Category Archives: Other

All Blogs, Basketball, Other

Joel Embiid’s Orbital Bone Fracture

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Philadelphia 76ers All-star Joel Embiid fractured his eye socket (orbital bone) on March 28th after colliding with teammate Markelle Fultz lunging for a loose basketball. Embiid had no signs of concussion in the locker room, but was diagnosed with a concussion at the hospital. A CT scan identified the orbital fracture around his left eye.

The 76ers announced that Embiid will have surgery within a few days. That suggests that the bone is far enough out of place to benefit from surgery.

A common misconception is that surgery is necessary or that it helps bones heal more quickly. Bones take equal time to get to full strength with or without surgery. The use of metal implants is usually done for better alignment and for some bones that are less likely to heal without surgery.

Athletes are often willing to accept the risks of reinjury, returning prior to complete healing. Some athletes wear a mask to attempt to reduce the risk of reinjury while the bone is still healing and vulnerable. It was stated that Embiid will miss 2 to 4 weeks and could be available for the playoffs.

This article was made by Paul Bonilla and David Ring

All Blogs, Olympic Sports, Other

Markus Schairer’s Vertebral Fracture

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Austrian snowboarder Markus Schairer had a bad fall competing in the men’s snowboard cross quarterfinals in his third Winter Olympics. He was able to finish the race, but was later diagnosed with a fracture of the fifth cervical vertebrae (broken bone in his neck).

The details of the injury are not known, but it’s notable that he was able to finish the race with a broken neck. That suggests that the injury did not harm his spinal cord, which is lucky for an injury so close to the spinal cord. It also suggests that the injury was relatively stable.

In baseball, a broken bat often looks normal and is structurally in one piece. Other times, a broken bat snaps in two. This was likely a stable type of injury, more like the bat that is still mostly intact, which is great news. An unstable neck fracture places the spinal cord and the nerves that go to the arms at risk. Spinal cord and nerve damage would cause tingling or numbness, and/or weakness or inability to make certain movements.

Schairer was transported back to Austria for additional evaluation and treatment. It sounds like he will just need to give his body time to heal (which could take 6-8 weeks), wearing a brace in the meantime for comfort and protection. He shared a picture of himself on Instagram in a neck brace and assured fans he will be fine.

This article was made by Alexa Ryder and David Ring

All Blogs, Other

Is Opioid Misuse a Problem Among Professional Athletes?

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The United States is currently in the midst of a crisis of opioid misuse and overdose deaths. Former NFL players are increasingly open about their troubles with prescription opioids. Under pressure to perform in spite of injury and pain, doctors and athletes sometimes used anesthetics and pain relievers to allow professional athletes to play more comfortably. When opioids are used in this way, athletes are at risk for future opioid misuse.

What is the role of opioids in pain relief?
Patients in other countries (and many if not most patients in the United States) experience adequate pain relief using few opioids. Nociception is the physiology of actual or potential tissue damage. Pain is the unpleasant thoughts, emotions and behaviors that can accompany nociception. The intensity of pain for a given nociception is largely related to stress, distress and less effective coping strategies. Greater pain and more prolonged opioid use is associated with psychosocial factors. The best pain reliever is peace of mind and opioids should be used in the smallest doses for the shortest time possible.

Are opioid medications dangerous?
The last three decades’ experience with increasing opioid use reaffirms how addictive and dangerous they are. Surgeons in the United States tend to give more pills than people use. That can lead to using the pills for fun rather than for pain relief, which leads to problems. Unused pills can be diverted to friends and family or sold and misused.

Tiger Woods’ recent DUI is a good example of how dangerous these medications can be. Opioid medications when taken can lead to mental impairment and are dangerous when operating a motor vehicle. They are addictive and can slow and even stop your breathing, which can kill you.