Mountain bike-related injuries down 56%, study finds

The number of mountain bike-related injuries decreased 56% during the 14-year period between 1994 and 2007, according to investigators at the Center for Injury Research and Policy.

The findings, published in the February 2011 issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine and based on data collected from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, found there were more than 23,000 reported injuries in 1995 – compared to approximately 10,000 injuries in 2007.

Lara McKenzie

“The large decline we found in mountain bike-related injuries is likely due to a combination of factors,” Lara McKenzie, PhD, an investigator for the study, stated in a press release from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “While some of the decline may be explained by a decrease in the number of people riding mountain bikes, there have also been a number of improvements to the bicycle design, such as disc brakes and dual-suspension systems, that give the rider greater control of the bike and may help to reduce the incidence of injuries.”

Injury frequency

The investigators reported the most frequent diagnoses were fractures (27%), soft tissue injuries (24%) and lacerations (21%), while the most commonly injured body parts were the upper extremities (27%), shoulder and clavicle (20%), and the lower extremities (20%).

Falls or being thrown off the bike were the most common mechanisms of injury, accounting for 70% and 14%, respectively.

Gender, age differences

The investigators also reported several differences in the injury patterns they found among the subgroups. Although most of the injuries were sustained by boys and men, girls and women were more likely to sustain an injury severe enough to require hospitalization. Furthermore, riders aged 14 to 19 years sustained twice as many traumatic brain injuries as bikers of other ages.

“While the number of mountain bike-related injuries has decreased, they continue to be a concern,” McKenzie stated. “The gender and age differences we found represent opportunities to further reduce injuries through focused injury prevention and increasing use of protective equipment.”

The authors noted that further research is necessary to thoroughly understand mountain bike-related injuries, and the role injury prevention can play in their reduction.

References:
Nelson NG. Mountain biking–related injuries treated in emergency departments in the United States, 1994-2007. Am J Sports Med. Feb. 2011;39 404-409. doi:10.1177/0363546510383478.
www.NationwideChildrens.org
Disclosure: The authors declared that they had no conflicts of interest in their authorship and publication of this study.

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