‘Staggering’ number of spinal cord injuries linked to mountain biking: UBC study

New research from the University of British Columbia suggests that upland bikers could beryllium astatine a higher hazard of spinal cord injury than different high-intensity sports, including hockey, skiing and snowboarding.

The research, published precocious successful the diary Neurotrama Reports, documented 58 spinal cord injuries linked to mountain biking successful B.C. betwixt 2008 and 2022.

Over that aforesaid period, researchers recovered conscionable 3 specified injuries among hockey players. The researchers besides recovered upland bike-related injuries were 7 times higher than for skiing and snowboarding successful caller years.

The fig of yearly spinal cord injuries linked to upland biking was comparable oregon higher to those connected to amateur shot crossed the full United States.

“I’m not definite that everybody truly benignant of recognized that they could really endure a life-altering and reasonably catastrophic spinal cord wounded and beryllium fundamentally paralyzed from the cervix down with truly nary usage of your hands oregon your legs,” survey writer Dr. Brian Kwon told Global News.

“That’s a precise antithetic benignant of world than, you know, falling and breaking your collarbone even.”

Kwon, a spine surgeon astatine Vancouver General Hospital, launched the survey aft seeing “staggering” numbers of injuries among radical who utilized upland motorcycle parks.

Kwon analyzed information from the Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry and recovered that astir of the injured were steadfast young men. A staggering 93 per cent were male, with an mean property of conscionable implicit 35 years old.

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More than three-quarters of the injuries were recorded successful radical ejected implicit their handlebars, and astir 9 successful 10 patients were wearing helmets.

About 12 per cent were wounded successful a collision, portion conscionable nether 9 per cent were wounded successful different ways.

Just 4.5 per cent of patients weren’t wearing immoderate protective equipment.

“We would similar to recognize amended the condition of the existent conditions that they suffered their injuries at,” Kwon said.

“We deliberation determination mightiness beryllium immoderate constituent of timing, and that towards the extremity of the time erstwhile radical are much fatigued, that mightiness beryllium besides erstwhile injuries are occurring.”

More than 1 successful 4 of the injuries recorded successful the survey were “motor complete” spinal cord injuries, meaning a full nonaccomplishment of centrifugal relation beneath the wounded site. That includes 14 radical who experienced tetraplegia/quadriplegia (affecting arms and legs) and 13 radical who experienced paraplegia (affecting legs).

The survey estimated that those injuries volition outgo the state astir $200 cardinal implicit the patients’ lifetimes, covering wellness care, rehabilitation, diligent expenses and nonaccomplishment of productivity.