[Bboy.org]

Radiology 140.03
December, 2000
Belinda Fu, MSIV
Injuries of Breakdancing

http://www.radiology.ucsf.edu/learni...eakdance.shtml

Abstract
Since its introduction into popular American culture in the late 1980's, breakdancing has held a reputation for being a dangerous form of recreation. The medical literature contains eighteen articles concerning injuries associated with breakdancing. These articles suggest that breakdancing may be associated with an increase in susceptibility to general traumatic injury. The literature also presents a number of unique injuries that may be specific to breakdancing; these injuries are discussed in detail here. Finally, this review postulates that the medical literature is incomplete regarding this topic, and more research and education should be done so that physicians can be aware of the changing patient demographics of breakdancers and the unique injury patterns associated with this activity.
Introduction
Hip-hop culture began in America in the 1960's in the gangs of New York City, and it continues today as a significant component of American popular culture. Breakdancers, also known as breakers, or b-boys and b-girls, gained their name by performing to rhythm heavy sections, or "breaks," in the rhythm & blues music that eventually became rap. As rap music evolved and grew in popularity during the 1970's, so did breakdancing, and both began gaining notice outside of the inner city streets of New York, Los Angeles, and other major cities. With the movies Breakin', Beat Street, and Wild Style, the song "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang, and artists such as Rock Steady Crew, MCHammer and Michael Jackson, hip-hop culture eventually became a massive part of pop culture in America in the 1980's. As rap and breaking became a frequent and much hyped presence in the media, breakdancing "captured the imagination of [that] generation of teenagers,"12 and American youth eagerly incorporated it into their own lives, listening to the music and attempting to imitate the dance moves in their own homes.12, 14 As public awareness of this new dance phenomenon grew, so did concern for the safety of the kids who were learning the moves. A high school instructor at the Yale New Haven Teachers Institute, in his lesson plan for a class about the history of rap music in America, described breakdancing as "a very dangerous form of dancing which I am glad to say has faded in its popularity due to the number of injuries incurred. Very few, if any students ‘break dance' today. Once I describe some of the common ‘break dance' moves it will be quite evident why this type of dancing declined."14
The actual movements of breakdancing are dramatic, athletic, unpredictable, and difficult to describe. Many of the fundamental moves in basic breaking vocabulary require weight to be carried on the hands and arms, while the feet and legs move the body around that axis. Spins can take place on the knees, arched back, shoulders, or head. Freezes require holding an unusual position for a few seconds, supporting the entire body on only two or three points, rarely using the feet. Break routines also often utilize acrobatic moves such as handstands, cartwheels, splits, and dives.
Over the course of the 80's and 90's, hip-hop culture gave rise to other forms of dancing, such as the electric boogaloo and popping & locking. These styles incorporated less floorwork than breaking, and instead involved combinations of fluid movements interrupted by sudden stops and pauses. Perhaps the most widely imitated boogaloo move was the "moonwalk" that Michael Jackson introduced to the world in his music videos, himself drawing from the kids in the clubs and on the streets. As time went on, people began to freestyle, combining named moves with moves of their own creation. Eventually, breakdancing was seen as an old fad by American pop culture standards, and faded away from the eye of popular media.14
However, contrary to what was suggested above in the quote from a high school teacher, it would be incorrect to think that breakdancing is no longer a substantial presence in the hip-hop culture of today. Many current hip-hop dancers incorporate all styles into their dancing, interspersing boogaloo, popping, break, and other styles into one routine. Breakdancing has also taken a demographic change: not only is breaking still done on the inner city streets where it first originated, but it also now maintains a presence in dance studios and on the stage142,14. Whereas during the 80's, it was primarily children and teens imitating what they saw on television, now breakdancing is performed by individuals ranging in age from children to adults in their 30's and 40's–some of those adults being the same children of two decades ago. An internet search using the keywords "breakdancing" generates a list of hundreds of sites for b-boys around the world, with references for local performances, international competitions, professional dance groups, classes, and "how-to" videos.20 Since breakdancing continues to be practiced by many individuals around the world, both within organized dance communities as well as on the streets, good medical care for this population requires awareness of any special medical concerns associated with this activity. This review of the medical literature seeks to explore the medical aspects of breakdancing and to identify any risks or injuries associated with breakdancing as studied by clinicians up to this point in time.
Literature review
A review of the medical literature on all Medline databases found eighteen citations regarding injuries associated with breakdancing. (See attached Table I for description of all studies). All the articles were written between 1984 and 1987. Eleven of these citations are letters to the editor, and the remainder of the articles are case reports, with the number of cases in each article ranging from one to twelve. There are sixty-nine cases reported, with the articles describing forty-six cases in detail, and mentioning at least twenty-three others*. The forty-six patients described in detail ranged in age from 4 to 25, and all were male except one.
TABLE II: types of injuries
Location of injury
# Cases reported
Head trauma
(subdural, cerebellar infarct, laceration, contusion)
4
Cervical injury
(fx,dislocation, subluxation, strain, bursitis)
8
Thoracic/lumbar fx

