Two More Skaters Out for the Season

[PAskate]

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=27608&type=news

[Debbie S]

Oh, how awful for both of them! Louann looked so good at Liberty in July. I really thought this could be a breakthrough season for her. Hopefully, she'll come back strong next year.

[AxelAnnie22]

This is just beyond the Pale. I sure hope the ISU steps in with some modifications to either the season or the number of jumps per program.

[Lise]

Ryan's injury wasn't caused by jumps.

[robertp]

Wasn't Ryans injury the most unusual injury you've heard of by a high level athlete? My understanding is that the fracture was a compound fracture too!

[skatingatty]

Wasn't Ryans injury the most unusual injury you've heard of by a high level athlete? My understanding is that the fracture was a compound fracture too!

Yeah, how do you fracture an arm while throwing a ball playing dodgeball? Hope they both heal quickly; seemed like Ryan was really improving each year. He was a lot of fun to watch at last yr.'s nationals!

[znachki]

Yeah, how do you fracture an arm while throwing a ball playing dodgeball? Hope they both heal quickly; seemed like Ryan was really improving each year. He was a lot of fun to watch at last yr.'s nationals!

According to the linked article, it was a "Spiral Fracture"


From: http://www.amershamhealth.com/medcyclopaedia/medical/volume%20VII/SPIRAL%20FRACTURE.ASP

Fracture which "spirals" within the shaft of a long bone and usually reflects a torsional force applied to the long bone rather than direct injury. Torsional forces are not uncommon in accidental trauma when particularly the extremity is fixed, e.g. a fall with a fixed foot. This is the usual explanation for the spiral tibial fracture seen in infants and toddlers who have recently started to cruise or walk. In contrast, spiral fractures of the humeral shaft are suspicious for non accidental trauma with torsional forces applied as the arm is twisted. On radiographs it may not be possible to distinguish between an oblique and spiral fracture and the fracture pattern projected may depend on the projection . (my emphasis)

Also, they can be very unstable and take a long time to heal.

From: http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/cache/2080768014.htm

A spiral fracture is one in which the plane of the fracture varies with distance along the bone. It is caused by a twisting movement about the long axis of the bone, for example a fall whilst skiing.

These fractures are unstable and tend to slip and redisplace even if the bone is splinted. Not uncommonly, the tips of the spike themselves break to produce a triangular fragment referred to as a butterfly fragment.


Sounds like a bunch of guys horsing around, and it just happened.

[LittleBitSk8er]

Znachki thank you for your detailed responce.