# handlebar injury



## Gatorbike (Mar 13, 2006)

I'm just wondering if anyone has done anything like this and what the recovery was like. I took a bad fall and the hadlebar stuck me somewhere over my femoral artery. I now have a huge lump there. It's been about 8 days. I had a cat scan and exray and I don't have any internal injuries. Ouch!


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## badjenny (Mar 13, 2006)

Paging Jewells!! Jewells had a handlebar injury, deep cut I think that just missed her artery. I am sure she will chime in and give you the scoop. She was off the bike for a while from what I remember....


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## Berkeley Mike (Jan 13, 2004)

*Only a deep tissue bruise*

You were very lucky. I took a bar in the ribs once. It only hurt when I laughed. Ha! Ha! ouch.


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## jewels (Mar 17, 2004)

Hey glad to know I'm not such an oddball! Anyhow the bars punctured my skin and blood was actually squirting out of my groin on the trail. I got the works, u/s mri and cat scan. I wasnt able to lift (or cross my leg) for about a week-10 days. I actually tore the muscle that runs anterior/medial and controls that leg to lift up. It looked okay on the ct and u/s but the mri showed the tear. I could lift my leg up with my hands and it didn't hurt, but was unable to do it alone. It took 2 weeks or so and I was spinning around the neighborhood on flat pedals and 1 month and I was riding again on the trails. It's been a few months and I still get intermitent pains, but I just spin easily. Lately, I haven't been riding much, but have been doing other exercises fine. My dr. said it's just the tincture of time. It was really really hard to just lay around the house and pop percocet, but sometimes that's what your body tells you to do. Good luck!


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## mbmojo (Aug 9, 2004)

I took a handlebar end in the ribs. Made a real nice crunch sound as the bones fractured and left a really cool deep purple tattoo of a K2 bar plug logo that lasted for weeks. Amazing thing was I was able to ride the bike back to the car but sitting in the car seat was excruciating. Two inches lower it would have gone under the rib cage and likely caused more serious injury.


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## Gatorbike (Mar 13, 2006)

*Hey Jewels*

Your injury sounds like mine. I can lift my leg a little now. I have a huge knot over my artery area that swells up during the day. I didn't have an MRI just a cat scan and Xray so I guess I don't know exactly what's injured. I do have a little cut but thank goodness it wasn't deep or I gues I'd have big trouble. I Want TO RIDE MY BIKE!:madman:


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

I did that - wrecked and got the end of my handlebar right in the guts. I had ODI imprinted next to my belly button for a while... That one hurt. It healed up fine though.


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## venus1 (Aug 4, 2006)

*Watch Out!*

Yo, GATORBIKE: I'd watch that closely. An artery can be damaged by the 1st impact & deteriorate after several days & hemorrhage. Seen it w/ gun shot wounds where the tissue around the hole degrades & the patient bleeds to death in a few minutes despite he/she is in the ICU.


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

I did that too - centerpunched myself on a bar end. formica was with me. Not sure how I escaped major injury cuz that mofo *hurt*. I had this weird fleur-de-lis shaped bruise on my chest. Hurt to breathe for a week or so.


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## dHarriet (Sep 26, 2005)

ahhh...i have had similar injuries on SEVERAL occasions :madman:

bar end to the chest - HUGE bruise - hurt when i laughed, coughed, slept, stood...just hurt pretty much all the time...took a couple of weeks but healed and was fine

uncut steerer tube to the gut - completely black bruise shockingly similar in size to the headset cap. stayed black and small for a couple of days, didn't hurt too much unless i bumped or touched it...then it spread across half my stomach, faded and went away...took about 4 weeks 

handle bar to the neck (just above collarbone) - this one hurt quite a bit...pretty much every time i moved my head...the bruise wasn't very dark, but there was definitely some swelling...took about a week to go away

hey...they don't call me an involuntary dismounter for nothing! 

i say if it's taking a long time to heal...and you don't see any improvement, then it's time for another trip to the doc's!


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## Team Pro Laps (Jul 1, 2004)

*Hematoma*

Sounds like a hermatoma....


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## Gatorbike (Mar 13, 2006)

*Hey Stripes*



stripes said:


> Agreed, especially what's it's near. Did you ice it and elevate it?
> 
> Good luck, Gator. Oh yeah, and get a second opinion.


How's your wrist? Are you riding now?


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