2
Thoracic/lumbar bursitis

16
Clavicular fx

2
Arm fx
(2 humerus, 8 radius and/or ulna)
10
Hand/wrist
(fx, strain)
5
Knee
(puncture, patellar bursitis)
4
Leg fx

2
Foot fx

4
Pulmonary embolism
1
Medical miscellaneous
(coin ingestion)
1
Genitourinary
(testicular torsion, urethral rupture, penile contusion)
5
Skin
(3 alopecia, 1 carpet dermatitis)
4
TOTAL:
69
As shown in table one, the range of injuries associated with breakdancing included a predominance of orthopedic injuries, with occasional medical problems. The orthopedic problems included trauma to the head4,10.16, the cervical4,6,8,9,13, thoracic and/or lumbar spines1,6,11,12, and all the extremities and their associated distal joints3,6,7,15,16,19. In terms of medical injuries, there was one reported case of pulmonary embolism17, one case in which a patient ingested a coin he was holding in his mouth while dancing16, three cases of alopecia induced by repeated headspins2,16, and one case of dermatitis from practicing moves on a carpeted floor16. Five cases of trauma to the genitourinary system were reported, including two missed diagnoses of testicular torsion5,16,18. Some of the injuries occurred when patients accidentally hit an object nearby, or after making a mistake during a break move, such as an incomplete flip 3,4,5,9,11,16. The remainder of the injuries came about from frequent dancing, but with no recalled incident of falling1,2,5,6,7,10,12,13,15,1718,19.
While all of the authors stated their concern that breakdancing might increase the risk of incurring many types of injuries, some of the authors stated that breakdancing increased susceptibility to otherwise uncommon injuries, such as a fracture of the proximal humeral epiphyseal plate7, or prepatellar bursitis15. Seven of the authors went further and suggested that they might have identified injuries unique to breakdancing.
TABLE III: Injuries unique to breakdancing
Name of Condition
Injury
Author
Break Dancing Neck/ Breaker's Neck
Cervical strain, fracture, or subluxation, with or without neurologic deficits
McBride9, Ramirez13
Breakdance Back Syndrome
Lower back pain and difficulty bending over
Norman12
Break Dancers' Bursitis
Thoracic paravertebral mass of reactive fibrosis and adventitial bursitis 2o to repeated trauma
Broome2
Breakdancer's Thumb
Partial rupture of the ulnar collateral ligament with fx of the proximal phalanx of the thumb
Winslet19
Break Dancer's Fracture of the Fifth Metatarsal
spiral fx of the distal midshaft of 5th metatarsal
Dieden3
Breakdancer's Pulmonary Embolism
PE with minimal sx of R arm pain, numbness, swelling, chest pain
Tiu17
In defining "Break Dancing Neck", McBride included three types of cervical spine injury of varying degrees of severity, as represented by three cases. One patient became instantly quadriplegic when he attempted a front flip but landed on his head, acquiring a C5 compression fracture and subluxation. Laminectomies and fusion of the C4-6 vertebrae were unsuccessful in returning neurological function. Another patient who fell on his head while attempting a flip had a C7 spinous process fracture, but no neurological deficits. His pain resolved over three weeks while using a soft cervical collar. The third patient was doing a head spin when his cardboard surface slipped under him; his resultant cervical prevertebral swelling and straightening caused dermatomal pain and numbness that eventually resolved without treatment9. All of the injuries were diagnosed with cervical spine plain films.
McBride's definition of "Break Dancing Neck" encompasses a broad category of cervical injury, uniquely linked by the etiology rather than the injury itself. In contrast, Ramirez's "Breaker's Neck" refers only to traumatic cervical subluxation resulting from breakdance head spins, and he cites one case of C4-C5 subluxation with temporary neurological deficits13. Dorey's case of C1/C2 subluxation also fits this description4, and it is possible to surmise that Leung's "cervical cord injury" may have resulted from "Breaker's Neck" as well8.
Both Norman and Broome described breakdance back injuries. Broome's "Break Dancers' Bursitis" referred to the specific presence of a thoracic paravertebral mass resultant from repeated spinning and impact on the arched thoracic spine. The patient did not complain of any pain, but did complain that the mass interfered with his dancing. Diagnosis of fibrosis bursitis was made after surgical removal of the mass and histologic analysis1. Unlike Broome's syndrome, which was a histologic and physical diagnosis, Norman's "Breakdance Back Syndrome" referred only to the history and symptom combination of low back pain with difficulty bending over, one day after practicing backspins. He did not include any physical or radiographic exam findings of any of the eight patients in defining this syndrome12.
Tiu described "Breakdancer's Pulmonary Embolism" based on the isolated case of a 16 year old boy who presented with a three-and-a-half week history of intermittent right arm swelling and coldness in his fingers, and a one day history of dull chest pain. He gave a history of breakdancing 1-2 hours daily for five months. After a normal plain films of his chest, arm, and neck, a CT scan showed venous thrombosis of the right axillary and cephalic vein. A V/Q scan confirmed the presence of previously unsuspected multiple pulmonary emboli. Tiu hypothesized that the venous thrombosis in the patient's dominant arm was a result of trauma from using the arm as a primary balance point during dancing, and suggested that breakdancing might specifically increase the risk of pulmonary emboli17.
