Knowledge
Medical Insight: Polodoc
Dr.med. Andreas Krüger is a Swiss board orthopaedic and trauma surgeon in Zurich, who specialises in knee and shoulder surgery. Andi is a second generation of tournament doctors for equine sports, known as Polodoc since 2013
Squeezed, Rotated, Fractured Damage control technique
Lately, many famous professional polo players faced season-ending injuries on the field. In most cases a combination of impact from the horse with the speed of the game plus the height of the fall result in massive impact on anatomical structures. The consequence is that fractures of the bone, rupture of the ligaments and damage to the soft tissue are common occurrences. A total recovery is possible, but the journey maybe long and small mistakes in the initial treatment can tremendously impact the final result and the time to safely return to play.
up to 1,000 pounds falling on the ground. This is a unique situation in sport injuries. Most likely additional impact results from rotation which is a condition when the fall is combined with impact. When these forces impact the human body, a certain threshold leads to fractures of the bone and rupture of ligaments. The surrounding soft tissue is like an envelope. An intact envelope is important for wound healing after an operation and protection of the bone from contact to the contaminated outside environment.
Mechanism of Injury
In case of open fracture (where bone is exposed to air) a primary sterile dressing would be excellent and direct transfer to a
During polo a player can be squeezed in between several horses with a weight of
A pre-operative X-ray of an open fracture
First Response
In the hands of experienced surgeons, damage control surgery and advanced treatment techniques can positively affect the final outcome
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Polo Times, May 2022
www.polotimes.co.uk
