President Biden is lucky not to break his hip: sports doctor

President Joe Biden was taking a leisurely bike ride in his home state of Delaware, and as he stopped to greet supporters, he fell awkwardly onto his right side. As an orthopedic surgeon, I know this is the kind of dangerous fall that can easily break a hip for the elderly.

Thankfully, President Biden appears to be doing fine when he said, “I’m fine.”

U.S. President Joe Biden falls off his bike as he approaches well-wishers after a bike ride at Gordon’s Pond State Park in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware June 18, 2022. – Biden fell while riding his bike on Saturday morning but was unhurt.
(Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

As a sports medicine expert and orthopedist, I also analyze videos for injuries at Sports Injury Central. Although this bike “accident” is not strictly a sport, the clear video lends itself to analysis.

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This type of spill can happen to anyone. Falling will certainly be easier at slower speeds due to inertia. Think back to how you learned to ride a bike or taught it to your children. It is difficult to balance at very slow speeds. Biden puts his left foot down for balance as he stops. As he shifts his weight to the right side, his foot catches in the toe cage attached to the pedal and he cannot put his right foot down in time. This causes him to fall onto his right side/hip. The video does not show how he lands. Maybe he could react fast enough to break his fall and avoid breaking his hip.

U.S. President Joe Biden rides his bicycle at Gordon’s Pond State Park on June 18, 2022 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. – Biden fell while riding his bike on Saturday morning but was unhurt.
(Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

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Biden appears to have fairly strong bones as he avoided a break. Hip fractures are more common in older women due to osteoporosis. He seems to have an age-appropriate reaction time, but at the age of 79, no one is as frivolous as they used to be.

U.S. President Joe Biden falls off his bike as he approaches well-wishers after a bike ride at Gordon’s Pond State Park in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware June 18, 2022. – Biden fell while riding his bike on Saturday morning but was unhurt.
(Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

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This may come as a surprise, but the mortality rate in people over 50 in the first year after a hip fracture is about 1 in 3, even with surgical fixation and the latest medical advances. Of course, this rate is even higher with increasing age and comorbidities. Many of us have first hand experiences with our grandparents or parents.

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Bottom line, Biden was lucky to have avoided a broken hip, which is a very serious injury.