HALIFAX, N.S. — Mountain biking is a growing cause of serious spinal injuries, often resulting in permanent disability, Dr. Neilson McLean reported in a poster at the 11th International Conference on Emergency Medicine.
Dr. McLean, an emergency medicine resident at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, retrospectively examined the trauma and spine registries of three Vancouver-area trauma centers in 1994–2004. During that time, 399 patients were treated for injuries. Of those, 52 sustained spinal injuries.
Most of the patients were male (92%), and they had an average age of 33 years. Most (36) had been wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. The most common mechanism of injury was a fall over the handlebars (29). Their average injury severity score was 17. A total of 54% required surgery.
Most of the patients (71%) sustained a severe spinal injury; 33% had a root injury, 11% a central cord injury, 22% an incomplete spinal cord injury, and 34% a complete spinal cord injury.
Upon discharge, 54% had a neurologic deficit. A total of 32 patients were discharged to home. However, 15 went to a rehabilitation facility and 4 to an acute care facility. One patient left the hospital against medical advice.