Researchers in the US have expressed surprise at the rate of injuries to the genitals and kidneys among cyclists. Their data indicates the likelihood of a whack to the tender bits is ten times higher for kids than adults, but most attendance at ER is for minor injuries.
In a paper published in the journal Injury Prevention, researchers found that among children, the incidence of bicycle-related genitourinary injuries was 448 per 100,000 and, among adults, was 53 per 100,000.
However, the researchers found that injuries to adults were more likely to result in admission to hospital.
“We were surprised that there were so many injuries related to bike riding,” co-author Dr. Benjamin Breyer, a urologist at the University of California, San Francisco, told Allison Bond of Reuters Health.
The study used data from the US National Electronic Injury Surveillance System which collects information on patients attending the 24-hour emergency rooms of about 100 hospitals nationwide, including eight children’s hospitals.
The researchers looked only at injuries that had not been caused by collision with a car, and used the need to be admitted to hospital as the only indicator of severity of injury.
For the study period, 2002-10, researchers found that an average of about 4,000 people per year sustained a bicycle related kidney or genital injury.
About 12% of adult ER visits resulted in hospital admission whereas only 7% of children’s visits ended in admission.
The majority of injuries occurred when the rider came into contact with the bike rather than when he hit the ground. And it is mostly 'he': 61% of the injuries survey were sustained by boys and men.
Nearly Hhalf of all injuries occurred when the rider landed on the top tube. Contact with the handlebars was found to be more likely to injure males than females.
Landon Trost, a urologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, played down the level of risk implied by the findings.
“This particular study, if anything, shows that the vast majority of people who come to the ER come for minor injuries,” said Trost.
He added that further safety measures seemed excessive.
“Should kids wear an athletic cup? Should we have airbags on handlebars?” Trost said.
26 thoughts on “Researchers “surprised” at number of cycling genital injuries, especially among kids”
erm helmets.
erm helmets.
rich22222 wrote:erm
Protection for helmets then
rich22222 wrote:erm
Literally protection for knobs…
61% of the injuries survey
Can think of lots of reasons why this might be the case – could boys/men exhibit more risky bike-riding styles, and what’s the male/female breakdown of the cycling population?
congokid wrote:
61% of the
It could be the fact that our bits are on the outside…
Hmm, so kids are more likely
😕 Hmm, so kids are more likely to injure their ‘elmet rather than their helmet
I would speculate that kids
I would speculate that kids with a bike that ‘they will grow into’ is a feature here. If you can’t reach the floor with your feet your nuts are going to cop it with a quick dismount
When i was a kid BMX’s used
When i was a kid BMX’s used to have padding on the top tube and handlebars. We need to bring them back!
Raleigh Chopper….. The ball
Raleigh Chopper….. The ball wrecker gear shifter… Arggg not so fond memories :O
It actually highlights that
It actually highlights that one of the most important lessons to learn for riding a bike is how to fall off without hurting yourself.
Consider this a parallel with parachute jumping. You know you will land, at a speed where you might hurt yourself, and so you learn how to brace and roll, before you even try a real jump.
Perhaps this is what is needed on cycle training courses – wear old clothes for a day of falling off a bike. After all most cycle dismounts are cunningly controlled crashes.
As a kid it was a right of
As a kid it was a right of passage to come clattering down onto your toptube – usually when landing after a ridiculously stupid ramp jump.
My child rearing was nearly stopped before it had even started by getting my goolies trapped on a badly designed Raleigh Strika headset.
Happy days
Daily Mail story on this does
Daily Mail story on this does laughably include the advice to stay safe and wear a helmet
http://t.co/yY5fxwPrGN
Just had a flashback which
Just had a flashback which has left me in a cold sweat.
Here is the recipe for disaster.
Take one young idiot full of raging hormones.
The object of his pubescent desires.
An impossible jump.
A Raleigh Bomber (probably the worst bike to choose)
Result.
One Raleigh Bomber with buckled wheels, bent forks and a broken frame.
