New research from the University of British Columbia suggests that mountain bikers could be at a higher risk of spinal cord injury than other high-intensity sports, including hockey, skiing and snowboarding.
The research, published recently in the journal Neurotrama Reports, documented 58 spinal cord injuries linked to mountain biking in B.C. between 2008 and 2022.
Over that same period, researchers found just three such injuries among hockey players. The researchers also found mountain bike-related injuries were seven times higher than for skiing and snowboarding in recent years.
Story continues below advertisement
The number of annual spinal cord injuries linked to mountain biking was comparable or higher to those connected to amateur football across the entire United States.
“I’m not sure that everybody really kind of recognized that they could actually suffer a life-altering and fairly catastrophic spinal cord injury and be essentially paralyzed from the neck down with really no use of your hands …