Mountain biking on Thornhill. (The News) By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter NORTH SHORE NEWS
A new report from the University of British Columbia suggests there is an “alarming” number of people getting spinal cord injuries while mountain biking.
Researchers found 58 people in B.C. sustained a spinal cord injury while mountain biking between 2008 and 2022. There were only three such injuries from ice hockey in the same 14-year period.
Dr. Brian Kwon, senior author of the study, decided to research the topic after seeing a high number of injuries coming out of mountain-bike parks and trails.
“There were a lot of people coming down the hill with these injuries,” Kwon said. “It’s not something that was particularly subtle of an observation to make.”
Kwon is a spine surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital, a professor of orthopedics and Canada Research Chair in spinal cord injury at UBC.
Spinal cord injuries often lead to permanent and life-altering paralysis, the study says. Researchers found 93 per cent of those injured were young, healthy men, with an average age of 35. Of those injured, 77.5 per cent were propelled over their handlebars, 12 per cent from a collision and 8.8 per cent from other factors.The majority of those injured were wearing helmets (86 per cent), while nine per cent wore helmets and body protection. Only 4.5 per cent wore no protective gear.Kwon said the injuries from mountain biking aren’t a surprise given the intensity of the activity.“People are coming down at speed. They’re coming down […]
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