Colorado Public Radio reported on Omer Mei-Dan, MD, at the Colorado University Sports Medicine and Performance Center, and how the rugged landscape of the state and its numerous extreme sport athletes pose unique challenges to his profession.
1. Dr. Mei-Dan in addition to being an orthopedic surgeon is a multi-sport extreme sports athlete. He is also a sponsored extreme athlete and frequently a stuntman.
2. Some of the extreme sport athletes ride bikes for hours on end, up and down mountains. The sports often involve high speeds and elevations, and emphasize the importance of endurance.
3. Many Colorado health providers believe the state has earned a reputation as a mecca for those who practice "extreme sports medicine." It's a reputation that is growing. Dr. Julyn Aguilar, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon from the Philippines, said came to Colorado because of an influx of extreme sports cases she sees in her practice in the Philippines.
"It's in the forefront of sports medicine," Aguilar said. "A lot of people really come here, and many consider this the mecca of sports medicine."
4. A study that was presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2014 annual meeting found that athletes that competed in extreme sports suffered more than 40,000 head and neck injuries annually, with 2.5 percent of those injuries considered severe. Skateboarding topped the list, with snowboarding, skiing and motocross following it.
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