Risk of neck fracture rises for ‘men in lycra’

“MAMILS” – middle-aged men in Lycra – are fuelling a dramatic rise in sportsrelated neck fractures, the largest study into the injuries has revealed.

An analysis of over 50,000 neck injuries found sports-related cervical breaks had soared by about a third in 15 years – mainly due to cycling, which has grown in popularity here since British Olympic and Tour de France wins.

It found sporting injuries have overtaken previous common causes such as car crashes and diving accidents. It is the first study of its kind and raises serious concerns for the health of “mamils”.

The analysis was revealed at a conference in New Orleans held by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Researchers identified that over half of the patients – 27,546 – had sustained a neck injury during a sporting activity. The numbers meant sporting-related cervical fractures increased by 30 per cent from 2000 to 2015 – driven by a 300 per cent rise in cyclingrelated injuries.

Cycling caused the most fractures in males, followed by diving or swimming, and football. Horseback riding caused the most cervical fractures in females, then cycling, diving and swimming.

Dr Mason Depasse, an orthopaedic trauma surgery fellow at Brown University in Rhode Island, said: “The biggest takeaway was that cycling is the number one cause of neck fractures.”