In the injury information post from yesterday, I promised today would be one for the boys. Motorcycle accidents are one of the leading causes of blunt scrotal injuries. “Testicular dislocation is an uncommon complication, often due to a direct trauma to the fuel tank in motorcycle accident”. Basically, when a motorcycle runs into something, the body keeps traveling when the bike stops. Our balls have almost no protection on a motorcycle in “normal” gear, and they get smashed on the gas tank as we are then ramped up and vaulted into the air. It’s not discussed much, but at Legal Ride Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorneys Nevada we see it frequently. These injuries are not hard to diagnose, but in frequently missed in the early day with what is called “polytrauma patients”. Meaning, a patient that comes into the trauma center with multiple serious or life-threatening conditions, such as a broken pelvis, broken bones in extremities, bleeding, broken ribs, etc. It is common for motorcycle accident victims to have multiple serious injuries and the rider’s balls are sometimes overlooked due to the severity and number of other injuries. This leads to a dramatic delay in diagnosis and can affect treatment and recovery. The long-term consequences of failing to timely identify and treat scrotal injuries can include erectile dysfunction and abnormal spermatogenic function and even the loss of part or all of a testicle.
Testicular injuries include:
Rupture or fracture. A rupture or tear through the tough, protective covering surrounding the testicle and damage to the testicle.
Contusion. Injuries to the blood vessels in the testicle which causes swelling, bleeding, and bruising. Torsion. A tube called the spermatic cord contains blood vessels that lead from the abdomen to the testicle. A scrotum injury can cause this cord to twist, which is called torsion.
Hematoceles. These can occur when blood collects under a layer of the protective covering around the testicle.
Dislocation. Some accidents can push the testicle out of the scrotum. It may end up in the abdomen, near the pubic bone over the penis, or other areas near the scrotum. This most often happens in motorcycle crashes when the testicles collide with the gas tank.
Epididymitis. Testicular trauma can injure the epididymis, leaving it inflamed or infected. The epididymis is a coiled tube that holds sperm for a while after they leave the testicle.
Degloving (what yesterday’s post was all about). Degloving can also occur to the scrotum. In this type of injury, the scrotum is torn away, like removing a glove from a hand.
Far as gear, there are “cups” available specific to motorcycle gear, although I have not personally tried them. There are other sports like boxing and other forms of fighting, and contact sports, that have their own versions of scrotum protection that might work for you on a bike.
I will continue doing posts about injuries unique to riders. Lawyers who do not have the depth and breadth of experience litigating and handling motorcycle accident cases have no idea about, not just the reconstruction aspects of motorcycle accidents, but the injuries which are unique to motorcycle accidents. I have been handling motorcycle accident cases for 32 years now, and in addition to handling hundreds of cases a year in Nevada, we consult with other firms locally and around the country on the complex medical issues involved in these cases. This isn’t an area to just declare what you want to do and start doing one day. These subjects take years to learn and master.