"Break Dancer's Fracture of the Fifth Metatarsal" refers to a spiral fracture in the distal midshaft of the fifth metatarsal bone. According to Dieden, injuries of the midshaft and distal fifth metatarsal are uncommon, and when they occur, they are usually transverse and caused by heavy objects falling on the foot. In this case report, the spiral, distal midshaft fracture in the absence of trauma was attributed to the premature planting of the foot during a "floating" move, which created a rotational force on the long axis of the foot and a medial load on the distal half of the foot. The patient presented with sudden onset of sharp pain, with minimal swelling and moderate point tenderness just proximal to the fifth MP joint. Treatment was not discussed3.
Winslet described "Breakdancer's Thumb" as a "distinct clinical entity," based on the identical presentations of three different patients. Each British teenager presented with painful swelling of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the dominant thumb after breakdancing. Physical exam showed intact movement of the thumb, but with marked ulnar laxity. Radiographic exam revealed a non avulsion fracture of the ulnar side of the base of the proximal phalanx, with the bone fragment rotated clockwise bye 45 90o (See attached Figure I for radiographs of thumb). The rotated fragment necessitated open surgery for internal fixation; at the time of operation, all patients were noted to also have partial rupture of the ulnar collateral ligament. Full recovery was made by three months. Winslet noted that "in breakdancing, weight is transferred to the hand by falling on it with the fingers hyperextended. The hand is then bridged with the thumb abducted and the body rotates, with subsequent forced radial deviation of the thumb. . . . the stress of this manoeuvre causes a fracture of the proximal phalanx as the ligament stretches and ruptures superficially. Rotation of the bone fragment occurs as a result of the torsional forces applied through the thumb on rotation oaf the body." Winslet also stated that although partial UCL rupture is a common injury, the association of a UCL rupture with a non avulsion fracture of the proximal phalanx had never been previously reported until the presentation of these three breakdancers19.
_
Discussion
In summary, it appears as though the literature suggests that breakdancing may cause general trauma, fracture, strain, or other injury to many body parts. In addition, breakdancing may be associated with a number of otherwise uncommon medical conditions such as cervical spine subluxation, or greenstick fractures of the humeral head. Some breakdance-induced conditions may even be unique, such as thoracic or lumbar paravertebral bursitis, or certain types of foot or hand fractures. It is also possible that breakdancing may be responsible for increasing susceptibility of certain non traumatic medical conditions such as pulmonary embolism. Although some of these injuries certainly occur in other recreational activities and sports, the unusual physical motions required in breakdancing probably do increase the risk of incurring otherwise unusual injuries. For example, in the same way that cervical spine injuries can occur in horseback riding and diving, the frequent presence of head spins and airborne moves as part of basic breaking vocabulary very likely increases a breakdancer's risk of incurring this type of injury. In order to identify the exact nature of the syndromes and injuries put forth by these authors, more cases in the more recent past need to be documented and studied.
In his letter to the editor, Dieden states, "Physicians should have a heightened level of suspicion when evaluating patients injured during break dancing until all associated injuries are known."3 Since each type of break move may be associated with certain types of injuries, it would be important to take a detailed history, specifically questioning the patient about the types of moves being practiced. When evaluating a breakdancer, it would not be unreasonable to pursue a radiographic exam even in the presence of minimal symptoms or the absence of trauma, based on the possibility of diagnosing a break unique injury such as those discussed above. Along the same lines, Gearhart recommends using ultrasound to fully evaluate breakdancing patients who present with possible genitourinary injuries, since the severity of injury might otherwise be underestimated5.
More generally, it is important to increase awareness among physicians that breakdancing is still a widely practiced activity with its own unique physical demands and associated medical problems, since a history of breakdancing may change or enhance a differential diagnosis, even in non orthopedic presentations. This knowledge about breakdancing and its medical aspects would be most useful and appropriate for primary care and acute care physicians, emergency room physicians, and sports or dance medicine specialists, so that they keep it in mind when determining a diagnosis. Physicians also need to become more aware of the different forms of breakdancing, since the common perception is that breakdancing consists only of spinning on one's head. Preoccupation with this stereotype may distract physicians from considering the more real risks of other types of injuries, which may actually be more common than the cervical injuries brought on by headspins. In McNeil's words, "Awareness of the popularity of ‘breaking' among teenagers and the possibility of serious injury from accidents during its performance will improve clinicians' ability to diagnose and treat these (perhaps rare) complications."10
While educating physicians about the medical and physical aspects of breakdancing, it is also important to provide more information about the cultural aspects of this form of dance, in order to eliminate old biases and misinformation associated with breaking. It is of note that all the articles cited in this literature review were written more than fourteen years ago, with nothing new about this topic since then. It is doubtful that no breakdancing related injuries have occurred since then; the more likely possibility is that as breakdancing faded out of the media's attention, so did the fascination with potential breaking injuries fade away from the attention of physicians.
