Alex Rins Injury Update
The 2017 MotoGP Championship begin strong for Team Suzuki Ecstar newbie Alex Rins. The GSX-RR pilot claimed ninth in the season opener at Qatar, finishing as the fastest rookie.
But things soured afterwards. The week following Qatar MotoGP, Rins broke his ankle during a motocross-training crash. The 21-year-old Spaniard was cleared to ride at round two in Argentina, but DNF’d after a crash.
The bad luck continued at the Grand Prix of the Americas at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas. There, during free practice 3, Rins suffered a nasty highside, and broke his left arm.
He was transported back to Spain, and underwent surgery last week by Dr. Austin Hill, orthopedic traumatologist at the University Medical Center Brackenridge. There, surgeons repaired both the ulna and radius displacement in his wrist, and also fractures in his left forearm.
Rins experienced inflammation, and was forced to undergo additional surgery by Dr. Xavier Mir, Head of the Hand Unit and Coordinator of the MotoGP Traumatology Service in Barcelona. Mir inserted two titanium plates to fix the broken bones in Rins wrist and forearm.
Team Suzuki Ecstar says as a result of the crash, Rins also suffered an injury to the ulnar nerve as revealed by Evoked Potentials (neurological test). This issue will be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks with an electromyography test.
Rins will begin rehabilitation next week, and the timeline for his return to 2017 MotoGP is unclear. Team Suzuki Ecstar says that doctors estimate between six to eight weeks.
Suzuki will replace Rins with official test rider Takuya Tsuda of Wakayama, Japan. The 31-year-old begins substituting this weekend at Jerez in Spain, round four of 18 in 2017 MotoGP.
Following the surgery, Alex Rins says “The surgery went very well according to what Dr. Mir told me. I would like to thank him personally for all his care and attention since the fall in Austin last Saturday, him and all his team for care they have given me these days in hospital. The messages I have received through social media have really encouraged me, especially the kindness that has been shown by every member of Team Suzuki. This fills me with the energy and desire to immediately begin my recovery and return to competition as soon as possible.”
Dr. Xavier Mir, Head of the Hand Unit and Coordinator of the MotoGP Traumatology Service, says “Alex Rins has been operated on for displaced and dislocated left ulna and radius fracture, performing an open reduction and internal fixation with two locked titanium plates. Furthermore, yesterday he underwent a neurological test (evoked potentials) that confirmed an ulnar nerve injury by contusion. Within ten days he will begin the functional recovery of the wrist and forearm. An electromyography will also be performed to evaluate the recovery time of the ulnar nerve”.
Davide Brivio, Team Manager, says: “We are very happy that Alex surgery went well. This is the most important thing. Starting now he is facing a recovery period, but we are awaiting his comeback to 100% and we will be eager to have him back on our GSX-RR so he can display all the talent he has inside.
“Meanwhile, unfortunately, we have to replace him. And for Jerez we decided to give his bike to Takuya Tsuda, our test rider who will have his first opportunity to get real race experience. We will try to use the occasion to further the development of the bike. I would like to wish a fast and good recovery to Alex. We will be waiting for him and until then, we will try to prepare him the best bike possible for when he returns.”
