Smashed foot at Gabba sidelines White

VICTORIAN skipper Cameron White last night suffered a broken foot as the Bushrangers succumbed to Queensland's "bionic man" Lee Carseldine in the Ford Ranger Cup final rematch.
White's fracture, which will sideline him for at least a month in a major blow to his international hopes this season, rubbed salt into Victoria's wounds after a 50-run, bonus-point loss at the Gabba.

The big-hitting all-rounder will have an operation on Monday to have his right foot pinned after a fracture in his fifth metatarsal bone.

White hobbled off the field grimacing in pain after sustaining the injury while swivelling to avoid a mid-pitch collision with paceman Carseldine.

Carseldine, who enjoyed a fairytale comeback in his first interstate game in almost four years, charged into White as he took a quick single with Victoria 5-107 in the 29th over.

With their captain at the crease with Adam Crosthwaite (43), the Vics were still a realistic chance of chasing down the Bulls' total of 243.

However the Victorian tail could not keep up with the run-rate and the visitors were all out for 193 after 45.4 overs.

Carseldine, who had a titanium disc inserted into his spine after a chronic back injury, had already delivered a match-turning blow in his first over.

The 32-year-old all-rounder (2-15) was on a hat-trick after having danger man Brad Hodge (50) caught in the deep and Andrew McDonald edging behind next ball.

Full article: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22812663-11088,00.html

Wells has broken bone in hand

CLEVELAND -- He's had bone spurs, a high ankle sprain and a bruised thumb.

Now you can add a broken bone to Beanie Wells' growing injury list.

Wells appeared at the Ohio State Alumni Association banquet last night in Cleveland wearing a brace on his left hand. Turns out, he's played much of this year with a broken bone in the hand. Only, he just found out about it on Monday.

''I'm not sure when I broke it,'' he said. ''It's been bothering me for awhile. They just finally x-rayed it (Monday).''

The broken bone near his thumb didn't slow him Saturday against Michigan, when Wells carried 39 times for 222 yards, both career highs, to go with his two touchdowns. Wells never even carried the ball that much in one game in high school.

''I went to sleep as soon as I got home; I was so tired,'' the running back said. ''I didn't want to go out and celebrate or anything. I just wanted to get to bed.''

Wells said he wasn't sure how long his hand would be in the brace, but that he certainly would be ready for the bowl game -- whether it's the Rose Bowl or the national title game.

In other news, left tackle Alex Boone filed paperwork yesterday with the NFL to gauge his draft status, although at this point, Boone is committed on returning for his senior year.

''As of right now, I'll be back,'' Boone said. ''I just wanted to see where I fall ... but I should be returning.''

Boone could be one of a slew of underclassmen preparing for their final game as Buckeyes. Malcolm Jenkins, Vernon Gholston and James Laurinaitis would all be first-day picks, and all three could go in the first round. Brian Robiskie might also consider leaving, since his father coaches in the NFL and could probably tell him better than anyone whether he's ready.

For now, the players are enjoying a week off and celebrating Thanksgiving with their families before returning to work in preparation for the bowl game. That includes Jim Tressel, who had a chance last night to reflect on his tenure after Lloyd Carr's retirement this week.

Tressel has never given any indication of how long he'll remain at Ohio State, but it's interesting to think that now wrapping up his seventh year, he's more than halfway to the 13 years Carr spent in Ann Arbor.

''I only want to do it as long as I'm the best guy for the job,'' Tressel said. ''I'm hoping it's awhile.''

Tressel called Carr's time at Michigan like being in a ''pressure cooker,'' similar to the one he sits in every day. But it's not the wins and losses which cause the anxiety, it's the time.

''There's not enough hours in the day that you'd like to do for the good of the program,'' Tressel said.

''It's the time demand of doing everything you'd like to do so that you do the best you can here. A byproduct of that is you don't have time to do much else (personally).''

Tressel, though, doesn't have any hobbies he's anxious to start. He doesn't feel retirement calling anytime soon.

''I think a lot of coaches, when they stop coaching, find out that they miss the coaching,'' he said. ''I haven't seen too many of them just get a fishing pole and go sit around ... At this moment in my life, I'm not dying to go fishing.''