It is important to educate clinicians today so that they are aware that people across a wide range of ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds still pursue breakdancing. Many of the articles directed their words of caution to parents, teens, and children3,6,7,11,13. Today, many dancers of all ages are breakdancing, and breaking and hip hop are widely regarded in the dance community as an art form as legitimate as ballet, jazz, tap, or modern dance5,12. Furthermore, although all but one of the cases cited in the literature were male patients, today there are many women and "b girls" who do the same breakdancing moves as their male counterparts. Any stereotypes regarding the type of patient who would be expected or not expected to try breakdancing might again distract the clinician from including breakdance injuries in their differential diagnoses.
Finally, in making recommendations for patients who breakdance, physicians should be educated to recommend good techniques as well as warning patients about the potential hazards of this style of dance. Patients should not be discouraged from breakdancing, but should be instructed to practice safely, with supervision from skilled instructors, using safe surfaces such as thick mats or wooden floors, and progressing slowly within one's range of skill and strength. All twelve cases described by Sharma occurred "because the activity was unsupervised and improper techniques and surfaces were used." 16 Norman advocates practicing on four-inch mats, ideally placed on sprung wood floors that decrease the incidence of stress fractures12, and Sharma makes a point to suggest that the mats be placed away from all objects16. Moses, Norman, and Sharma all urge diligent warm up, stretching, and cool down activities in order to prevent tendinitis, hyperextension, and other stretch related injuries11,12,16. Some breakdancers have begun using helmets for headspins, although the efficacy of this in preventing injury is not known. Special attention should be given to the individuals of any age who are learning breakdance skills for the first time, and to children, "who are always ready to copy new trends, [and] are especially susceptible to injury."4
In order to fully inform clinicians about breakdancing, current demographic and medical statistics need to be gathered, and new studies should be done. Without accurate and up to date numbers, one can only speculate about the prevalence of breakdancing itself, much less the incidence, risk, or nature of injury. One challenging possibility for an appropriate study might be a retrospective look through the records of various clinics that might have seen some number of break related injuries over the last twenty years–for example, sports medicine, dance medicine, or orthopedic clinics. Other possibilities would be to identify a cohort of breakdancers and follow them over time, or to identify a group of former breakdancers and review their medical histories. In order to provide the best possible medical care for future generations of dancers, the knowledge and awareness of breakdancing should improve, since it is no longer a passing fad, but instead a dance phenomenon that has become an integral and unique part of both the medical and cultural worlds.
Bibliography
Broome, H.E., and Heppenstall, R.B. "'Break Dancers' Bursitis'" [letter]. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1985 Feb, 253(6):777.\
Copperman, S.M. "Two New Causes of Alopecia" [letter]. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1984 December, 252(24):3367.
Dieden, J.D. "Breakdancer's Fracture of the Fifth Metatarsal" [letter]. Western Journal of Medicine, 1985, 184:101.
Dorey, R.S.A, and Mayne, V. "Break-dancing Injuries" [letter]. The Medical Journal of Australia, 1986 May, 144(11):610-11.
Gearhart, J.P., and Lowe, F.C. "Genitourinary Injuries Secondary to Break Dancing in Children and Adolescents." Pediatrics, 1986 June, 77(6):922-24.
Goscienski, P.J., and Luevanos, L. "Injury Caused by ‘Break Dancing'" [letter]. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1984 December, 252(24):3367.
Hansen, G.R. "Breaks and Other Bad Breaks for Breakers" [letter]. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1985 April, 253(14):2047.
Leung, A.K.C. "Hazards of Break Dancing" [letter]. New York State Journal of Medicine, 1984 December, 84:592.
McBride, D.Q., and Lehman, L.P. "Break-Dancing Neck" [letter]. The New England Journal of Medicine, 1985 January, 312(3):186.
McNeil, S.L., et al. "Multiple Subdural Hematomas Associated with Breakdancing." Annals of Emergency Medicine, 1987 January, 16(1):114-16.
Moses, J., and Shannon, M. "Back Pain, Vomiting after Break-Dance Mishap." Hospital Practice, 1985 March, 20(3):100K 100P.
Norman, R.A., and Grodin, M.A. "Injuries from Break Dancing." American Family Physician, 1984 October, 30(4): 109-112.
Ramirez, B., et al. "Breakers' Neck" [letter]. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1984 December, 252(24):3366-67.
Rhodes, H.A. "The Evolution of Rap Music in the United States." http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculul....04.04.x.html, pp.1-13.
Sandler Silver, F., et al. "Breaks and Other Bad Breaks for Breakers" [letter]. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1985 April, 253(14):2047.
Sharma, V., et al. "Injuries Associated with Break Dancing." Pediatric Emergency Care, 1986 March, 2(1):21-22.
Tiu, S., et al. "Breakdancer's Pulmonary Embolism." Clinical Nuclear Medicine, 1986 June, 11(6):402-3.
Wheeler, R.E., and Appell, R.A. "Differential Diagnosis of Scrotal Pain after Break Dancing" [letter]. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1984 December, 252(24):3366.
Winslet, M.C., et al. "Breakdancer's Thumb–partial rupture of the ulnar collateral ligament with a fracture of the proximal phalanx of the thumb." Injury, 1986 May, 17(3):201-02.
Www.google.com. Search performed using keywords "breakdancing," "breakdancer." December, 2000.
_
TABLE I: Summary of cases

