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Imaging of Rodeo and Equestrian Injuries

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Abstract

Rodeos are competitive sporting events that are held throughout Canada, the USA, Mexico, Australia, and Brazil. Many rodeo events have a high incidence of serious injury. Overall, the injuries in rodeo that most commonly require medical intervention are fractures, with fractures of the limbs the most common, followed by chest injuries and then brain trauma. Half of all rodeo event injuries are minor sprains and strains and contusions. Horseback riding is an extremely dangerous sport due to the size (average of 500 kg), speed (up to 65 km/h), and unpredictability of horses. An added element of danger is that the rider is elevated up to 3 m when riding. While the overall rate of injury from riding is considered low compared to other sports, the risk of severe injury is high. Horseback riding has higher hospitalization rates and thus is considered to be more dangerous than motorcycle riding, automobile racing, football, and skiing and at least as dangerous as rugby. In this chapter, we will review imaging features of rodeo and equestrian injuries.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Jared J Koopman (bull rider), John Tilley (bull rider), Cody Bennett (saddle bronc), Dan Tober (steer wrestler) and Karl Siemens (team roper) for sharing their personal experience in rodeo sport.

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Correspondence to Charmaine Wiens MD .

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Wiens, C., Zoga, A. (2016). Imaging of Rodeo and Equestrian Injuries. In: Guermazi, A., Roemer, F., Crema, M. (eds) Imaging in Sports-Specific Musculoskeletal Injuries. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14307-1_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14307-1_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-14306-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-14307-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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