A hidden danger lies in wait for sailors who sail in summer by speedboat through the Mediterranean. In particular, those who appreciate the art of sunbathing in the sea, this “underestimated” danger, has highlighted in a study the neurosurgeon from Marseille Stéphane Fuentès. This is the risk of fracture, more specifically fractures of the spine, a set of vertebrae.
“In 2020, after the first confinement, we operated on up to 16 patients in summer [pour ce type de blessures]”, he says Provence.
This very serious investigation carried out by the neurosurgery departments of the AP-HM, the applied biomechanics laboratory of the Universidad del Mediterráneo and the army training hospital was published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. The study analyzes a cohort of 79 patients, presenting a total of 90 fractures.
“Bridge Strike”
This is how this usually happens. A person lies down at the front of the boat to sunbathe, usually when the sea is calm. The problem arises when a wave, caused by another ship, hits the first. The lying person flies up, then falls back down.
The violence of the crash is a combination of several factors, such as the hardness of the bridge or whether or not the person anticipates the jolt. In addition, women are more exposed than men, with 71 registered cases compared to 18.
This “bridge hit” is not to be taken as a joke. “The fractures caused are equivalent to a fall from two floors,” the doctor explained to the regional newspaper. The key, a week of hospitalization, one or two months of sick leave and a long follow-up. Which does not leave a very good vacation memory.
Source: BFM TV