Article
Age
Injury
Treatment/outcome
Comments
1 Broome (1985)
18 M
T12 bursitis "breakdancer's bursitis"
surgical excision
4 other male b-boys with similar paravertebral masses
2 Copperman (1984)
17M
17M
alopecia on top of head
same
not available
n/a
_
3 Dieden (1985)
17M
spiral fx of distal midshaft of 5th metatarsal
n/a
position of fx thought to be unique to b-dancing
4 Dorey (1986)
9 F
11M
C1/C2 rotational subluxation
Vertebral artery dissection w/ infarction into R cerebellar hemisphere
traction. No neuro deficits, torticollis resolved
no rx. ?persistent dizziness, diplopia, weakness of R arm, fine motor deficits
_
5 Gearhart (1986)
8M
12 M
testicDLar hematocele
partial urethral rupture
ice packs, bed rest. Complete resolution
suprapubic tube placement x 3 wks. Complete resolution @ 6 mos.
_
6 Goscienski (1984)
11M
T10-L1 swelling
none
2 other identical cases by word of mouth
5 of 12 local docs reported 2 radius fx, 2 clavicDLar fx, atlantoaxial dislocation, torn MCL in knee, neck strain + torticollis, severe sprains of ankle and thumb
7 Hansen (1985)
14 M
14 M
Salter I fx of proximal humerus
same
n/a
n/a
unusual injury, may be more common for b-boys under 18
8 Leung (1984)
"champion"
cervical cord injury
n/a
mentions muscle strain, tendinitis, stress fx, spondylolysis, elbow dislocation, ankle capsDLitis
9 McBride (1985)
25M
13M
15 M
C5 compression fx and subluxation
C7 spinous process fx; loss of lordotic curve
Cervical prevertebral soft-tissue swelling
C4-C6 laminectomies & fusion. Complete persistent quadriplegia.
cervical collar. Resolution of neck and arm pain.
no rx. Complete resolution of arm numbness & pain w/in 7 days.
_
10 McNeil (1987)
17M
3 subdural hematomas + one arachnoid cyst containing a hematoma
neurosurgery. Complete recovery.
_
11 Moses (1985)
9M
T3 spinous process fx; acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (S.aureus)
Abx; complete resolution.
unclear whether osteo preceded fx or vice-versa
12 Norman (1984)
8 pts, age11-18 M
adol M
"breakdance back syndrome"–LBP, difficDLty bending
T3 spinous process fx
heat, rest, complete resolution
_
n/a
mentions 3 fx's of both radius and DLna, also mentions cases of injuries to elbow, wrist, knee, ankle, foot

