What is a boxer’s fracture. How is it diagnosed. What are the symptoms of a boxer’s fracture. What causes this type of hand injury. When should you seek medical care for a suspected boxer’s fracture. How is a boxer’s fracture treated at home and by medical professionals.

Understanding Boxer’s Fracture: A Common Hand Injury

A boxer’s fracture, also known as a brawler’s fracture, is a specific type of hand injury involving a break in the metacarpal bones. These bones connect the fingers to the wrist, with the knuckles forming at their heads. Typically, this fracture occurs in the fourth or fifth metacarpal, which are connected to the ring and little fingers, respectively. Some medical professionals extend the definition to include fractures in the second and third metacarpals as well.

The anatomical structure of metacarpal bones consists of four parts:

• Base: Attaches to the wrist bones
• Shaft: The long, slender portion of the bone
• Neck: Connects the shaft to the head
• Head: Forms the knuckle and connects to the finger bone

Recognizing the Symptoms of a Boxer’s Fracture

Identifying a boxer’s fracture early can lead to better treatment outcomes. Common symptoms include:

• Pain or tenderness near the affected metacarpal bone
• Discomfort when moving the hand or fingers
• Swelling, discoloration, or bruising around the injury site
• Possible deformity of the broken bone or knuckle
• Snapping or popping sensations
• Pain when pressing on the area or pushing the affected finger inward
• Misalignment of the affected finger when making a fist

In more severe cases, you might notice rotation of the finger towards the thumb or a visible cut in the skin, indicating a potentially more serious fracture.

The Primary Causes of Boxer’s Fractures

As the name suggests, boxer’s fractures are often associated with punching activities. However, they can occur in various scenarios:

• Punching a hard object with a closed fist (e.g., walls, filing cabinets)
• Engaging in fist fights
• Striking a hard object with an open hand (less common)

Understanding these causes can help in prevention and highlight the importance of proper hand protection during combat sports or other high-risk activities.

Diagnostic Procedures for Boxer’s Fractures

When a boxer’s fracture is suspected, medical professionals employ several diagnostic techniques:

Physical Examination

The doctor will assess the hand for:

• Visible deformities
• Swelling and discoloration
• Range of motion limitations
• Numbness or temperature differences
• Presence of cuts or open wounds

Functional Tests

The patient may be asked to make a fist to evaluate movement capability and determine the extent of the injury. This can also help identify potential ligament tears.

Imaging Studies

X-rays are the primary diagnostic tool for confirming a boxer’s fracture. Typically, images are taken from three different angles to provide a comprehensive view of the hand’s bone structure. In some cases, additional specialized views may be necessary to detect hard-to-find fractures.

X-rays can also reveal the presence of foreign bodies in the hand, such as glass, bone fragments, metal, or stones. This is particularly relevant if the injury resulted from punching someone in the mouth, animal bites, or penetrating injuries.

When to Seek Immediate Medical Attention

While not all hand injuries require immediate medical care, certain situations warrant prompt attention:

• Suspected fracture or severe pain
• Visible deformity of the hand
• Open wounds or cuts associated with the injury
• Numbness or tingling in the fingers
• Increasing pain, especially if already in a splint or cast
• Signs of infection, such as fever or redness spreading from the injury site

If your regular doctor is unavailable, visiting an urgent care facility is advisable. For those already under treatment, any increase in pain, numbness, or tingling in the affected hand should prompt a call to the doctor, as these could indicate complications or infection.

Treatment Approaches for Boxer’s Fractures

The treatment of boxer’s fractures can be divided into immediate home care and professional medical interventions.

Immediate Home Care

Before receiving a medical diagnosis, the primary goals of home care are to:

• Minimize pain and swelling
• Reduce the risk of infection in open wounds
• Prevent further injury to the affected area

To achieve these goals:

1. Apply ice to the injured area to reduce swelling and numb pain
2. Elevate the hand above heart level to minimize swelling
3. Avoid using the injured hand and keep it immobilized if possible
4. Clean any open wounds with soap and water to prevent infection
5. Take over-the-counter pain relievers if needed

Professional Medical Treatment

Once a boxer’s fracture is diagnosed, the treatment plan may include:

• Immobilization: Using a cast or splint to keep the bone in proper alignment during healing
• Closed reduction: Manually realigning the bone without surgery
• Open reduction: Surgical intervention for more severe fractures
• Pain management: Prescription medications for severe pain
• Physical therapy: To restore strength and flexibility after the bone has healed

The specific treatment approach will depend on the severity of the fracture, the affected metacarpal, and individual patient factors.

Preventing Boxer’s Fractures: Safety Measures and Precautions

While not all boxer’s fractures can be prevented, several measures can reduce the risk:

• Use proper hand protection when engaging in combat sports or activities with a high risk of hand impact
• Learn and practice proper punching techniques to distribute force more evenly across the hand
• Avoid striking hard surfaces with a closed fist, especially when angry or frustrated
• Strengthen hand and wrist muscles through targeted exercises
• Be aware of your surroundings to avoid accidental hand impacts

By implementing these preventive strategies, individuals can significantly reduce their risk of experiencing a boxer’s fracture.

Long-Term Outlook and Potential Complications of Boxer’s Fractures

The prognosis for boxer’s fractures is generally good, with most patients recovering full hand function. However, several factors can influence the long-term outlook:

Healing Time

On average, boxer’s fractures heal within 6 to 8 weeks. However, this can vary depending on the severity of the fracture, the patient’s age, and overall health status. Younger patients and those with simple fractures tend to heal more quickly.

Potential Complications

While rare, some complications can occur:

• Malunion: Improper healing leading to deformity or functional impairment
• Stiffness: Reduced range of motion in the affected finger or hand
• Osteoarthritis: Long-term joint damage at the fracture site
• Nerve or blood vessel damage: Particularly in cases of open fractures or those requiring surgery
• Infection: More common in open fractures or those with associated cuts

Long-Term Management

After the initial healing period, ongoing care may include:

1. Physical therapy to regain strength and flexibility
2. Occupational therapy for those with residual impairments affecting daily activities
3. Regular follow-up appointments to monitor healing progress
4. Gradual return to normal activities, with restrictions on high-impact hand use initially

With proper care and adherence to treatment plans, most individuals can expect a full recovery from a boxer’s fracture. However, it’s crucial to follow medical advice closely to minimize the risk of long-term complications.

Boxer’s Fractures in Sports and Occupational Settings

While the term “boxer’s fracture” originates from the sport of boxing, this injury is not limited to professional fighters. It occurs in various sports and occupational settings where the hands are at risk of impact.

Sports-Related Incidence

Boxer’s fractures are common in:

• Boxing and other combat sports (MMA, kickboxing)
• Football, especially among linemen and defensive players
• Basketball, during rebounding or blocking
• Hockey, particularly during fights or collisions

In these sports, proper hand protection and technique training are crucial for prevention.

Occupational Hazards

Certain professions have a higher risk of boxer’s fractures:

• Construction workers
• Mechanics
• Factory workers operating machinery
• Law enforcement officers
• Firefighters

In occupational settings, adherence to safety protocols and use of protective equipment can significantly reduce the risk of hand injuries.

Prevention Strategies in High-Risk Environments

To minimize the occurrence of boxer’s fractures in sports and occupational settings:

1. Implement comprehensive hand safety training programs
2. Provide and enforce the use of appropriate hand protection
3. Regularly inspect and maintain equipment to reduce accident risks
4. Encourage proper technique and form in sports to distribute impact forces
5. Design workspaces with ergonomics in mind to reduce the risk of accidental impacts

By focusing on prevention and safety, organizations can significantly reduce the incidence of boxer’s fractures and other hand injuries, leading to improved safety records and reduced downtime due to injuries.

