When I read about what happened to Bono in his Central Park bike crash, it makes me think of all of the terrible crashes that happen in pro cycling, and how lucky many cyclists have been to not be catastrophically injured.
The headlines I saw in first reports were things like “Bono Injures Arm in Central Park Bike Accident, Requires Surgical Repair”. But the surgeries he required were much more extensive than what the headlines indicated.
While riding his bike through New York’s Central Park on Sunday, the singer attempted to avoid another rider and was involved in what doctors have called a “high energy bicycle accident.” Bono was rushed to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center’s Emergency Department and underwent “multiple X-rays and CAT scans” followed by five hours of surgery.
According to the statement from Dr. Dean Lorich that is included in the article, Bono sustained the following traumas:
- Left facial fracture involving the orbit of his eye.
- Left scapula fracture, leaving his shoulder blade in three pieces.
- Left compound distal humerus fracture. (A compound fracture involves skin penetration.) The humerus was in six pieces and a nerve was “trapped in the break”.
- Left fifth metacarpal (pinky) fracture.
Dr. Lorich said that Bono is expected to make a full recovery after “intensive and progressive therapy,” which is great news.
Wear a helmet and all of your protective equipment when participating in potentially dangerous sports like cycling, in-line skating, ice skating, and ice hockey.
Avoid heavily used multi-use trails like those found in Central Park when you can, because bike handling and in-line skating skills can only do so much to help you avoid injury when too many people are on the trail at the same time.
If this doesn’t underscore in your mind the fact that athletes need to wear helmets and other protective equipment at all times when participating in sports like cycling, in-line skating, ice skating, and ice hockey, then nothing will.