_
Article
Age
Injury
Treatment/outcome
Comments
13 Ramirez (1984)
15M
C4 C5 subluxation
traction; resolution of pain, numbness, and muscle spasm.
Recurred 1 mo later w/ worse sx, no evidence of subluxation. Put in traction x 1 wk, sx resolved.
15 Sandler (1985)
21M
L knee prepatellar septic bursitis
Abx, needle asp. Complete resolution.
_
16 Sharma (1986)
twelve pts,
4-15 yrs M
7 extremities = 5 fx (3 arms, 2 legs), dermatitis, puncture of patellar bursa by foreign object
3 head = 1 blunt, 1 lac, 1 alopecia
1 ingestion of coin
1 penile contusion
radiographic exam in 7/12 pts. All pts complete recovery
all these injuries occurred 2ndry to lack of supervision and improper techniques and surfaces.
17 Tiu (1986)
16M
PE w/ R arm swelling, chest pain x 3.5 wks
anticoag, resolution
trauma to arm from breaking led to venous thrombosis
18 Wheeler (1984)
12M
16M
testicular torsion
same
surgery, complete resolution
same
missed dx @ first in both cases
19 Winslet (1986)
3 teens, M
partial rupture of DLnar collateral ligament + fx of proximal phalanx of thumb w/ rotation of fragment
open reduction, complete recovery
unique to breaking as a NON-avDLsion fx of the phalanx. Higher risk for teens
_

