Fractured Tibia & Fibula Due To Erotic Dancing: A Trinidad Experience

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Michael J Ramdass
Senior House Officer
Surgery
General Hospital, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

Address:

Vijay Naraynsingh Professor of Surgery
Consultant Vascular and General Surgeon
Surgery
General Hospital, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

Address:

Dale Maharaj
Consultant
Surgery
General Hospital, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

Address:

Citation: M. J. Ramdass, V. Naraynsingh & D. Maharaj : Fractured Tibia & Fibula Due To Erotic Dancing: A Trinidad Experience . The Internet Journal of Orthopedic Surgery. 2001 Volume 1 Number 1

Keywords: Orthopedics | medicine | Compound fracture | erotic dance | tibia | fibula

Abstract

In Trinidad & Tobago a local dance exists, referred to as 'wining'. It is a dance associated with gyrating movements of the hips and pelvis accompanied by swaying, spiral movements of the lower limbs while moving towards the ground.
We report the first two cases of a compound, spiral fracture of the distal third of the tibia and fibula due to 'wining', an erotic dance native to our island and suggest caution to those who perform this dance.

CASE REPORTS

CASE 1

While performing the ‘wining dance’ for his companions, the left leg of a healthy 42-year old obese male suddenly fractured in a spiral manner while he was swaying towards the ground in the typical spiral fashion[fig. 1]. The pointed end of the tibia pierced the skin from within and converted it to a compound fracture. There was no underlying pathologic condition.

Figure 1: A picture of the spiral fracture of the tibia & fibula resulting from the spiral downward movements of the ‘wining dance’.

CASE 2

While performing the ‘wining dance’ the right leg of a healthy 56-year old obese male suddenly fractured in a spiral manner while he was swaying towards the ground in the typical spiral fashion. The pointed end of the tibia pierced the skin from within and converted it to a compound fracture. There was no underlying pathologic condition

DISCUSSION

Compound tibia and fibula fractures are common injuries typically associated with direct trauma during a motor vehicle accident ¹, football injures ² or an accidental fall from a height.

Usually a twisting force causes a spiral fracture of the tibia and fibula 1 and some articles state stress fractures of the tibia and fibula are a result of increase of inappropriate strain with pre-existing risk factors such as connective tissue disorders, osteoperosis, early menopause, methotrexate, corticosteroids and prolonged immobilization³, but can occur due to repetitive stress which is seen in many recruits, runners and ballet dancers1.

There are few esoteric causes for a spiral tibia and fibula fracture to occur with only one case of a closed tibia and fibula fracture due to loss of attention secondary to excessive use of laxatives with diuretics⁴.

‘Wining’ in particular has been associated with paraphimosis in young males and is documented as an esoteric cause of paraphimosis. ⁵

We postulate the downward, swaying, spiral movements of the legs in these overweight males induced enough rotational force to fracture the long bones of the legs and suggest that persons with known medical disorders, which predispose to osteoporosis or those who are overweight proceed in a cautious manner when performing the ‘wining dance’.

Figure 2: "Wining" with downward swaying movements of his legs towards the ground

CORRESPONDENCE

Dr. Michael J. Ramdass
100 East Drive,
Champs Fleurs,
St. Joseph,
Trinidad, West Indies.
E-mail: jimmyramdass@hotmail.com

References

1. Apley AG, Solomon L. Injuries of the lower limb. Concise System of Orthopaedic and Fractures. 2nd ed. Boston. Butterworth-Heinmann. Pgs 332-334. (s)

2. Boden BP, Lohnes JH, Nunley JA, Garrett WE Jr. Tibia and fibula fractures in soccer players. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 1999; 7(4): 262-6. (s)

3. Alonso-Bartolome P, Martinez-Taboada VM, Blanco R, Rodriguez-Valverde V. Insufficiency fractures of the tibia and fibula. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1999; 28(6): 413-20. (s)

4. Sankar NS, Donaldson D. Lessons to be learned: a case study approach diuretic therapy and a laxative causing electrolyte and water imbalance, loss of attention, a fall and subsequent fractures of the tibia and fibula in an elderly lady. J R Soc Health. 1998; 118(4): 237-40. (s)

5. Ramdass MJ, Naraynsingh V, Kuruvilla T, Maharaj D. Paraphimosis due to erotic dancing. Tropical Medicine & International Health 2000 Dec; 5(12): 906- 907. (s)

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