Rehabilitation and Return to Activity After a Boxer’s Fracture

Recovering from a boxer’s fracture involves more than just waiting for the bone to heal. A comprehensive rehabilitation program is crucial for restoring full function and preventing future injuries.

Phases of Rehabilitation

Typically, rehabilitation for a boxer’s fracture progresses through several phases:

1. Immobilization: Allowing the bone to heal without disturbance
2. Early mobilization: Gentle exercises to prevent stiffness
3. Strength training: Rebuilding muscle strength in the hand and forearm
4. Flexibility exercises: Restoring full range of motion
5. Functional training: Practicing tasks relevant to daily life or specific sports

Exercises for Recovery

Common exercises prescribed during rehabilitation include:

• Finger flexion and extension exercises
• Wrist rotations and flexions
• Grip strengthening exercises using stress balls or hand exercisers
• Pinch exercises to improve fine motor control
• Putty manipulation exercises for overall hand strength

Gradual Return to Activity

The timeline for returning to normal activities varies depending on the severity of the fracture and individual healing rates. Generally, a gradual return to activity follows this pattern:

1. Light daily activities (6-8 weeks post-injury)
2. Non-contact sports or light work duties (8-12 weeks)
3. Full return to sports or heavy work (12-16 weeks)

It’s crucial to follow medical advice and not rush the return to full activity to prevent re-injury or complications.

Psychological Aspects of Recovery

Recovering from a boxer’s fracture can have psychological impacts, especially for athletes or individuals whose livelihoods depend on hand function. Key considerations include:

• Managing frustration during the healing process
• Addressing anxiety about returning to the activity that caused the injury
• Maintaining motivation through long-term rehabilitation
• Building confidence in the healed hand’s capabilities

Mental health support and goal-setting can be valuable components of the overall recovery process.

Advances in Treatment and Future Perspectives for Boxer’s Fractures

As medical technology and understanding of hand injuries evolve, new approaches to treating boxer’s fractures are emerging. These advancements aim to improve healing times, reduce complications, and enhance long-term outcomes.

Innovative Treatment Methods

Recent developments in boxer’s fracture treatment include:

• 3D-printed casts: Custom-fitted, breathable alternatives to traditional plaster casts
• Minimally invasive surgical techniques: Reducing recovery time and scarring
• Ultrasound therapy: Potentially accelerating bone healing
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections: Promoting faster tissue repair
• Virtual reality rehabilitation: Engaging patients in recovery exercises

Research Directions

Ongoing research in the field of hand injuries is focusing on:

1. Bioengineered materials for bone regeneration
2. Gene therapy to enhance healing processes
3. Advanced imaging techniques for more precise diagnosis
4. Wearable technology for real-time monitoring of hand function during recovery
5. Personalized treatment plans based on genetic and lifestyle factors

Future Outlook

The future of boxer’s fracture treatment is likely to see:

• More precise, personalized treatment protocols
• Faster recovery times due to advanced healing techniques
• Improved long-term outcomes with reduced risk of complications
• Enhanced prevention strategies based on biomechanical research
• Greater integration of technology in both treatment and rehabilitation phases

As research progresses, patients with boxer’s fractures can expect more efficient, effective, and tailored treatment options, potentially transforming the management of this common hand injury.

Boxer’s Fracture

What Is Boxer’s Fracture?

A boxer’s fracture is a break through the bones of the hand that form the knuckles. Some doctors use the term “brawler’s fracture” rather than “boxer’s fracture.” Other names are metacarpal fracture, metacarpal neck fracture, hand fracture, boxing fracture, broken hand, and hand injuries.

Your hands’ metacarpal bones connect the bones in the finger to the bones in the wrist. There are five metacarpal bones — one to connect each finger to the wrist. All of them have the same anatomic structure: Each consists of the base, the shaft, the neck, and the head. The base is the part that attaches to the bones of the wrist. The shaft is the long, slender part of the bone. The neck is the part that connects the shaft to the head. The head of the metacarpal bone connects it to the bone of the finger. The head of the metacarpal bones forms the knuckle of a closed fist.  

A boxer’s fracture is a break in a metacarpal bone that connects the ring finger or the little finger to the wrist. These are known as the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones. Some doctors also include breaks in the neck of the second and third metacarpal bones in the definition of a boxer’s fracture. The second metacarpal bone connects the index finger to the wrist, and the third metacarpal connects the middle finger to the wrist.

Boxer’s Fracture Symptoms

The typical symptoms of a boxer’s fracture are pain or tenderness on the hand near one of the metacarpal bones, around the knuckle. You may also have pain when you move your hand or fingers.

• When a bone is broken, you may have snapping or popping sensations.
• Your hand may swell, discolor, or bruise around the injury site. You may also have some deformity of the broken bone or knuckle. You may notice movement of the broken bone fragments.
• If you press on the area, you’ll feel pain. It’ll also hurt to push the finger that attaches to the metacarpal bone inward.
• When making a fist, the finger that is hurt may appear misaligned. It may bend toward the thumb more than is usual. This is known as rotation, and it can be a sign of a more serious type of boxer’s fracture.
• A cut in the skin may also indicate a more serious type of boxer’s fracture.

Boxer’s Fracture Causes

Boxer’s fractures get their name from one of their most common causes — punching an object with a closed fist. This can happen during fist fights or from punching a hard object such as a wall or filing cabinet. Although less common, this type of fracture can also happen when the hand isn’t clenched and strikes a hard object.

Boxer’s Fracture Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask you what happened to cause the injury and they’ll do a physical exam. They’ll look for things like: 

• Deformity tenderness
• Swelling
• Discoloration
• Decreased ability to move the hand, wrist or fingers
• Numbness
• Unequal temperatures between the injured and uninjured hands
• A cut

Swelling and discoloration are common with fractures. This is because of direct trauma to the bone and surrounding muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels.

The doctor will ask you to make a fist to check your ability to move your hand. This helps determine the extent of the injury, as well as the type of treatment that may be needed. The doctor may also be able to determine if a ligament has been torn. Torn ligaments won’t show up on standard X-rays. If they think you may have a fracture, they’ll take X-rays of your hand to check.  

Typically, the X-rays look at the hand from three different directions. Getting images from different angles makes it easier for the doctor to see possible fractures. They should be able to see if there’s a break and if so, tell what type it is. Sometimes, the doctor may order more X-rays, with special views to look for hard-to-find fractures. 

Depending on how the injury happened, it’s possible the X-rays will show an object — also called a foreign body — in your hand. Foreign bodies that may show up on X-rays are glass, bone, metal, and stones. This could happen if the injury came from: 

• Punching another person in the mouth
• Being bitten by an animal
• Being cut with a sharp object
• Having something go through your hand

When to seek medical care

Any time you have an injury and think you may have a fracture, contact your doctor. If the doctor is unavailable, go to an urgent care. 

If you’ve already been splinted or casted and have increasing pain, numbness, or tingling in the fingers on the casted arm, call your doctor. These could be signs of infection that will need a doctor’s care.

Boxer’s Fracture Treatment

Home care for boxer’s fractures can be divided into care prior to seeing a doctor and care after a diagnosis of a boxer’s fracture is made.

Boxer’s fracture home care before diagnosis 

The immediate goals of caring for an injured hand are to minimize pain, swelling, and the risk of infection of any open cuts. You also need to prevent further injury.

• Ice and elevation: The best approach to reduce pain and swelling is to apply an ice pack to the injured area. If ice isn’t available, placing a towel soaked in cold water on the injured hand will work. Elevating the injured hand will also help reduce swelling.
• Clean and treat cuts: An open cut suggests an open fracture. This type of break is at higher risk for infection and poor healing. All cuts should be washed with soap and water and then covered with a clean bandage right away.
• Immobilize hand: This helps prevent further injury from a fracture. You can do this by holding the injured hand in the uninjured hand. Take care not to use the injured hand to lift objects or perform any task that would place stress on it. Using a broken hand in such a way can cause further damage.

