Bicycle-Related Injuries of the Upper Extremity

Document Type : RESEARCH PAPER

Authors

1 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery National University Hospital, Singapore

2 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore

3 Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Abstract

Background: In recent years, the increasing popularity of cycling for commuting and leisure has led to a
corresponding increase in bicycle-related injuries. However, there is a lack of extensive analysis of bicycle-related
injuries to the upper limb in the literature.
Methods: A retrospective review of all patients with conventional bicycle-related injuries of the upper limb was
performed. Data on demographics, mechanisms of injury, region of injury, fracture type, management type, and
length of hospital stay were extracted and analyzed.
Results: A total of 177 of 733(24%) patients with bicycle-related upper limb injuries were identified. The most common
mechanism of injury was a collision with another vehicle (60%). Frequently affected regions were the shoulder
(48%), hand (19%), and wrist (19%). Eighty-eight (50%) patients sustained bony injuries, while the remainder (50%)
had isolated soft tissue injuries. Fifty-three (30%) patients required a mean of 3.9 days of hospitalization, whereas
13 (25%) patients required high dependency or intensive care unit treatment. Surgical interventions were required
in 47 (27%) patients.
Conclusion: Bicycle-related injuries to the upper limb are common and result in significant morbidity. The most
common regions affected are the shoulder, wrist, and hand. Most of the injuries were caused by collisions with other
vehicles. A third of affected patients required hospitalization, and a quar ter required surgical intervention.
Level of evidence: III

Keywords

Main Subjects

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The Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery
Volume 10, Issue 12
December 2022
Pages 1030-1036

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History

  • Receive Date: 29 June 2021
  • Revise Date: 03 June 2022
  • Accept Date: 14 June 2022
  • First Publish Date: 02 November 2022

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