Acute Injury Concerns for Team GB’s Elite Paralympic Athletes
Ongoing research by the International Paralympic Committee has revealed that injury rates are higher for Para athletes compared to Olympic participants, with the highest risk being upper limb injuries. What’s more, many are new-onset acute injuries, with Para Goalball, 5-a-side Football and Powerlifting competitors exposed to the highest injury risk in the Para Games, according to the research.
So as our Paralympic athletes seek to replicate the success of their Team GB Olympic teammates’ major medal haul in Tokyo, it’s worth reflecting on the toll that competing at the highest level can exact on our sportsmen and women.
Olympic medal hopeful Katarina Johnson-Thompson had to withdraw from the heptathlon after suffering a calf injury in the 200m, gamely completing the course only to be disqualified for stepping out of her lane. Dina Asher-Smith and Adam Gemili experienced similar injury heartbreak in Tokyo.
Even among the medal-winners, like 13-year-old skateboarding bronze medal-winning Sky Brown, and BMX gold medal-winning Beth Shriever, their path to the Olympic finals was plagued by injuries. Both had suffered fractured wrists; in Shriever’s case no less than three times in her arduous journey to medal success.
Wrist injuries are a particular problem for elite athletes, as they can often go undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed, for months. Scaphoid fractures, a fracture of the bone that spans the two rows of bones that make up the wrist, are frequently missed on initial x-rays. Correct diagnosis can be delayed for weeks, months or even years, with potential long-term health implications.
Read more about the devastating impact of missed scaphoid fractures .
https://www.pryers.co.uk/resources/missed-scaphoid-fractures/
Nick’s story
Nick was an active sportsman playing rugby locally with the chance to play overseas. During a game, he injured his wrist while trying to break his fall. He was x-rayed at his local A&E the next day and referred to a fracture clinic where unfortunately, they failed to correctly diagnose the problem, prescribing only physiotherapy.
After completing his physio, Nick returned to playing competitively, but the continued pain caused him to stop after just three games. A GP visit and another hospital x-ray finally revealed the fracture and Nick eventually had surgery to correct the problem. However, months of recovery meant he missed the opportunity to play abroad.
“Nick approached us for help, so we asked him to attend an examination by an independent medical expert,” said Charlotte Waller, an experienced personal injury negligence solicitor from Pryers. “We were able to prove that Nick should have been correctly diagnosed much earlier to achieve a full recovery in just four to six months, and avoid surgery altogether.”
The misdiagnosis caused Nick permanent loss of movement and pain in his wrist and the Hospital Trust were forced to admit liability. With Pryers help, Nick was able to claim £19,000 in compensation.
You can read Nick’s full story here.
https://www.pryers.co.uk/success-stories/medical-negligence/missed-wrist-fracture/
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