Boxer’s fracture home care after diagnosis 

Home care after the diagnosis of a boxer’s fracture is based on how the doctor treated the hand. Home care includes pain management, cast or splint care, and monitoring for signs of infection.

• Pain management. Bones, like many other parts of the body, have nerve fibers that transmit the sensation of pain. Pain from broken bones is caused by swelling or by the broken bone moving. Once a broken bone is immobilized and you stop moving it, you should have less pain. If your doctor writes a prescription for pain medication, take the medication as prescribed. This will help alleviate pain and will minimize the risk of any unwanted side effects from the medication. For mild pain, over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) may be used as directed on the label. Talk to your doctor before you take these medicines.
• Splinting or casting. One or the other is used on all boxer’s fractures that don’t need immediate surgery. All splints and casts should be kept dry in order to maintain their strength. It’s possible for the cast to become too tight from the swelling of the fracture. When this happens, you may feel pain. Another sign is numbness or tingling in the fingers on the casted hand and the finger may become cool to the touch. If this happens, call your doctor.
• Care for wounds or stitches. You can get an infection in an open cut. Wounds should be kept clean and covered until healing is complete. If you have stitches to close a cut, the doctor will give you instructions on how to care for them and when they should be removed.  Follow these directions carefully to lower your chance of infection. Warning signs of infection include redness, red streaking away from the cut, warmth, or swelling around the site of the cut. Pus may also drain from the wound. Call your doctor if you have any of these signs.

Boxer’s fracture medical treatment

The primary goals of treatment are to stop the hand from moving around so it can start healing and to help with the pain.

A splint should immobilize the joints above and below the site of injury. In the case of a boxer’s fracture, different types of splints may be used. One type of splint may extend from the fingers, with the fingertips exposed, to the forearm near the elbow. Another type that has been shown to be effective for some boxer’s fractures of the little finger is to buddy-tape the ring finger and little finger together. Your doctor will decide what type of splint will treat your fracture the best.

• When a boxer’s fracture happens, it is possible for a portion of the metacarpal bone to move out of alignment. This is called angulation. The amount of angulation will determine what type of treatment is needed to ensure proper healing. People with boxer’s fractures who have acceptable amounts of angulation may be splinted in the emergency department or doctor’s office.
• If there’s any degree of angulation in the second or third metacarpal bones you may need a referral to a hand specialist for possible surgical repair. Boxer’s fractures of the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones only need surgery if there’s a large degree of angulation and the bones cannot be moved into the correct place by pulling and pushing on them after the hand is numbed with anesthesia.
• Because broken bones can cause significant amounts of pain, pain management is an important aspect to treating broken bones. Pain management is best accomplished with anti-inflammatory medicines and pain relievers. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) usually provides good pain relief with few side effects. These over-the-counter medications, or any prescription pain medicines, should be taken as directed to decrease the risk of side effects.

Boxer’s Fracture Recovery and Follow-Up

Your doctor may ask you to follow-up with a bone specialist (orthopedic surgeon) or a hand specialist to ensure that the broken bone mends properly. The hand specialist may be either an orthopedic surgeon or a plastic surgeon who specializes in hand injuries.

Dos

• Follow-up within 1 week of the initial injury, or sooner.
• Loosen your splint, notify your doctor, and return to the emergency department immediately if you had a plaster splint placed in your doctor’s office, or in the emergency department, and you develop increased pain or numbness in your fingers, or if your fingers become cold and blue.
• Go to your physical therapy appointments if your doctor recommends it.
• Eat healthy foods that include vitamin D, calcium, and protein.

Don’ts

• Get your splint wet.
• Smoke.
• Get into a fist fight or do other things that boost your chance of reinjury.

Boxer’s Fracture Prevention

The key to preventing boxer’s fractures is to avoid situations in which the injury can happen.. Boxer’s fractures happen most often during fist fights and when someone punches a hard object in anger or frustration. 

Slowing the loss of bone that occurs naturally with age can also help avoid boxer’s fractures. You can help stave-off bone loss by getting regular exercise and getting enough calcium either through dairy products, fortified foods or supplements. Talk to your doctor about what may be best for you.

Boxer’s Fracture Outlook

With proper immobilization of the broken bones and good follow-up with a hand specialist, most people with a boxer’s fracture have a good outcome. If you need surgery, you may have a longer period of recovery than someone who only needs splinting. Some will need physical therapy after the splint is removed because the muscles become weakened from not being used.

Complications of Boxer’s Fracture

Complications aren’t likely if you get treatment for boxer’s fracture. If you don’t get treatment, complications may include:

• A decrease in your ability to grip
• Limited range of motion of the finger
• An abnormal looking finger

Long-term effects

Boxer’s fracture that is treated properly and soon after the injury happens is likely to fully recover with few long-term problems if any.

Hand Doctors Explain Boxer’s Fracture (Broken Knuckles)

A “boxer’s fracture” is the common term for a break in one or more of the knuckle bones. The medical term for this injury is a “metacarpal fracture.” Another somewhat old fashioned term for this type of broken knuckle bone is the “brawler’s fracture”.

Regardless of what you call it, a broken knuckle is painful, as well as a huge inconvenience to daily activities. And a boxer’s fracture can also cause long term complications and mobility limits if it is not properly treated by a hand doctor.

What is a Boxer’s Fracture?

The hand bones (metacarpals) consist of a base, shaft, head, and neck. The base of the metacarpal attaches to the bones of the wrist. The shaft and neck of the bone runs between the palm and the “back” of the hand. The head of a metacarpal connects it to the bone of the finger. The heads of the five metacarpal bones form “fist” knuckles.

A boxer’s fracture typically occurs in the neck of the metacarpal. This is the most common area of the bone to break when someone hits (or is hit by) a hard or immoveable object.

Note that a boxer’s fracture is different from “boxer’s knuckle,” which is a separate condition is caused by repeated damage to the ligaments over time.

Causes of Boxer’s Fracture

Although punching something (or someone, as in boxing) is the most common cause of boxer’s fracture, virtually any direct impact to the knuckles can cause this type of break in the metacarpal bone.

Smacking a flat hand into a hard surface, or dropping something heavy on the knuckles, can also be enough to cause a boxer’s knuckle fracture.

The knuckles are simply not designed to withstand such severe impacts. In fact, boxers wear those heavily padded gloves not only to keep from injuring their opponent, but primarily to avoid breaking their own knuckles!

Symptoms of Boxer’s Knuckle Fracture

Symptoms of a broken knuckle are similar to those of other broken bones. The pain, swelling and other symptoms typically begin almost immediately, or very soon after the injury. Almost all symptoms will be felt within the first 24 hours.

Boxer’s fracture symptoms include:

• swelling on both sides of the hand
• pain surrounding the injured area
• extreme tenderness near the break
• limits in the fingers’ mobility or movement
• snapping or popping sensation
• dark or painful bruises
• difficulty or pain when gripping objects
• numbness, coldness, or tingling feeling

CLICK HERE to Read How Hand Doctors Diagnose & Treat Boxer’s Fracture

Top Bloomfield Hills Hand Doctor

If you are suffering from any injury or pain in your knuckles, fingers, wrist, elbow or arm, contact board certified Bloomfield Hills hand surgeon Doctor Rehman for a comprehensive evaluation and consultation. As with most medical conditions, early detection, awareness, and a prevention or treatment plan is the most effective way to combat the effects of conditions like boxer’s fracrutres or broken knuckles.

Doctor Rehman will assess your individual situation with care, and draw on her years of experience to prescribe the treatment that is best for your condition.

