, 2.
The study population was a random sample of 21 adolescent (ages 13-17 years) outdoor soccer teams (N = 317). The subcohort included players continuing to play in the indoor soccer season (n = 142). The injury definition included any injury occurring in soccer that resulted in medical attention, the inability to complete a session, and/or missing a subsequent session.
The overall injury rate found in indoor soccer over 20 weeks was 4.45 injuries per 1000 player hours (95% confidence interval, 3.1-6.19). The overall injury rate found in the 13-week outdoor soccer season among a similar cohort was 5.59 injuries per 1000 player hours (95% confidence interval, 4.42-6.97). The relative risk of injury suggests that there was no significant difference between injury rates by age group or gender in indoor soccer compared with outdoor soccer. The risk of injury in the most elite division of play was greater in outdoor compared with indoor soccer (relative risk, 3.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-6.12). The most commonly injured body part in both indoor and outdoor soccer was the ankle, followed by the groin in indoor and the knee in outdoor soccer.
There were no significant differences in overall injury rates found by gender or age group for indoor compared with outdoor soccer. Future research should focus on injury prevention strategies to reduce lower extremity injury in indoor and outdoor adolescent soccer.
To undertake a detailed epidemiological study of head injuries sustained by professional rugby union players in order to define their incidence, nature, severity, and causes.
A 3-season prospective cohort design.
13 English Premiership rugby union clubs.
757 male rugby union players.
Anatomical location, diagnosis, severity (number of days unavailable for training and match play), injury incident, and incidence of match and training injuries (injuries/1000 player-hours).
Playing position, use of headgear, and activity.
The overall incidence of match head injury was 6.6 injuries/1000 player-hours, and each injury resulted, on average, in 14 days lost-time. The overall incidence of match concussions was 4.1 injuries/1000 player-hours resulting, on average, in 13 days lost-time. Concussion was the third most common match injury for all players. A large proportion of the players (48%) were able to return to play safely within 7 days. Match concussions were most commonly associated with tackling head-on (28%), collisions (20%), and being tackled head-on (19%). The midfield backs were the playing position at the greatest risk of sustaining a concussion. Only 42% of players were removed from the field of play immediately after a concussion. Foul play was reported by the player to be associated with match head injury in 17% of cases. Mouthguard and headgear usage was associated with a reduced incidence of concussive injury. The overall incidence of training head injury was 0.05 injuries/1000 player-hours, and the overall incidence of training concussions was 0.02 injuries/1000 player-hours.
The results showed that rugby union players were exposed to a high risk of noncatastrophic head injury and concussion, particularly whilst tackling and being tackled head-on. In all, 48% of players sustaining a concussion were able to return to play in less than 7 days. The clinical challenge when assessing the potentially concussed player during a game is compounded by the current regulations regarding the permanent replacement of injured players. Injury prevention strategies should be focussed on minimizing the risk and force of direct contact to the head in the tackle.
The New Zealand Rugby injury and performance project
- Bird Yn Waller
- Ae
- Marshall
- Sw
Bird YN, Waller AE, Marshall SW, et al. The New Zealand Rugby injury and performance project. Br J Sports Med 1998;32:319e25.
Differential profile of facial injuries among
- Gassner Rj
- W Hackl
- T Tuli
Gassner RJ, Hackl W, Tuli T, et al. Differential profile of facial injuries among
Mountain biking injuries in south west Scotland: an analysis of injuries attending A&E [abstract]. British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
- Ma Quigley
- Sh Boyce
Quigley MA, Boyce SH. Mountain biking injuries in south west Scotland: an analysis
of injuries attending A&E [abstract]. British Association of Sport and Exercise
Medicine, 2005. Br J Sports Med 2005;40:90.
Mountain biking injuries in south west Scotland: an analysis of injuries attending A&E
- M A Quigley
- S H Boyce
Quigley MA, Boyce SH. Mountain biking injuries in south west Scotland: an analysis
of injuries attending A&E [abstract].
Packed with research, educational papers and debate of all aspects of emergence medicine, the journal will make sure you know everything you need to
If you need the latest information in emergency care then you need the
Emergency Medicine Journal. Packed with research, educational papers
and debate of all aspects of emergence medicine, the journal will make
sure you know everything you need to.
doi: 10.1136/emj.2009.086991
2010
2011 28: 274-279 originally published online July 20,
Emerg Med J