Sports medicine stats: Tendon ruptures in anabolic steroid users
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
A recent study of male bodybuilders found that abusers of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), compared with otherwise similar bodybuilders, showed a markedly increased risk of tendon ruptures, particularly upper-body tendon rupture.
142 experienced male bodybuilders aged 35 to 55 years were included in this study. 88 reported at least two years of cumulative lifetime anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) use, and 54 reported no history of AAS use. Of these, nineteen (22%) of the AAS users, but only 3 (6%) of the nonusers, reported at least one lifetime tendon rupture. Several men reported two or more lifetime tendon ruptures. Interestingly, upper-body tendon ruptures occurred exclusively in the AAS group (15 [17%] AAS users vs 0 nonusers).
Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine, published online September 11, 2015
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