Bloomfield Hills Hand Doctor: 248.335.2638

Your Hands Are Your Gold – The Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders

20 May Your Hands Are Your Gold

Posted at 12:50h
in Upper Extremities
by CMD

Your hands are your gold—especially if you play basketball, and even more so if you play in the NBA. Whether it is dribbling, passing, shooting, rebounding or playing defense, a player’s hands do it all. With that amount of action, injuries like jammed fingers are common, even expected. But a bone break can end an NBA season.

That’s what happened to Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul, who suffered an injury to his right hand during a 2016 NBA playoff game against the Portland Trail Blazers. After fracturing the third metacarpal in his right hand, Paul was out of the game, the playoffs and the season. This was certainly a game changer as Paul was crucial to his team and to the league. In fact, in the 2016 end-of-season MVP voting, Paul finished sixth overall.

The type of fracture that Chris Paul suffered is usually the result of a blow to the hand made by a boxer, in which the hands are used in high impact. Hence, this fracture is known colloquially as a “boxer’s fracture.” (But, it’s more like a brawler’s fracture as it is usually an injury for inexperienced, street-type fighters).

In Paul’s case, the injury was more of a fluke. The broken metacarpal happened during his attempt to steal the ball when his hand got caught in the jersey of an opposing player.

Now, the metacarpals are the bones of the fingers that together with the bones of the wrist (the carpals) and the small bones of the fingers (phalanges) form the joints. In essence, the metacarpals connect the finger bones to the wrist bones. A fracture of a metacarpal can occur in a number of locations on this bone, and can vary in severity and type (displaced, un-displaced, compound, comminuted, greenstick, etc.).

Symptoms of a metacarpal fracture include pain, tenderness and swelling over the involved knuckle(s). Other possible symptoms are bruising and/or deformity. According to bonetalks.com, this is a “young man’s injury” with 70 percent of metacarpal fractures occurring in those between 11 and 45 years old.

Depending on the nature of the metacarpal fracture, treatment can consist of manipulation, splinting, casting or surgery. Surgery is usually the option for a break in which there is too much angulation (bending, abnormal alignment) or the fracture is displaced. In either treatment, recovery takes place over four to six weeks. Recovery may also include physical therapy to strengthen the muscles that have weakened as a result of lack of use. (Although greater detail on Paul’s fracture was not publicized, he did undergo surgery the day after his injury. )

Any hand injury that may indicate a metacarpal or other fracture should be evaluated by a doctor. If a person cannot see a doctor immediately, a trip to the hospital’s emergency room is indicated. In addition to a physical examination, X-rays are taken to determine the precise nature and details of the injury.

At The Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, we recognize and are experienced in the way the quality of life is impacted by any injury or disorder of the hands, wrists or forearms. We utilize both non-invasive and surgical procedures when necessary to effectively treat this vital part of the body. Call us or visit our website to explore the many conditions we treat, and the procedures we employ.

What Is Boxer’s Fracture? Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment

Save yourself from intense pain due to boxer’s fracture by knowing what it is and its treatments.
RELATED: The Different Types Of Joints In The Body
In this article:

1. What Is Boxer’s Fracture?
2. Where Can You Find the Fifth Metacarpal Bone?
3. Who Are at Risk of the Injury?
4. What Are the Symptoms of the Boxer’s Hand Fracture?
5. When Is the Best Time to See a Doctor?
6. How Do You Treat Boxer’s Fracture?
7. Why Do You Need to Treat the Fracture?

Boxer’s Fracture | Why Do You Develop It and What’s the Best Treatment?

What Is Boxer’s Fracture?

Boxer’s fracture is an injury affecting the hands. It involves the breaking or cracking of the neck of the fifth metacarpal bone, which is in the pinky or the little finger.
It derives its name from boxers. People believe they are the most prone to it.
In reality, it can happen to anyone. It is also more common among those who don’t have enough boxing training.
There are different types of boxer’s fracture: closed, open, non-displaced, displaced, and comminuted.
The fracture is closed when the broken or cracked bone doesn’t break the skin. Otherwise, it is open.
The others refer to the condition of the bones after the injury. The displaced ones mean the opposite ends of the bone have become unattached.
They can also break into many pieces (comminuted). They can be stable, which means they did indeed break, but they didn’t separate.

Where Can You Find the Fifth Metacarpal Bone?

To understand the exact location of the fracture, it’s time for some anatomy lesson. The fingers or the bones that compose them (called the phalanges) connect to the rest of the arms through the carpal bones.
These are the bones that complete the wrist, and there are eight of them. They too can be prone to fractures and other conditions.
The metacarpal bones are the ones that connect the phalanges to the carpal bones. Each finger has one.
The metacarpal bones, on the other hand, also have different parts. These are the base, head, shaft, and neck.

• The head is the part that connects the metacarpal bone to the finger.
• It is the base that attaches the metacarpal bone to the wrist bone.
• The shaft is the slender component while the neck links the head and the shaft.

When a person clenches their fist to reveal the knuckles, they can actually locate the head. It also explains why the neck is the most vulnerable when they punch or hit an immovable object.

Who Are at Risk of the Injury?

As mentioned, the term “boxer’s fracture” comes from the fact it tends to occur among those involved in this type of sport. It may not provide the right picture, though.
It is more common among the inexperienced ones. They still don’t have the right techniques to reduce their risk of injury and protect their bones.
They may also be intentional such as getting into fights. For this reason, some people call it the brawler’s fracture.
It can develop when a person hits or punches an immovable object or when they fall on a surface with clenched fists.
Note too metacarpal fractures can occur among the other non-thumb fingers. In fact, they make up over 85% of all cracking or broken metacarpal bones.
Among them, though, the one in the fifth or the pinky finger is the most vulnerable as it has to deal with the strongest impact.
These injuries tend to happen among men more than women. The assumption is they are the more likely to get involved in contact sports such as boxing, as well as brawls or fights.
A 2011 study, however, cited how women tend to have a higher association between intentional punch injuries and psychiatric disease.
Older people and those who suffer from bone disease or have mineral deficiency may also be at risk of boxer’s fracture.

What Are the Symptoms of the Boxer’s Hand Fracture?

The common signs and symptoms of the injury include the following:

• Pain (which can be localized or radiating)
• Tenderness and swelling in the pinky finger or the knuckles
• Redness of the affected area
• Difficulty to lift or use the little finger
• Deformity
• Knuckle depression
• Bruising or discoloration
• Lacerations and abrasions

RELATED: What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome And Treatment

When Is the Best Time to See a Doctor?

You may have a fracture if you hear a snapping or popping sound the moment you hit your fist on a hard object. If this is the case, it’s best to see a doctor as soon as you can.
If the doctor is not available, you can proceed to the emergency department to undergo a physical examination or evaluation. The doctor will also provide you with treatment options.
Some people may choose to ignore the fracture, but there’s a possibility the symptoms can only worsen over time. It may also increase the risk of severe deformity, which may only lead to disability.

How Do You Treat Boxer’s Fracture?

Before treating, the doctor, who is an orthopedic specialist, needs to assess the condition. First, they perform a physical exam.
They will look for any sign of bruising, swelling, or discoloration on the affected area. They may ask you to clench your fist to reveal your knuckles or gently press on them.
Then, they will request you undergo an X-ray procedure. This is the only way for them to determine if it is indeed a fifth metacarpal injury or if it’s a different bone.
Treatment Choices
After these, they can then offer various treatments. These can include the following:
1. Stability Options
These can refer to boxer’s fracture splint or boxer’s fracture cast. These can limit the movement of the affected bone to give it time to heal.
It’s best not to do the cast or splinting yourself. The tightness depends on the swelling of the bone.
What Is Splinting? It is a process of providing strong and stable support for the injured finger. Unlike a cast, it uses a rigid base and easy-to-adjust wraps.
There’s also the boxer’s fracture brace. It is ideal if the injury also affects the fourth metacarpal bone or the other bones and joints of the fingers.
2. Surgery
The doctor may also recommend a boxer’s fracture surgery if the injury results in the bones breaking the skin or the deformity is severe. It may also be necessary for those who depend on fine motor skills in their profession.
Other options are:

• Pain medications
• Ice compression
• Rest, including keeping the affected hand above the heart level
• Tetanus vaccine if there are lacerations or skin breakage
• Physical therapy, especially to restore mobility

When it comes to the boxer’s fracture recovery time, it depends on many factors. These are the severity of the fracture, the age of the person, any preexisting medical condition, and the therapy received.
On average, it takes about 10 weeks to restore the function of the affected hand. Following the guidelines of the therapists and doctors may help speed up the boxer’s fracture recovery time.

