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Published on: 1/11/2008
Last Visited: 1/11/2008
Just ask Dr. Steve Brotherton, an orthopedic surgeon at the Texas Health Care Bone and Joint Clinic, who is currently medical director for the event.
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Just ask Dr. Steve Brotherton, an orthopedic surgeon at the Texas Health Care Bone and Joint Clinic, who is currently medical director for the event.
He once treated a cowboy for an open fracture incurred during a rodeo event.The patient, happy with his care,
regularly returned to see Brotherton for future orthopedic needs.
The cowboy was from Canada.
"Cowboys are really loyal patients," Brotherton said.
Brotherton is one of eight local physicians who provides medical care to cowboys, exhibitors and spectators during the event, which runs through Feb. 3.In addition to the physicians, there are other health care professionals and safety personnel who make sure that bucking bulls and slick patches of ice from any notorious "Stock Show weather" won't keep people away the city's signature event.
This 112th Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is the second one during which Brotherton will serve as medical director, and it will be his 21st year as a physician at the event.
Between the high injury rates for cowboys and the illnesses of some spectators, the physicians and nurses who cover shifts during the day and night are kept busy but usually not overwhelmed.
"The injury rate for bull riders is about one out of every 12 rides," Brotherton said."It's like taking two football players out of the game every play."
Brotherton, who also treats football players as the orthopedic consultant for his alma mater, Texas Christian University, said that developments in safety gear have cut down on some extremely bad injuries, like goring by bulls' horns.
Vest and chest protectors can offer some protection to the spine and vital organs, but Brotherton said cowboys were still reluctant to adopt helmets, which can protect against concussions and other head injuries but aren't really conducive to waving one's hat to the crowd.
Cowboys' injuries tend toward the "broken bones, hurt necks, knees getting wiped out - stuff like that," Brotherton said.
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The future cowboys often run into injuries as well, Brotherton said.
"The kids in the calf scramble, there's always one of them getting beat up and we'll see them," he said.
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Brotherton said respiratory problems make up a large percentage of the cases he sees.Since the arenas are indoors, dust is trapped and can irritate the throat and lungs; additionally, with so many animals around, allergies can flare up.When smoking was banned inside the buildings, though, the rate of respiratory problems dropped by about a quarter, Brotherton said.
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Brotherton said that everybody who comes out the Stock Show does so because they're contributing something toward the culture of Fort Worth, and in his 21 years he's only seen one doctor only serve for one year.Eight doctors is the right number to cover events well without schedules getting too complicated, he said, and he is frequently asked if there is a chance to serve.
"Most of the time there're people who've been asking, ‘Hey, if you ever need someone, I can help out,'" he said."It's certainly more than a rodeo-a lot more."
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