Dissertation

A Novel Method to Determine the Impact of Different Saddle Designs on Male Cyclists' Perineal Blood Flow

Parthiban, Sujeeth

2014

Overview

Bicycling is an activity engaged by millions of people worldwide. An estimated 780000 Americans used bicycles as primary means of commute. The health benefits of bicycling include increased cardiovascular strength, weight loss and relaxation. But cyclists are prone to sports related injuries. Overuse injuries are reported in 85% of the cycling population. Cyclists complain pain and numbness in their neck, knee, groin, hands and back. Saddles are the most important and ignored part of the bicycle. When a person is riding a bicycle, more than fifty percent of his weight is supported by the saddle only. The association between bicycling and erectile dysfunction is well addressed in the scientific literature. Male bicycle riders complain pain and soreness in the genital region after long distance bicycling due to compression of the perineum by the bicycle seats. Perineum consists of nerves and blood vessels, which are compressed between the body weight and bicycle saddles. Unfortunately most popular bicycle saddles adopt a narrow design profile forcing the rider to exert all his body weight on the perineum. Many published researches in this field focused on studying the saddle- perineum interface pressure. But clinical evidence points that arterial insufficiency caused by compression of the perineal arteries as the main reason. Nevertheless, many saddle designs exist in the market claiming to reduce the pressure on the perineum. The primary goal of this thesis work is to measure forces exerted on the perineal arteries during bicycle riding and quantify arterial occlusion for different seat designs. We developed a custom device to dynamically measure force on the perineal arteries. A pilot study was conducted to quantify total arterial occlusion for different seat designs. The results from our study were used to make general conclusions about overall population. This thesis work contributes new information about perineal arterial occlusion among male bicyclists. The novel methodology described in this thesis will immensely benefit engineers who strive to solve this problem. Ultimately this work would aid bicycle riders to protect themselves from cycling induced erectile dysfunction.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Biomedical engineering / Engineering / Mechanical engineering
• ISBN: 9781321244359, 1321244355