Why Do You Need to Treat the Fracture?

Any type of bone fracture can limit the movement of a person. It means they cannot function properly.
If their work depends on the extensive use of the hands and limbs, then a boxer’s fracture can mean disability and chronic pain.
Without the right treatment, the symptoms can get worse. The deformity may also become long-term.
 
Here is a quick video about boxer’s fracture from Vincent Nuccio:

Boxer’s fracture can sometimes happen to you, but you can also avoid it by doing two things.
First, don’t punch or box without the proper equipment or training. Second, reduce your risk factors such as mineral depletion or bone disease.
The topic of bone-related diseases can be extensive and broad, and it may need a separate discussion. Supplements to strengthen them, though, can help.
Have you experienced a boxer’s fracture? Share your story in the comments section below!
Up Next: 

Brawler – Official Fractured Space Wiki

In-Game Description[]

Difficulty: Medium

The Brawler is the USR competitor to the Zarek domination of the front line. It is lethal at close range combining its AOE concuss with its primary weapon. As with the Zarek ships, the Brawler is designed to attack at close range, but rather than Blink to target, the Brawler pulls the target to him. The Brawler Harpoon system is a two stage system: first fire the harpoon at the target and once it has landed, use the Pull to drag the target into range.

Summary[]

The Brawler is a very powerful close-attack ship, featuring the extremely powerful Harpoon system, as well as the equally powerful Thumper main weapon. The Thumper is designed to be a point-blank powerhouse; the weapon itself has a terrific rate of fire and deals extreme damage at point-blank range, but the damage per second falls off very sharply with range. Be sure to keep a target as close as possible to maximize your killing potential.

The Brawler also has varying degrees of armor thickness, making weapon strikes to particular surfaces far less powerful until the armor is broken through. The heaviest armor sections are along the flanks of the Brawler, which are nearly twice as thick as those of the Colossus, making it excellent at broadside engagements and turn fights.

Loadout[]

Tactics[]

When playing as a Brawler[]

• The Harpoon travels very fast but has no tracking – make sure to hit your target or else you must close the distance yourself in order to deal meaningful damage.
• Use your heavily armored broadsides to soak damage when in battle. Their armor is comparable to that of a Leviathan or Colossus, despite the Brawler being a Medium craft.

When playing with a Brawler[]

• Do not use abilities that cause their targets to move such as the Pioneer’s Gravity Nuke or anything in the Displacer’s arsenal when there is an allied Brawler nearby. You will likely cause them to miss their Harpoon, which has a long cooldown.

When playing against a Brawler[]

• A Brawlers’ firepower is quite literally unmatched at point-blank range – avoid getting harpooned at all costs unless you have escape options ready. Keep in mind that once the Brawler reels you within 5 km, it can concuss you to prevent your escape.

Tips[]

The Thumper weapon is very powerful at close ranges, but very short range. It is not uncommon to find yourself taking damage from otherwise close-range ships such as the Colossus and Ghost while unable to effectively return fire yourself.

The Brawler is very powerful in point-blank broadside duels, but suffers due to weak armor facing when trying to deal with targets above or below it. Always try to keep your enemy shooting at your heavily armored sides, and never let them get significantly higher or lower than you.

The Bristol Press – Healthy Living: Giving boxer’s fractures patients a fighting chance

OTR/L CHT

A boxer’s fracture is a very common fracture of the hand, more often than not involving the dominant hand. Health care workers disagree as to what is classified as a boxer’s fracture. It is argued that it either involves any one of the metacarpals of the hand at its neck or more specifically the neck of the second and third or neck of the fourth and fifth.

Other names for these fractures are “brawler’s fracture,” scrapper’s fracture,” “broken hand” or “bar room fracture.” The interesting fact is that a well-trained boxer often will hit correctly with the hand aligned with forearm and shoulder and therefore very rarely will fracture the metacarpals. Men are more commonly affected by this injury and frequently the cause is hitting or punching into a hard unforgiving object, such as a wall, refrigerator or another person. During this incident, the person will often hear an audible pop or snap with pain and swelling occurring almost immediately.

Other interesting facts include: Men are 50 percent more likely to sustain this injury than women. The common ages are between 15-35 years. Hand and wrist injuries comprise of 15-20 percent of cases seen in the ER and most being this diagnosis, involving the fifth metacarpal.

The anatomy of the hand partly includes five metacarpals which form the actual palm/ hand and are sandwiched between the digits and wrist joint. The first, fourth and fifth metacarpals are moveable and allow for the hand to hold onto various sized objects. The second and third are stable units of the hand and do not move or rotate. Fractures can occur with any metacarpal however are much more common with the neck of the fifth. Fractures can occur at either the neck, shaft or base of the metacarpal. The injury can be open or closed and if it is open and has involved a human or animal mouth, infection will be a very important consideration in the treatment.

Treatment usually involves a trip to the ER or medical doctor where an x ray is usually taken. A cast or brace will be provided. The patient is then referred to the local hand or orthopedic surgeon who will decide if surgery is warranted, if the fracture is unstable, rotated, or displaced. If surgery is not indicated then the physician or physician assistant will modify the cast or brace as needed. Usually the person will be sent when appropriate to an outpatient rehabilitation facility where a hand therapist will treat this patient. The patient will be evaluated and usually a new splint or brace will be fabricated depending on the stage of healing and whether or not surgery was performed. The patient will be set up for formal therapy to improve function, mobility and strength, as well as pain and swelling management. The ultimate goal will be to get the person back to his/her normal daily activities.

In summary, a boxer’s fracture is a common fracture occurring in the hand and most often is as a result of punching with a closed fist onto a hard surface. Start with an examination by your physician and follow through with his/her recommendations which may include seeing a hand therapist.

Anne Betz Stewart, OTR/L CHT, is a certified hand therapist at Rehab Dynamics 2 located at the Bristol Hospital Wellness Center. She can be reached for appointments at 860-582-9355. A physician’s referral is required to initiate any occupational/hand therapy.

Posted in The Bristol Press, General News on Monday, 19 June 2017 22:46. Updated: Monday, 19 June 2017 22:48.

Chris Weidman acknowledges ‘terrible’ pain from horrific compound fracture of leg at UFC 261

Ten days after suffering a compound fracture of his right leg, Chris Weidman was at home in New York and preparing for a long road to recovery, saying the pain felt during and after his fight at UFC 261 was unlike anything he had felt in his career.

“I’ve had 10 knee surgeries, three elbow surgeries, two neck surgeries, three hand surgeries. I’ve had pretty much everything you could possibly have,” Weidman told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani in an interview released Wednesday. “The amount of pain when I got up from having my leg up above my heart, when I was putting that leg down — not actually putting weight on it, but just getting on crutches and going to the bathroom — was so bad. The pooling of blood in my shin and my foot was just so terrible. … I was literally sleeping all day long — the only time I was moving really was to go to the bathroom. And those moments were just terrible, literally like crying and pain.”

