Soft Tissue Injuries Due To Bicycle Parts in Children
N. K. Sferopoulos
Copyright : © 2016 Sferopoulos N. K. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Editorial
Common peroneal neuropathy following a bicycle injury has been previously presented in an 11-year- old girl. It resulted from compression of her left knee between the chain stay and the crank arm on the left side of the bicycle. On clinical examination bruising and superficial abrasions, but without laceration, of the posterolateral aspect of the left knee was evident. There was also marked weakness of the left ankle and toe dorsiflexion, as well as ankle eversion producing a foot drop (Figure. 5). The report concluded that the space between the chain stay and the crank arm on the left side should be also recognized as potentially hazardous to entrap a rider’s knee or leg [21].
Non-traumatic or overuse bicycle injuries may affect both experienced cyclists and novices. They are usually localized to the knee, neck/shoulder, wrist/hand, buttocks and perineum. Riding with too much pedal resistance is a major cause of overuse problems. They usually involve the appearance of a ganglion cyst (Figure. 6). They may also appear with a wide variety of compressive or entrapment lesions of peripheral nerves, most likely the ulnar and median nerves, as well as pudendal nerve pressure neuropathy affecting the genitourinary system [22-27].
Education on injury mechanisms, severity, and preventive measures is important [28, 29]. Several proper mechanical adjustments and modifications have been proposed to reduce the incidence of bicycle parts induced injuries. A proper bicycle fit has to do with the saddle, handlebars, brake levers and hoods, stem and, most importantly, shoes, cleats and pedals. A biomechanical study suggested that a mesh protective cover could be used to prevent the foot from slipping between the spokes, and a plastic shield to bridge the gap between the fork and the horizontal upright. These modifications could substantially decrease the incidence of bicycle spoke injuries [8]. To prevent bicycle spoke injuries spoke guards and foot rests should also be used and children driving or being carried on a bicycle should wear proper shoes. Protection is also required to prevent the chain from entrapping a trouser leg and soiling the cyclist’s leg or clothing using a chain guard or case. "Doubling" is dangerous and should be prohibited where seats and spoke guards are not available. Injuries associated with bicycle- towed child trailers and bicycle-mounted child seats have also been reported [30]. Finally, precautions to prevent or reduce the incidence of trauma, i.e. using safer handlebar designs, wearing padded cycling gloves and advising frequent changes of hand position, padding in the saddle and wearing riding shorts to prevent saddle irritation, should be undertaken by both experienced and inexperienced cyclists [27].
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