© UCSF School of Medicine, 2002-2004

http://www.radiology.ucsf.edu/learni...eakdance.shtml

[Ninja_Bboy[IUC]]

Interesting article tane
whats sad is that many of these injuries can actually be cured by chinese traumatology but instead they are left untill they get to a very bad stage
i think its good to train hard but overtraining in something like breakdance often leads to injury

[X-Bobby]

Kujo said he almost went blind one time from bboyin...he ended in a hospital and couldn`t see shit for some hours...u can put that on the list as well...!!!
nice article Tane...10x...

[popper_7]

Yeah, nice article.A different perspective of bboying that we dont tend to think about when breakin Good job.

[Magus Kyros]

How often do these things happen?

[BboyMcFishy]

nice article i know a guy who twisted his testicels doing mills he had to get an operation where they cut open his sack and fixed them add that to ur list

[KwokFist]

IM SCARED like SHIT!!! dammit.. that was one huge article.. i have problems with my wrist lolz.. strained it too much.. doesnt hurt anymore though. thought it might've been carpal tunnel syndrome... but im scared like shit or w/e man...

[M-TRIXX]

yyr

[Nakor-one]

lol. that thumb one is a severe version of what i now have. a reminder never to attempt powermoves on finger(and thumb)tips

[Mogwai]

The real tragedy is that all these official medical terms have "Breakdance" in them....tut tut

and alopecia? thats baldness from headspins and halos, surely!

[Zulu Chibi]

I think I might have had breakers thumb, both of mine. I've never gotten them checked out though..

[mtllcfan]

nice article, super long article, full of info,
i cannt really say i'm surprised by the number of injuries you can have

Unfortunately all i think this article does is make breaking more attrctive to posers who say:
'yeah so what? im bulletproof, this will never happen to me. Those injuries happen only to wimps'

[pldskooldude]

My right wrist is STILL messed up from practicing the six step for HOURS and HOURS last year. I learned too late that I wasnt supposed to take the full weight of my body on my hand/wrist but on my fingers, which, had I known, would have made anything that put a strain on it, and had to result to doing popping and locking, (not that popping and locking are "bad" but I really miss doing the other stuff) You guys are lucky in that you're young, and injuries heal faster (kinda like wolverines "healing factor!" ) but when you're an old fart like me, injurys stick along likefree loading relatives.

[jaesung]

haha, i have a mild form of breakers back syndrome :|

[new]

i have tried balancing on my head and now my neck hurts...any one know why..