Source: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19044530&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46370&rfi=6

Bomber wrestler out with broken leg

MIDWEST CITY — Midwest City wrestler Richard Immel is out for the season after the senior suffered a broken femur Saturday during the Midwest City Open.

The injury occurred when an opponent tried to hook Immel's leg, a common wrestling move. The weight of Immel and his opponent's body was absorbed by Immel's femur as the pair fell to the mat. The impact created enough pressure to break the bone.

"I could tell something bad was about to happen, and I turned my head and heard a loud pop,” Midwest City coach Jody Marple said. "It happened so quickly there was nothing anyone could have done to stop it.”

Marple said the graphic nature of Immel's injury stunned those in attendance.

"The whole place got quiet,” he said. "It shot chills down my spine. I've never heard of anyone breaking their femur in wrestling.”

Marple said Immel, a 4.0 student, had a rod inserted in his thigh to stabilize the bone and will be on crutches for at least 10 weeks. Marple said Immel is fortunate in one respect. The broken bone didn't sever his femoral artery, a common risk with serious trauma to the femur.

Immel had been thought of as a potential starter in the Bombers' lineup at 140 pounds. He had wrestled well over the summer.

"This was the year we felt like he could step it up and get into the lineup,” Marple said. "This is something we can use as motivation throughout the year. We have to appreciate the opportunities we have to compete because you never know when they're going to be gone.”

Source: http://newsok.com/article/3171251/1195560935

Osteoporosis a silent killer

It's a killer, but you won't see osteoporosis listed as the cause of death in an obituary.

But it's definitely deadly. Dr. Diane Theriault, a Nova Scotia rheumatologist and national spokesperson for Osteoporosis Canada, will attest to that.

More women die from complications of osteoporosis than from breast cancer, ovarian cancer and uterine cancer combined, she pointed out in a telephone interview from the Maritimes. And more men die from complications of osteoporosis than from prostate cancer.

"It's often assumed that if you have a broken bone, it's no big deal. It's not like cancer or heart attacks. You just put a cast on it and off you go.

"The fact is, it's not that simple at all," emphasized Theriault, a tireless advocate for improved access to bone mineral density (BMD) testing,

"It doesn't kill people the day of the (bone) fracture," she pointed out. But "it's a huge risk."

For example, 20-per-cent of women and 34 per cent of men will die within a year of breaking their hip from osteoporosis.

To put that into perspective, Theriault pointed out that after open-heart surgery or a coronary bypass, the expected mortality is one per cent, compared with the 20 per cent or 34-per-cent risk of mortality in one year after breaking a hip.

But osteoporosis doesn't have the public awareness that other diseases have, Theriault said frankly.

November is Osteoporosis Month. To raise awareness of the disease, which affects more than 1.4 million Canadians, bone china tea fundraisers are being held across the country. Theriault is in Regina this weekend speaking at the Regina Chapter of Osteoporosis Canada's bone china tea, which takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday on the main stage at the Conexus Arts Centre.

Misconceptions abound when it comes to osteoporosis.

"Have you got five hours?" Theriault responded when the subject was broached.

The biggest misconception, she said, is that osteoporosis is a disease of old age. It's not. It can strike at any age.

"It's no more a disease of old age than heart disease or diabetes. But it is a bit more common in the older people," she explained.

And it's not just a women's disease.

While it is common in women -- one in three will end up with a fracture due to osteoporosis -- it's not that rare in men either, Theriault pointed out. One in five men will suffer a fracture from osteoporosis during their lifetime.

"It's not a disease of little old women," she emphasized. "That's probably the biggest misconception."

Another misconception has to do with the prevention specifically who to treat, and when to treat them. The trick is to start treatment for those at risk early enough to prevent the first fracture, but not unnecessarily early.

"Because our medications are very effective, and they work within about 12 months of starting treatment, and they do reduce the risk of fractures very significantly, then our job is to try to pick up individuals who are at risk of fractures. And we don't want to pick them out 70 years before that fracture, because then we'd be subjecting them to 70 years of treatment before the fracture comes," Theriault said.

