| Nervous and vascular |
Nervous and vascular disorders related to cyclingAuthor: Giuseppe Marcolin, Antonio Paoli1, Antonino Bianco, Antonio PalmaAbstract Bicycle riding is a very popular form of transportation, recreation and fitness in many areas of the world and its effects on cardiovascular apparatus are well done. On the other hand bicycles are also source of significant injuries which can be divided in two categories: i) traumatic involving legs, arms trunk and head; ii) non traumatic involving hands, wrists, knees and the perineal zone. In particular, perineal compression during bicycling appears to be responsible for some cases of erectile dysfunction with a decrease of the quality of life. In view of the relevance of the problem, previous studies have analyzed the effect of different saddles geometry on the perineal compression. In this study we developed an integrated protocol aimed to quantify the compression of the cyclist perineal zone by measuring the pressure between the saddle and the bottom of the cyclist with a customized sensors mat, the 3D pelvic motion with a six infra-red stereophotogrammetric system and the transcutaneous penile oxygen pressure at the glans of the penis during cycling in a stationary bike. Furthermore, we collected anthropometric data from computerized tomography of human pelvis (great trochanters, PSIS, ASIS and ischiatic bones distances) to find a possible correlation between these measures and the height of the cyclist. The integrated protocol was then applied to study countermeasures to reduce perineal pressure. In particular, the efficacy of the pads of the cyclist shorts was examined and compared with the impact of the saddle shape. Different pads with different saddles were mechanically tested on a MTS Mini Bionix II device to objectively quantify the stiffness and dumping of the saddle-pad system. Results of pilot study allowed us to appreciate differences among the pads tested underling the importance of choosing not only the saddle but also the pad to reduce nervous and vascular disorders of the perineal zone. The collection of data on a large sample of cyclists will be next step, necessary to confirm these preliminary results.Объявление: |
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