Wise Young
08-21-2001, 07:35 PM
Published on 05/24/2001
Sports injuries soar due to mountain biking: study
LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - Britain's mountain biking craze has led to an increase in the number of fractures and head and neck injuries, and it is only a matter of time until it kills someone, researchers said on Thursday.
"To date, no deaths have been recorded, but given the nature of the forces involved and the energy imparted on impact, future mortality...is expected," Dr Lee Jeys, of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital orthopaedic surgery unit, said in a report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Jeys and doctors at the hospital found during a 12-month study that nearly half of the injuries were fractures, mainly to the collarbone and shoulder, but one biker suffered damage to the spinal cord and another had kidney damage.
The injured ranged from eight-year-olds to a septuagenarian.
"Injuries are usually sustained by high velocity impact into immovable objects with little or no patient protection," Jeys added.
The researchers urged all cyclists to wear protective gear to reduce the risk of serious injuries.
The British Cycling Federation estimates that there are about 10,000 competitive mountain bikers in the country. In 1998 it was the third most popular recreational activity, with 8.6 million cyclists, nearly double the number in 1993.
Sports injuries soar due to mountain biking: study
LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - Britain's mountain biking craze has led to an increase in the number of fractures and head and neck injuries, and it is only a matter of time until it kills someone, researchers said on Thursday.
"To date, no deaths have been recorded, but given the nature of the forces involved and the energy imparted on impact, future mortality...is expected," Dr Lee Jeys, of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital orthopaedic surgery unit, said in a report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Jeys and doctors at the hospital found during a 12-month study that nearly half of the injuries were fractures, mainly to the collarbone and shoulder, but one biker suffered damage to the spinal cord and another had kidney damage.
The injured ranged from eight-year-olds to a septuagenarian.
"Injuries are usually sustained by high velocity impact into immovable objects with little or no patient protection," Jeys added.
The researchers urged all cyclists to wear protective gear to reduce the risk of serious injuries.
The British Cycling Federation estimates that there are about 10,000 competitive mountain bikers in the country. In 1998 it was the third most popular recreational activity, with 8.6 million cyclists, nearly double the number in 1993.