A cool B-boy who breaksdances…Why does he have a big lump on his head?

Break dancing was first introduced as an official event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joining the ranks of international sports. However, a report from the medical community showed that these breaking sports have a greater risk of injury due to physical overuse compared to other sports.

According to a neurosurgery research team at the University of Copenhagen Hospital in Denmark, break dancers (b-boys) are at high risk of developing lump-shaped lumps on the scalp caused by head spin, also called ‘head spin holes’ or ‘break dance protrusions.’

A head spin is a break dance movement that involves standing on your head with your head on the floor and turning your body while keeping your body and legs in a straight line. “Despite the presence of this problem, known as ‘head spin hole’ among break dancers, it is rarely documented in the medical literature,” said study leader Dr. Christian Bastrop Sondergaard.

This report is about a man in his early 30s who developed a large, painful lump on the top of his head after break dancing for more than 19 years. The man trained breakdancing for an hour and a half about five times a week, including practicing head spins each time.

Over the past five years, the size of the lump on the man’s head has increased noticeably. Also, the hair started falling out in that area. The team found that the skin, flesh and bones on the top of the men’s heads became thicker due to head spin.

“The presence of the lesion and the resulting discomfort were aesthetically unpleasant for the man, but the raised area did not prevent him from continuing to spin his head,” the research team explained.

According to a survey of 106 break dancers in Germany in 2023, more than 60% experienced injuries due to overuse of the scalp due to head spin. Hair loss occurred in 31%, painless lumps appeared in 24%, and inflammation of the scalp occurred in 37%.

A research team from the University of Copenhagen surgically removed the man’s lump and treated it by grinding away the extra bone that formed at the top of the skull. The tissue removed was approximately 2 inches (5.08 cm) long and approximately 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick. Tests showed no signs of cancer in the removed mass.

“I am very happy that I can now go out in public without a hat,” the man said. “I have received positive feedback and have been told that I have no scars and that my overall appearance has improved significantly.”

“Breakdancing not only causes these lumps, but it also increases the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome, tendon inflammation, and shoulder impingement,” the research team said. “These conditions can be grouped together and called breakdancer overuse syndrome.”

This report (‘Headspin hole’: an overuse injury among breakdancers) was published in ≪BMJ Case Reports≫.