Weidman suffered the injury while kicking Uriah Hall’s leg shortly after the start of their fight at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 24. Weidman’s leg wrapped unnaturally around Hall’s calf, and when he took a step backward, Weidman collapsed under the weight and part of his bone went through his calf.

2 Related

“I remember hitting him with the shot, and the first thing that went through my mind was, ‘That was a super hard leg kick. He’s not taking more than one or two of those,’ like, that had to have hurt him,” Weidman said. “Then, secondly, I looked up at his eyes, and I saw him have almost like a poker face on. … I know that had to hurt. And then, apparently, I stepped back. And that must have been when I looked down and I got the visual of my leg flopping around. I don’t remember stepping down. But I remember seeing my leg, you know, rubbery.”

As the medical team entered the Octagon, one thought that popped into Weidman’s head was of Anderson Silva suffering a nearly identical injury at UFC 168, against Weidman himself.

“When I was facedown, I think that immediately popped in my head — like, is this a bad dream? How is that possible?” Weidman said. “I was a part of it when it happened to Anderson Silva, and this happens to me? … Like, how the hell does this happen? Three leg breaks in the history of the UFC, and I’m a part of two of them?”

Chris Weidman suffered a catastrophic leg injury just 17 seconds into his fight against Uriah Hall at UFC 261. Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Having been through the injury, surgery and recovery process numerous times, Weidman thought he knew what he was in for but said this was unlike anything before.

“Initially, I was super optimistic, because after surgery I just figured it was going to be three, maybe four days’ worth of pain and then I’d be kind of back into it,” Weidman said. “I’ve had 23 surgeries, so it’s not like it’s my first rodeo going through a surgery. But I didn’t realize how different this was. When compared to every other surgery, this was a serious, traumatic thing that happened in my leg.

“Recovery’s going to be way longer and harder than I’ve ever experienced. I went through a tough time about the four- or five-day mark postsurgery, because it started going the other way. It started becoming more painful, as opposed to getting better. And it was just so excruciating, to just get up for me to crutch my way to the bathroom. I would talk myself into it. I had to amp myself up and mentally prepare myself just to get to the bathroom.”

Weidman eventually reached a point where he could sit on the couch and play video games as long as his leg remained elevated. He began physical therapy sessions Tuesday, although it’s only for consultation and getting comfortable in the early stages.

As far as thoughts of a comeback, Weidman said he is hopeful but realistic. Since losing the UFC middleweight title in 2015, Weidman has fought only once per year with the exception of 2017, when he fought twice. He has had a long road to recovery multiple times, and this could be Weidman’s toughest to date.

“I was in a very good spot physically, mentally, spiritually. Had some big goals I was ready to accomplish, and I cannot believe this happened to me. … It’s just so frustrating,” Weidman said. “I don’t know how much work it’s going to take, but yeah, this is what I want. I just know how good I am. And I want to be able to prove it. And I don’t have many more years left of being able to do that. My body never felt so good before this fight. I really was excited to show the world how good I am able to put it out there.

“If I can get my body back to where I feel like I’m that guy again, I 100% want to fight. I want to be able to demonstrate the talents I have, put on a show and then also be able to inspire people by coming back from this. It is not going to be easy. It’s way, way tougher of a recovery already in the first 10 days.”

90,000 NBA brawler and humble Lithuanian. The five most curious newcomers of the United League

Not legionnaires are united.

The new VTB United League season has started, which means that we have the opportunity to watch the most interesting newcomers to the teams. We have selected the five most curious basketball players.

Not just a player with the name and nostalgic nickname Super Mario was brought to Kazan. The 26-year-old Hezonya is just reaching his peak. Last season, he was gathering dust for Portland, but the available playing time seemed to him insufficient, and in the winter transfer window the Croat drove off to Panathinaikos, beloved since childhood.

Declarations of love to idol Dimitris Diamantidis, the desire to see the rest of his career in green, the Pao fans burning flames on the streets of Athens and the real level of dedication in playing for a club that, in fact, did not pretend to anything – all this was before the start off-season.

💚☘️💙 pic.twitter.com/RyIKgLZFc4

— Mario Hezonja (@mariohezonja) August 9, 2021

In the summer, Mario left the NBA, fiddled with the Euroleague giants, but he was waiting for a contract from Panathinaikos, which could not offer anything better than 2 million euros for 2 years.Mario refused, not hiding regret, abundantly flavoring posts on Instagram with green hearts and promises to return.

In the queue for Hezonia, UNICS turned out to be the fastest of all for two reasons, and it is not yet clear which one is more important. With the money, everything is clear, with the exception of a specific amount, but it seems that a much more important role was played by the presence of Velimir Perasovic in the coaching position, with whom Mario is well acquainted from his work in the Croatian national team.

💚🏀 pic.twitter.com/VSXwQK811K

— Mario Hezonja (@mariohezonja) September 20, 2021

The fact that the specialist has a really special relationship with the newcomer was evident during the VTB United League Super Cup.The head coach of UNICS built most of the attacks through Super Mario, but he most often pulled out for a personal conversation and correcting the team’s actions on the floor. Well, the way Hezonya played, who, according to the results of the tournament, got into the symbolic team, indicates that the player respects Perasovich and came not just to serve out the number.

For whom the Super Cup was not successful, it was for Napier, who, on the eve of the final, having gained 33 points, had to leave the court in the decisive match in the first minute after an ankle injury.

Official: Zenit St. Petersburg announced the deal with Shabazz Napier. pic.twitter.com/MqIDD9bgqn

— George Zakkas (@ZakkasGeorge) July 19, 2021

It’s good that fears about a fracture were not confirmed, but the player will still need some time to recover. Given Napier’s fighting nature, there is reason to think that the rehabilitation period will not be so long.

Shabazz made a name for himself at the school level, then proved even better when he won two NCAA championships with the University of Connecticut team.

https: // twitter.com / fiba / status / 450707564494614528

Shabuzz came out to the NBA draft with personal awards and informed that LeBron James wanted him to get into the Miami Heat: James, who always liked to surround himself with snipers, thought that having such a quick-firing defender would not be superfluous in the campaign for championship. The King’s wish is, as you know, the law, so despite the fact that in the 2014 draft the player with the number 24 was taken by the Charlotte Hornets, that same night he was traded to Miami.

#Heat have officially introduced NCAA champion Shabazz Napier. He will wear no.13 #NBA pic.twitter.com/lXA2VPBXBN

— Orazio Francesco Cauchi (@paxer89) June 30, 2014

From that moment, Napier’s long ordeals for the league clubs began: in 6 years the player changed 6 teams and was unable to gain a foothold anywhere. Napier’s shooting talents and ball handling were never questioned, but his size made him easy prey for athletic defenders, and playmaker Shabazz’s skills were never comparable to his ability to score points.

Throw-oriented miniature players are having a hard time in the NBA right now, look at Isaiah Thomas, who looks for a part-time job every year.So Napier decided to try alternative career options. The transition of Shabazz to Zenit is a debut in every sense, because before that Napier played only in the NBA.

OJ Mayo (UNICS)

Purchase for the Euroleague, which is designed not only to outline the ambitions of UNICS Kazan, but also to give a final assessment of what OJ Mayo is.

https://twitter.com/alessandromagg4/status/1439866035876

7

Mayo started with the same fanfare as Sebastian Telfair, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, even though the latter couple went to watch Mayo’s matches when he was still playing for the school team.

O.J. Mayo…..the Next LeBron

Never forget😂 pic.twitter.com/Crz9WYBzJN

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 14, 2020

At the University of Southern California, Mayo entered the rank of the best young basketball player in the country and for the simple reason that at that time direct transfers from school to the NBA were prohibited, and so OJ was determined to repeat the path of Kobe Bryant, and comparisons were required.

