Rocky Road

By Jason Emmerson in A doctor's life on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 @ 14:21

Over the years I have enjoyed both taking part and watching Motocross, it must be said that motocross is one of the most dangerous sports there is. High speeds, rough terrain, not knowing what the other competitors are going to do next, all of which combine to getting the adrenalin pumping and adding to the attraction of this sport.

Whist it is a dangerous sport, fortunately, most injuries are relatively minor, such as lacerations and bad bruises.

However, when someone has a serious “off” then there are plenty of orthopaedic injuries that do require more serious attention / treatment. This sport definitely puts major stress on the knees. Unexpected landings, or being thrown from the bike, can cause severe knee injuries, which typically involve a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament.

If you are thrown from your bike, and land the wrong way (is there a right way I have to ask?), dislocating the shoulder can happen easily. Flying over the handlebars headfirst often causes clavicle (collarbone) fractures, Shoulder separations, often, cryotherapy helps to bring down swelling after a shoulder separation.

Putting your foot down the wrong way coming off a turn can cause an inversion injury to the ankle, also known as an ankle sprain Luckily, these are not usually too severe and can be treated easily with a brace while it heals.

Okay, so we now we have cleared up what sort of injuries you can expect from taking part and I think we have obviously established that this is not a sport for the faint hearted – when’s the next meeting??