World Cup 2010: Medical Technology Kept Players on the Ball

Fifa world cup 2010The Netherlands tried to crudely drag their Soccer World Cup final opponents at Soccer City here into the abattoir. Only Spain’s artists stubbornly would not comply on Sunday.

The 2010 final produced an outcome to delight nonpartisan purists, all those who do value soccer as the beautiful game, although this may not be the first thing that comes to mind, medical technology was also on the pitch – sort of. Football is a demanding sport that causes a number of injuries: the ankles and knees have the sad distinction of being most prone to injury. And this is where medical technology comes into play: Medical devices are essential for treating injuries. To mark the 2010 FIFA World Cup, German medical technology association BVMed has published a paper that provides background information on what it takes to keep an athlete on his feet, from preventive treatment to the worst case scenario of serious injury.

The paper is titled “Medizintechnologien @ Fußball-WM: Die Helfer von der Erstversorgung bis hin zum Lebensretter” (Medical Technologies @ World Cup: Aid from First Response to Life-Saver) and is meant to point out the value, innovation and fascination of medical device technology.

The paper, which is currently only available in German, can be downloaded at www.massstab-mensch.de/Downloads/Publikationen.

A paper on the long-term impact of the vuvuzela on auditory health is in the works. Just kidding.