ÿThere are some injuries that are common to all sports and all athletes. Two of those are sprains and fractures. Last week we discussed sprains to both the ankle and wrist. This week we are going to take a look at fractures: how they occur, the types and proper treatment of the injury.

What is a fracture and how does it occur?

A fracture is a broken bone. Whatever the type and however severe, it is still a broken bone. There are 2 common ways that a fracture occurs in an athlete.

1. Trauma A traumatic fracture is the more serious type of fracture. Traumatic fractures are caused by a direct blow or impact. In motocross, these are a typical break due to the speed and intensity at which the rider is going. Learning to stay relaxed while in a crash (easier said than done) will help to reduce the likiness of a traumatic fracture. Make a conscious effort not to reach out with your hand to break your fall. Instead, keep your arms close to your body and allow yourself to naturally absorb the impact the more abruptly you stop (i.e bracing with your arm) the more impact that is transferred into your arm and through your body.

2. Overuse An overuse fracture is often referred to as a stress fracture. As the name implies, an overuse fracture is caused by too much exercise/physical activity, incorrect training methods, poor equipment, or muscle fatigue. In motocross, fractures can often occur late in the moto, when the rider is already tired and suffers from arm pump. As an example, an overuse fracture can be sustained in a situation late in the moto where he/she cases a jump hard or suffers an awkward landing. If the rider is suffering from arm pump, it doesn’t allow the wrists/arms to absorb that impact as well as they should, resulting in a wrist or forearm fracture. Although rehab time is shorter with a “simple fracture” injury, it will require a few weeks off of the bike and away from strenuous physical exercise to allow for the fracture to heal properly.

Types of fractures

There are two main types of fractures that occur. There are simple or closed fractures and open or compound fractures. Simple fractures refer to a break where the bone is broken, but the skin is still intact. The injury is strictly internal. An open fracture refers to a break in the bone where the bone lacerates the skin or the skin is torn at the same time of the fracture do to an impact of some sort.

Of these fractures, there are some more particular fractures that are seen often. These are the transverse fracture: at right angles to the long axis of the bone, greenstick fracture: break on one side of the bone and the other side of the bone bends into the break and the comminuted fracture: leaves the bone in 3 or more pieces.

The Body

There are many places that can have fractures on your body. Everywhere from your skull to your big toe can be fractured. We will discuss some of the more common fracture injuries in motocross: the wrist, ankle and ribs. There are some common symptoms to any fracture:

• Pain in the immediate and surrounding areas

• Swelling to the injured area

• Bruising of the affected location

One of the two most commonly fractured areas is the wrist. The wrist is made up of 10 bones: 8 carpals or hand bones and the radius and ulna in the forearm. Generally, wrist fractures occur in the radius (thumb side of the wrist; largest bone in the wrist and goes all the way to the elbow) and it happens when you are falling onto an outstretched hand, onto your palm. Some symptoms that are related to wrist fractures are:

• Wrist will appear distorted or crooked

• Decreased movement in the wrist and hand

The second of the two areas that is fractured the most is the ankle. The tibia and fibula make up the ankle. The tibia is the inner part of the ankle, with the fibula on the outside. Fibula injuries are more common, but tibia injuries are far more severe when they do occur. Ankle fractures most often occur when the ankle is rolled inward or outward. Some specific symptoms to ankle fractures are:

• Inability to walk or extreme soreness when attempting to

• Change in the appearance of the ankle so that it differs from the other ankle

Another common type of fracture in motocross is a rib fracture. The 12 ribs are

located at the chest area and just under it. Their main purpose is to protect the vital organs that lie in that area. A fracture of the ribs is caused by a hard, direct impact. The main symptom associated with rib fractures is sharp pain when moving that area of the body, coughing or breathing in deeply.

What to do

If you have a fractured bone, it is likely you will know right away. You might even actually hear the snapping or breaking of the bone. You will have pain and swelling almost immediately and there also may be some sort of distortion visible.

If you believe you have a bone fracture, it is important to get to the doctor as soon as you can. The doctor will order x-rays to check for broken bones and to see how severe the injury is. The severity of the injury affects how the doctor will treat it.

Some treatment options offered by doctors are casts, splints, metal plates and pins. These are used to hold the injured site in the correct position and help promote proper healing. At home care can include ice for the first twenty-four hours, elevation and pain medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Full healing usually takes 4-8 weeks, but is fully dependent on doctor’s orders according to the injury.

A few things to watch for:

• If there is bluish coloration or numbness to the toes or fingers after the cast is set it may be too tight

• The pain will go away before you are properly healed, but you still need to follow the doctors set limitations and time guidelines to prevent further injury

When it’s done

You can, and should, use some sort of wrist or ankle brace or stabilizer, or a chest/roost protector after an injury. These protective gear items will help to give added support and protection to the injured area and aid in the prevention of re-injury. It is always best to play it safe when you’re on the track. An injury may happen once, but never let the same injury get you twice.

“EVS – Winning with safety”