Object of desire leaves with someone else. This is not important as our ‘hero’ is now a crumpled heap, clutching his balls and wondering if a) the flashing lights will stop, b) the pain will ever go away, c) should he pluck up the courage to count them and d) will he ever have children? #o #o
Do they really need us to connect the dots for them? This has probably been happening since the dawn of the bicycle.
“Hold my pint and watch this!” 😀
One of the more important
One of the more important cycling lessons I’ve learned in recent years: before setting off on, say, a 100 mile time trial, it’s important to make sure you’ve packed your “luggage” carefully. Adjustment while moving in a skinsuit is impossible and 100 mile TTs are unpleasant enough without the additional discomfort of spending the whole ride with crushed plums.
SteppenHerring wrote:One of
I know the sensation and agree about sorting out the junk. But the point at which you desist from trying to pop a bollock for the sake of a new timing record comes pretty early with me.
Been there, done it. My
Been there, done it. My defective Raleigh chopper sheared its bottom bracket on its maiden voyage whilst I was struggling up a hill (well it was a small incline but to a seven year old it was a big hill!), I can’t imagine a worse bike for this to happen on, with a perfectly placed instrument to inflict maximum damage. That bike was replaced by a Raleigh grifter, which had a habit of slipping into neutral on that same incline with similar, though not so catastrophic, results……
My painful crossbar education
My painful crossbar education began at a very early age, I suspect it was the same for a good many more.
I am sure most of these
I am sure most of these injuries are kids trying jumps. As we all did in our youth.
My “favourite” juvenile groinal bike injury happened playing bike polo with a broom, when I managed to ram one end into the ground and one end into my bits while riding at speed.
All brooms should come with a health warning.
Edgeley wrote:I am sure most
Is it wrong that I laughed like a drain when I pictured you lancing your self in the joy department with a broom while riding a bike?
Having said that I made the mistake of riding a slicked up MTB over a drain cover that had been put in the wrong way, the back wheel dropped right into the slot stopping the bike dead – while I continued moving forwards, love spuds first toward the stem
My dad made me a pair of
My dad made me a pair of ramps from big lumps of wood. Just thick triangles really, but there wasn’t enough weight at the thin end, so if you went up them slowly, once the front wheel was at the top, the ramp would flip and the thin end would hit the chainring at just the right angle for unstoppable force/immovable object, and a nuts/tube interface would result. The only solution was to hit the jump at high speed so the back wheel was on the ramp before it could flip!
I think the Fizik Arione
I think the Fizik Arione saddle is responsible for at least 50% of all incidents. That thing is the testicle anti christ.
Kids hurt themselves on bike?
Kids hurt themselves on bike? Really?
Of course, no kids ever hurt themselves doing other things like falling over, or out of trees, or running into lamposts, or playing soccer, or tennis, or ……
Kids hurt themselves on bike?
Kids hurt themselves on bike? Really?
Of course, no kids ever hurt themselves doing other things like falling over, or out of trees, or running into lamposts, or playing soccer, or tennis, or ……
And If I recall correctly (it was a long time ago) the jewels didn’t descend until I was reaching puberty, by which time I had learnt some common sense about what was likely to lead to painful occurrences.
Makes I laugh. It does hurt
Makes I laugh. It does hurt the ladygarden too mind you.
I think it might not help the kiddies that we often don’t give them padded shorts to wear, which does cushion the old area to some extent. I would eat my fingers off rather than go for a longish ride in standard issue pants, so it seems a bit unfair on them.
I wonder if any studies have been done on the protection from injury provided by pads. It would struggle to get through ethics I think.
MrsK wrote:Makes I laugh. It
Ok, can I have some volunteers for the control group?
Anyone?
Anyone?
Hello?!
[[[[[ Often due to lack of
[[[[[ Often due to lack of toeclips (or “clipless” pedals), innit. Front-end shunt? Let the the bike takes the brunt. These folks who say, “Ooh no—I want my feet free of the pedals”….I’m tired of talking to them. Newton might as well have been a greengrocer.
P.R.