First Appeared Monday, 22 March '04

Sports Medicine -- Flying on a Fast Track

When one thinks of sports medicine specialists, images come to mind of them tending to the injured limbs of tennis and basketball players, gymnasts and the like.

But these specialists, just like the athletes that rely on their care, are a flexible and multi-talented bunch who show up in various venues — even at a baseball field that has been transformed into dirt tracks and ramps so that the competitors can race, and even fly.

Drs. Benjamin Ma and Amir Matityahu trackside at the 90-foot triple jump.

UCSF sports medicine specialists worked trackside when motorcycle racers from around the world competed in San Francisco. The THQ-American Motorcycle Association Supercross Series, held at SBC Park (formerly Pac Bell Park) on Feb. 7 drew 45,000 fans to see the athletes reach top speeds and fly through the air to complete course jumps.

Benjamin Ma, MD, and Christina Allen, MD, both sports medicine specialists at UCSF Medical Center; and Amir Matityahu, MD, an orthopaedic trauma specialist at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center (SFGHMC), were strategically placed around the dirt race track to provide emergency care to the athletes.

Working alongside John Bodnar, MD, Medical Director for Clear Channel Entertainment Motor Sports, which promotes motocross events worldwide, and a dozen paramedics, the UCSF physicians helped treat injured riders during practices, qualifying heats and the main events. The UCSF physicians received specialized training early that morning from Bodnar, which included use of specialized technology to remove the helmet of an injured rider without unnecessarily moving the neck and spine, said Ma.

“I really got a first-hand look at the inside workings of professional motorcycle racing,” he said. “Due to the exciting, yet extreme, nature of this sport, trackside medical attention is a must to keep these athletes safe and performing to the best of their abilities.”

He explained that UCSF providers treated South African champion Grant Langston when he missed a 90-foot triple jump during a practice session, which catapulted him 30 feet in the air and resulted in his crashing. After treatment, Langston was able to compete in the evening events, said Ma.

At the event’s “Mobile Medical Center”, left to right: Christina Allen, Amir Matityahu, Benjamin Ma, Carlen Hills and John Bodnar.

Ray Buck, director of clinical programs for the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, drew on his passion for the sport to encourage UCSF Sports Medicine physicians to provide trackside assistance at the SBC race. The UCSF sports medicine doctors will also be trackside for the opening round of the national outdoor motocross season, to be held in Sacramento on May 16.

Buck, 60, a long-time UC employee, has worked at UCSF, UCSD and UCLA in various management positions. He returned to UCSF two years ago, after a brief retirement, to join the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Still an amateur competitor at veteran events on the motocross circuit and a fourth-place finisher at the 2002 World Vet Championships held in San Bernardino, the Alamo resident realizes the importance of good medical care on and off the track.

“While this sport is very exciting and includes athletes of all ages and genders flying through the air, it can be hard on the body,” he said. “For this reason, it’s crucial to have qualified physicians and emergency crews track-side in the event of an emergency.” He added that sports medicine physicians play a crucial role in getting athletes back to racing after an injury.

Buck, a Missouri native who began racing at the age of 17, is representative of many motorcycle racers in that he has injured many parts of his body. Most recently he suffered three broken ribs after he was hit by another rider in mid-air during a practice session. UCSF Medical Center orthopaedic surgeon Sigurd Berven, MD, treated Buck for those injuries.

Other common injuries among motorcycle racers include torn ligaments in the knee, dislocated or broken shoulders, and injuries to the hands, feet, elbows, ankles, wrists, back and spine, he said.

Source: Maureen McInaney

Links:

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery-Sports Medicine Center