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Broken legs and ankles heal better if you walk on them within weeks

(www.scientificamerican.com)
611 points sohkamyung | 1 comments | 19 Feb 25 12:36 UTC | HN request time: 0.286s | source
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ehnto ◴[19 Feb 25 14:04 UTC] No.43102277[source]▶
The pathology for broken collar bones was changing right as I took up mountain biking, and subsequently shattered my collarbone.

It was hotly debated at the hospital, if my specific case should be operated on or not. Each time I had a checkup, one doctor would say "wait and see" while the other was saying "I can't believe we didn't operate on this".

At any rate, the outcome was as good as if they had operated on it, according to the doc anyway. Nice of them to test it out on me!

More related to this though, I have broken both my collarbones, the first time I had little direction and just held my arm still for 2-3 months. It took forever to heal, and my arm atrophied significantly. The second time, similar severity. I was guided through rehab and I was back using my arm within the first month, very little atrophy.

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edwcross ◴[19 Feb 25 14:58 UTC] No.43102787[source]▶
Given the amount of injuries related to mountain biking, is there some specific insurance needed for it? It seems one of those "net-negative for the society activities", like trampolines.
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Daneel_ ◴[19 Feb 25 15:16 UTC] No.43102966[source]▶
No? I’ve been mountain biking for over 20 years and never any broken bones or had to go to hospital as a result, despite doing downhill, trials, and dirt jumping. And I have 20 years of fitness to show for it - that’s about as positive as it gets.
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sejje ◴[19 Feb 25 15:29 UTC] No.43103113[source]▶
You haven't addressed the argument (riskiness of the activity) with your anecdote.
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1. grayhatter ◴[19 Feb 25 15:46 UTC] No.43103327[source]▶
That was his point, or if it wasn't it's my point. It's a physical activity, one that from my POV improves health much more than reduces it. Take the hypothetical where he doesn't ever find a replacement activity, and instead of being fit becomes obese and depressed. that would be worse for society than mountain biking wouldn't it?

For society only; what's the TCO of a mountain biking injury times the rate of injuries, over the TCO of obesity and depression times the likelihood a sedentary lifestyle results?

without access to that data, his anecdote does appear to be a stronger argument than literally no data, no?