Source: http://www.canada.com/globaltv/national/story.html?id=d7fa5abd-40e6-4563-9b35-336998171256&k=48372

Break a bone ... not

Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease that can usually be prevented.

OSTEOPOROSIS is a disease people often do not know they have until they break a bone.

Bone thinning due to osteoporosis affects millions of people around the world. While 80% of those affected are women, men are also at risk, and the disease can strike at any age.

Osteoporosis literally means “porous bones” and it is a condition characterised by calcium-depleted bones that become fragile and weak.

Between 2-4% of a person’s skeleton is remodelled every year. This means that calcium and other minerals (magnesium, zinc, copper, boron, manganese) leave the bone in a process called resorption and then must be “remodelled” or replaced.

If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist.

Any bone can be affected, but of special concern are fractures of the hip and spine. A hip fracture almost always requires hospitalisation and major surgery. It can impair a person’s ability to walk unassisted and may cause prolonged or permanent disability or even death.

Spinal or vertebral fractures also have serious consequences, including loss of height, severe back pain, deformity and so on.

Whether due to poor nutrition or reduced hormone levels with the onset of ageing, the loss of calcium and other minerals from the bone creates tiny holes that make bones weak and brittle, particularly if collagen is lost. This is how osteoporosis develops.

Building and maintaining bone mass is paramount to avoiding osteoporosis. By about age 20, the average woman has acquired 98% of her skeletal mass.

Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence can be the best defence against developing osteoporosis later.

There are five steps, which together, can optimise bone health and help prevent osteoporosis. They are:

Diet: Eating foods rich in calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, boron and copper such as milk, broccoli, fish and dark green vegetables.

Weight-bearing and resistance-training exercises: Bones, like muscles, grow stronger when regularly stressed.

A healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake.

If you are not meeting the required intake of calcium and other minerals through diet, you should consider taking supplements.

The importance of calcium supplementation has long been recognised in bone health. However, as important as calcium is to bone health, it is found that in the US, only 25% of women with osteoporosis are calcium deficient.

New evidence clearly shows that vitamin D, magnesium, copper, zinc, boron and manganese are also vital for maintaining strong and healthy bone.

These nutrients should all be consumed together for optimal bone metabolism. Even the absence of one nutrient can result in weak bones and osteoporosis.

Calcium plays an important role in maintaining bone. Calcium alone cannot prevent or cure osteoporosis, but it is an important part of an overall prevention or treatment program. The US RDA (recommended daily allowances) for calcium is as follows:

Adults and teenagers – 800 to 1200mg per day.

Pregnant and breast-feeding females – 1200mg per day.

Children four to 10 years of age – 800mg per day.

Children from birth to 3 years of age – 400 to 800mg per day.

Vitamin D helps body absorb calcium. Low levels of vitamin D are common in women, especially the elderly. Deficiencies of vitamin D can lead to calcium deficiencies, leading to soft bones (osteomalacia). Experts recommend a daily intake of between 400 and 800 international units (IU).

Magnesium is essential for both the preservation and mobilisation of calcium in the bone and is required for the utilisation of vitamin D.

Magnesium deficiency is common and is a leading risk factor for osteoporosis. The US RDA for magnesium is 400mg per day.

Manganese is a trace mineral required for the synthesis of connective tissue that form the matrix upon which mineral deposition occurs. The recommended daily intake for manganese is 2mg.

Boron is needed to convert vitamin D into its active form, which explains why boron deficiency affects calcium metabolism and bone formation.

Boron reduces calcium loss from bones. Although there is no official RDA for boron, a dosage of 1.5 to 3.0mg daily is safe and adequate (Murray, 1996).

Zinc supports bone formation by enhancing the action of vitamin D. Zinc helps maintain bone structure and is involved in bone development.

Copper deficiency may lead to abnormal bone deposition. Copper helps form the building blocks of bone.

When shopping for a calcium supplement, do ensure that it also contains the other essential nutrients mentioned above in adequate amounts to support strong and healthy bones.

Prevention of osteoporosis should begin at birth by meeting the human dietary requirements for calcium and other nutrients and should continue thereafter.

Reference:
1. National Osteoporosis Foundation (nof.org)
Source: http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2007/11/18/health/19486505&sec=health