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Interview with Dr. Marc-Hervé Binet,
MD.
creator of Flexmeter Flexible Wrist Guards and Gloves for Snowboarding.
Flexmeters are the only snowboard glove and wrist
guard that were invented by a medical doctor specializing in snowboard injuries, and
proven statistically to reduce snowboard injuries.
Beginner snowboarders regularly fall forward onto their hands while
learning. It is a highly predictable fall. This fall can lead to hyper
flexion of the wrist, and a break of the bones.
We caught up with Dr. Binet and asked him a few questions about inventing
the Flexmeters. Dr. Binet was President of the French Society of Mountain
Doctors
(Association Française des Médecins de Station de Sport D'hiver ) for
20 years. This society has amassed the world¹s largest database on snowboard
and ski injuries.
Interview with Dr. Marc-Hervé Binet, creator of Flexmeter Flexible Wrist
Guards and Gloves for Snowboarding
Flexmeters available here.
Visit Dr. Binet's Mountain Clinic here.
Why did you invent the Flexmeters?
I invented them because of the great numbers of wrist fractures observed
in my medical practice, with an increase each winter season. Sometimes I see
more than 10 fractured wrists a day!
How did you come to invent the Flexmeters?
Because of research made on the falls. We have found that
hyperextension of the wrist was observed when falling on the heel of the
hand, whatever the direction of the falls.
Did you create any safety products for snowboarders before
Flexmeters?
Yes, my first product was named ³Boardies.² It worked pretty well for
wrist protection, but we found snowboarders don¹t like to hold any device
when riding. So outside of some snowboard schools, no one likes to buy such
a product. Hence we decided not to go to distribution.
Why are Flexmeters better?
Flexmeters are better accepted because there is nothing to hold during
snowboarding, and the protective effect has been proven with tests over
three winters. (See details of the study below.*)
Are you satisfied with the results of your Flexmeter invention?
Yes, because snowboarders are interested and also the snowboard
industry is interested. We hope to be the reference for wrist protection
during snowboard and perhaps other sport activities with a flexible and
comfortable product.
*A control study of 2 groups of snowboarders (one wearing the protection,
one without) made during 3 seasons in 3 different snowboard schools with
comparative groups showed that the groups wearing Flexmeter had showed :
- the group wearing Flexmeter wrist guards had 67 % less wrist fracture
than the groups without.
- the group wearing Flexmeter gloves had more than 85 % less fractures
than the groups without.
- none of the snowboarders with Flexmeter had injuries situated higher on
the upper limb. (Editor¹s note - the higher up on the limb the fracture
occurs, the more complicated and difficult to repair and heal it may be.
Worst of all are joint injuries, such as the elbow.)
- At the opposite, the snowboarders with "normal" guards" present a great
risk of complicated fractures situated at the top of the guards
SnowboardSecrets.com proudly distributes the Flexmeter Snowboard Wrist Guard
and Glove.
Available here.
posted 8/05 |
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