This presentation provides an overview of a research project that aimed to describe injury type and frequency, and the factors influencing these, in Australian mountain bike riders. This research used a cross-sectional retrospective audit of patient records, prospective meteorological information and race data from the world’s largest twenty-four hour mountain bike race over an eight year period. Of the 14777 riders over the eight years, 675 required first aid treatment (4.6%), the majority for minor injuries to extremities. Only 0.25% of riders were referred to hospital, 0.06% by ambulance. The injury incidence was 8.4/1000 bike hours with a race-ending presentation [a patient referred to hospital] incidence of 0.5/1000 bike hours. Patient presentation rates are highest in the first eight hours of a race, and higher average temperatures per year were associated with a greater risk of injury. This mountain bike competition was safe with minor injuries to extremities predominating and low referral rates to hospital, as a result, first aid service organisations provided adequate clinical care at such events.
Ranse J, Taylor N. (2008). Mountain biking events: presentation characteristics and medical needs; paper presented at the 8th Rural Critical Care Conference, Batemans Bay, Australia, 23rd August
