This document summarizes a study on mountain biking injuries in Australia. The study evaluated injury type and frequency in mountain bike riders over 8 years. It found that females had a higher injury rate than males. Injury frequency increased with track congestion and hotter ambient temperatures. The study concluded that mountain biking is generally safe, with very low hospitalization and ambulance referral rates, but made recommendations to consider gender differences, riding practices, and medical needs at events.

1. Mountain Biking Events: Presentation Characteristics and Medical Needs Mr Jamie Ranse: Research Coordinator, Intensive Care Unit Chief Nursing Officer, St John Ambulance Australia Dr Nick Taylor: Registrar, Emergency Department

2. Overview Background Objectives Method Results Discussion

3. Background Mountain biking increasing in popularity North American and European studies Incidence of injury Gender Injury type

4. Objectives Evaluate injury type and frequency, and factors influencing these, in Australian mountain bike riders. Evaluate the adequacy of health service provision Hypothesis: Ambient temperature affects injury frequency, Track congestion affects injury frequency, Gender affects injury frequency.

5. Method Setting Population and sample Data collection Validity and Reliability Data Analysis Presentations frequency (presentations per kilometre ridden) Ambient temperature Track congestion (meters per ridder = track length / number of riders on track) Gender Ethics

6. Results 8 years 14777 riders 673 presented to St John Ambulance Australia

7. Results

8. Results Injury rate of females was different to males (p=0.032)

9. Results

10. Results

11. Results 0.25% referred to hospital (1 every 1990km ridden) 0.06% referred to hospital by ambulance (1 every 36000km)

12. Results R=0.889 p=0.003

13. Results Temperature: R=0.78 p=<0.001 Humidity: R=0.53 p=0.02

14. Limitations No data was collected regarding rider skill level or mechanism of injury High injury frequency in the first 8 hours may be due to a number of unmeasured factors Difficult to separate individual strength of effect - the hottest part of the race was also the most congested

15. Discussion Mountain biking is a safe sport Findings: Gender differences Types of presentations Track congestion Weather Recommendations Riding Practice Medical needs Research

16. Mr Jamie Ranse Research Coordinator Intensive Care Unit The Canberra Hospital Chief Nursing Officer St John Ambulance Australia Dr Nicholas Taylor Emergency Registrar The Canberra Hospital This research was funded by a St John Ambulance Australia research grant.