At Mayo University, he began to alternate receiving individual awards with receiving warnings for violation of the regime, and also did not escape an investigation for receiving gifts and valuables, which are prohibited by the NCAA due to the possible impact on the result of performances.

With Beasley out of the Bubble, it’s time for the #3 pick in the ‘08 draft to return: O.J. Mayo pic.twitter.com/d79a78B666

— Tate Frazier (@tatefrazier) July 16, 2020

Despite all this, in 2008, Minnesota chose Mayo as number 3 and immediately traded him to Memphis for Kevin Love. And for this reason, we can proudly say that Russian basketball fans have not seen such a highly drafted player for 20 years – since Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf played for Ural Great (3rd pick in 1991). Only if the devout, Muslim Rauf did not give reason to doubt himself, you don’t know what to expect from Mayo.

📅 On this day in 2008, the Bulls selected Derrick Rose first overall in the NBA Draft. He has career averages of 18.8 PPG and 5.6 APG and is a 3-time All-Star.

Rose was followed by Michael Beasley (MIA), O.J. Mayo (MIN), Russell Westbrook (SEA), and Kevin Love (MEM). pic.twitter.com/rT77D5M4xl

— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) June 26, 2020

Mayo lasted until 2016 in the NBA and, in addition to the striking episodes in Memphis, Dallas and Milwaukee, managed to be remembered for the ban for the use of narcotic drugs, ridiculous injuries, scandals with the possession of unregistered weapons and other attributes of the gentleman’s set of “kid with notions “.

After no proposals were found for Mayo in the NBA, he became a citizen of the world: Puerto Rico, Taiwan, China – in clubs from these countries, Mayo continued to forge his basketball legacy.Now he will continue to do so in the capital of Tatarstan. What will be the result? Nobody knows yet, but many want to see it.

After the transatlantic “bad guys”, the presence in this collection of a well-knit Lithuanian seems the least justified.

Marius Grigonis joined CSKA 🤝

Lithuanian shooting guard Marius Grigonis (27 years old, 198 cm) became the first recruit of our team in the offseason. The contract with the player is valid until the summer of 2024. pic.twitter.com/Ef5Sa6UNtP

— CSKA Moscow (@cskabasket) June 12, 2021

No scandals and fines for speeding: the pupil of “Zalgiris”, after 4 years of performances in Lithuania, tried to gain a foothold in the teams from the Spanish Championship, went on a visit to Berlin “Alba”, returned to “Zalgiris”, where he opened up in a new way and attracted the attention of the clubs.

https://twitter.com/kooraplus_/status/1403666733731389442

The story is not exactly original, but worthy of attention precisely through the optics of the current CSKA. In fact, it is the Lithuanian who will be the first real point guard of the team after the departure of Nando De Colo. Mike James was a typical combo guards, Dani Hackett was always seen mostly as a personal guy and played when necessary, Chacho Rodriguez came off the bench, Will Clyburn played number one in the big fives.

Now Grigonis has a chance of a lifetime, if he can prove himself in the same way as Effe Lundberg did last year, he can receive both an offer for an extension and contracts from potential competitors of CSKA.Therefore, it makes sense to follow how this epic will develop.

Another story closely tied to the interaction between the player and the employer. For many years Nizhny Novgorod has been trying to keep the brand of the club, where Russian veterans come to rehabilitate their careers, where it is easier for talented Russian players to play, and where candidates for the national team often come out.

Egor Sytnikov @SytnikovEgor during prep-game for @BC_NN pic.twitter.com/eO1bR4T8KH

— Prostep Sports (@ProstepSports) September 12, 2021

At the same time, the case of Yegor Sytnikov is special.Yegor received his basketball education at the Slovenian Cedevite Olympia, with which he signed a contract back in 2017.

All Tournament best 5 players at the #AdidasNGT Belgrade:
Luka Paunovic (Mega Bemax)
Egor Sytnikov (Cedevita Olimpija)
Nikola Manojlovic (Red Star)
Nikola Radovanovic (Partizan)
Daniel Batcho (CFBB) MVP @KKMegaBemax @kkcrvenazvezda @PartizanBC @KKCedOL @ffbasketball @NetScouts pic.twitter.com/NwhhwE7AaV

— Simeon Marinov (@SimeonMarinov8) February 23, 2020

The second part of the season he spent on loan at Iliria, with which he became the champion of the second league of Slovenia. It may seem that some passport officer will come to Nizhny Novgorod, but this is not so. Egor studied at a club with one of the most thorough training systems: from 4 to 6 workouts a day, work and joint training with Luka Doncic’s father, match analysis and theoretical studies.All this makes us believe that the title of a newcomer for Yegor will be only nominal, and a prepared and motivated player will come to Nizhny Novgorod. Whether this is so, we will find out in a few days.

90,000 The only painting by Caravaggio in Russia returned to the Hermitage

The only painting in Russia by Caravaggio, “The Young Man with the Lute”, returned to the Hermitage after restoration. The museum displays the work of one of the greatest masters of the Renaissance in the Apollo Hall on the Palace Embankment.

“The Young Man with the Lute” – one of the earliest, recognizable and most famous paintings by the Italian revolutionary in European painting, the founder of realism Michelangelo Caravaggio – is again exhibited in the St. Petersburg Hermitage.The painting has been under restoration for the last three years. The exposition is timed to coincide with the birthday of the museum.

“The presentation of a painting after its restoration is an exceptional event not only for the Hermitage, but for the entire world artistic community,” the Hermitage said.

According to the head of the oldest laboratory in Russia for the scientific restoration of easel painting, Viktor Korobov, during the restoration process, all later notes and edits were deleted, except for the essential detail of the picture – the strings on the lute.The work had numerous bumps, irregularities and numerous layers of varnish. The “young man” was also freed from “freckles” on his cheeks, which actually had nothing to do with age spots and turned out to be ordinary injuries. Also, after the restoration, purple iris in a bouquet and marble table in the foreground became visible.

A talented son of an architect from Lombardi, who wrote many paintings on biblical subjects, a hot-tempered brawler, a gambler, an exile convicted of murder, Caravaggio wrote “The Lute Player” (the picture has several titles – “Newspaper.Ru ”) at the end of the 16th century in Rome, where he settled after moving from Northern Italy.

The work was ordered by the artist’s patron, Cardinal Francesco del Monte, in whose house Caravaggio lived for several years.

Later, the work was bought by a friend of the cardinal – an antiquarian and a great admirer of art Vincenzo Giustiniani. In 1808, his unique collection went under the hammer at an auction in Paris – the family became impoverished, and the descendants needed funds. Even before the start of trading, the Russian Emperor Alexander I asked the director of the Louvre, Dominique Vivant Denon, to buy the Lute Player for the Hermitage.So the painting ended up in Russia – until now it is the only work of the master in the country.

The main and only hero of the canvas is a young man in a white shirt. Brooding, curly and pale, he plucks the strings of a cracked lute against a dark wall. On the table in front of him are battered notes and a violin, and here is a vase of bright flowers and fruit. In the scores one can guess the melody of madrigal Jacques Arkadel, popular for its time, “You know that I love you.” Until now, in European languages ​​there is an expression: “His lute cracked”, which means: “His love ended unsuccessfully.”For whom the artist’s love message in the picture is encrypted is unknown.

Contemporaries did not immediately adopt the style of the most popular Italian artist, who emphatically separated shadows from light, humanized the saints in biblical subjects and sought to show life as it is.

For a long time, the young man was mistaken for a girl playing the lute, so the painting was exhibited under a different name – “The Lute Player”.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, art critics still found out that the lute player, in fact, is an effeminate gentle boy.The prototype of the hero of the picture was the companion of Caravaggio, Mario Minniti, who posed for many of his works (“Young man with a basket of fruits”, “Musicians”, “Boy bitten by a lizard”, “Calling of the Apostle Matthew”).

There are three versions of “The Lute Boy” in total. The other two are kept in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and in the English estate Badminton House.

Among other notable exhibitions, with which the Hermitage closes the year, is “The Defeated. The Dying Gaul and the Small Initiations of Attalus “and” Giacomo Quarenghi (1744-1817).Architect and draftsman “. In addition, the museum, which stores one of the best collections of textiles in the world, numbering more than 24 thousand items, has opened a “Gallery of Costume”.

Exhibition “Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Young man with a lute. By the end of the restoration ”will last until March 25, 2018.

90,000 Judge helped Brazil to reach the semifinals

The main brawler of world football, Diego Armando Maradona, issued another angry tirade to the address FIFA .

On the eve, the Brazilian national team with great difficulty made it to the semifinals of the World Cup, defeating Colombia with a score of 2: 1.Maradona directly linked the monstrous, in his opinion, refereeing of the Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo with the plans of FIFA to lead the hosts of the World Cup to the next round.

“They chose the ‘right’ judge at exactly the moment when Colombia had the best chance of beating Brazil,” the legendary Argentinean said on the Telesur network that broadcasts throughout South America.

According to one of the best footballers in the world of all time, Brazilian defender David Luiz systematically violated the rules on the leader of the “coffee makers” James Rodriguez, but in none of the seven outrageous cases he received the warning due to him.

“In my memory, this was the worst refereeing in the last ten years,” the 1986 world champion continues to blame. – The referee was obliged to remove Julio Cesar and the Hulk, there is no doubt about that. But he awarded James Rodriguez with a yellow card for the first serious foul.

At the same time, Maradona admits that the Brazilian national team played their best match in the tournament and does not blame the players for anything. He also expressed his regret in connection with the injury of the leader of the “Pentacampeons” Neymar, who was diagnosed with a fracture of the third lumbar vertebra.

“The injury of Neymar is an incredibly sad event not only for Brazil, but for the entire football community,” says Diego Armando. “They really expected a lot from him, because the world championship is being held in his country.”

For all the troubles of the Colombian national team, the Argentinian blames only FIFA , which after the match in Fortazel ​​congratulated Carlos Velasco Carballo on his excellent refereeing.

“Instead of congratulating the referee, they would rather be silent as a sign of respect for the Colombian players and for the entire people of Colombia.It seems that the representatives of FIFA watched some other match. They probably went to baseball or bullfights. Or maybe they slept at all? ” – summed up Maradona.

David Luis consoles James Rodriguez after the final whistle. Photo by Getty Images.

On the eve of the Argentine was deprived of the right to watch the World Cup matches from VIP – lie. FIFA did not like criticism from Maradona after the disqualification of Uruguayan Luis Suarez for biting Italian Giorgio Chiellini in a World Cup match.

“Decision FIFA is a shame. Did Suarez kill someone to get such a big disqualification? Why not send him to prison in handcuffs yet? – Maradona spoke emotionally.

In addition, he insulted Brazilian Pele and German Franz Beckenbauer, who were in solidarity with FIFA decision .

Beach Volleyball | Swimsuit against Sharapova.

Forewarned is forearmed! “Sports Day by Day” announces the main events of the upcoming seven days.The season of swimsuits and volleyball opens in Austria, Zenit feels at home at a party, and a mad motorcyclist did not let the Russian biker into the European Championship.

Cycling. European Mountain Bike Championship. July 27-30 (Thursday – Sunday)

The life of a biker is unpredictable. The leader of the Russian national mountain bike team, Anton Sintsov, was driving to training, not touching anyone, when suddenly … a motorcyclist crashed into him. Broken arm – and goodbye, European championship in Italian Darfo Boario Terme! Another famous Russian racer, Timofey Ivanov, made it to Lombardy and injured his spine during the tests.Now he is wearing a corset and will not be able to sit in the saddle for the next two months. The surviving Russians will try to win … or at least survive.

TV. You need to search the Internet.

Beach volleyball. World Championship. July 28 – August 6 (Friday – Sunday)

Ekaterina Birlova and Nadezhda Makroguzova are the only Russian girls in the world championship. We have two male couples. Amazing business! Long-legged Russians still prefer to pursue a career in volleyball, although the beach is now at the zenith of popularity.Play Tatyana Kosheleva with Natalia Goncharova in swimsuits, Maria Sharapova with her advertising income would have to make room. Moreover, beach volleyball is one of the few sports that our fans watch not only for the sake of the result …

TV. The official website of the Beach World Cup 2017 provides broadcasts in full, but also follow the TV channels of the Match system.

Mixed Martial Arts. Fight Nights Tournament. Vladimir Mineev (Russia) – Andreas Mikhailidis (Greece).July 29 (Saturday)

Heavyweight Vladimir Mineev is an unwilling brawler. It would seem that he is an intelligent guy from a family of doctors. Can give first aid to a bloody opponent in the ring. However, troubles find a fighter in any part of Russia. In Makhachkala, he got involved in a massive fight of fans wall to wall. In Vladivostok, he ran into a clumsy referee who ignored the knockout moment and forced Mineev to brutally beat a helpless opponent for almost two minutes.Fight Nights will be held in Moscow. How does Vladimir shock the capital?

TV. Match TV will show a fight evening. Beginning at 21.10.

“Formula 1”. Hungarian Grand Prix. July 30 (Sunday)

Max Verstappen became a cynic at the age of nineteen. The young Formula star sweeps aside criticisms of dirty, aggressive driving. “On the track you have to be a bastard, not a good guy,” says the Dutchman. Surely the mechanics of the Red Bull team think about the same when Mad Max crashes another car.”Win or Crash” is Verstappen’s first rule. Whether he is a scumbag or not, many viewers love him and will support him during the Grand Prix in Budapest.

TV. On Friday and Saturday, search for “Match! Arena ”broadcasts of free practices. Saturday, July 29, Match! Arena ”will show qualification at 14.50. On Sunday Match TV also broadcasts the race at 14.50.

Football. Russian championship. 3rd round. Tosno – Zenit. July 30 (Sunday)

To Zenit Juliano the flight to Khabarovsk seemed nonsense.“Only eight hours – and we are there! If you only knew how long I am flying home to Brazil! ” – the midfielder laughed. He survived the longest trip. The time has come for the shortest. “Tosno” takes “Zenith” at the “Petrovsky”. The blue-white-blue found a new, spacious and expensive apartment, but the years they spent at Petrovich are not forgotten. Juliano and company will behave like a business.

TV. Our Football will show a half-tee derby at 19.45.

Used photos: EPA / Vostock-photo; FC “Zenith”

90,000 before the fight in the cafe, the football players beat another person.News. Channel One

The story of the “adventures” of the notorious football players Alexander Kokorin and Pavel Mamaev is unbelievably rapidly developing.

A fight in a cafe with a beating of a man (as it turned out, an official of the Ministry of Industry and Trade) is not all. Before that, literally in a few minutes, there seemed to be another disgusting trick. This couple also behaved rudely and let go of their hands.

Kokorin and Mamaev, according to some sources, for no reason at all began to hit the parked car, and when the man sitting inside made a remark to them, they used their fists.As a result, hospitalization: closed head injury, nose fracture, facial contusions. The driver filed an application with law enforcement agencies.

And, apparently, after that, so to speak, having warmed up, the brawlers went to the cafe and there they continued to “have fun”. The proceedings are already underway.

A little bit more and a man in a black jacket with a hood, he is a Zenit player Alexander Kokorin, will go on the attack. The chair will fly towards the seated man in the suit. A bad example was contagious.Kokorin’s supposedly younger brother, who was nearby, immediately venerated.

Immediately after the young people will be separated. The hero of the day, Kokorin, smiling, without parting from the chair, will step aside. Another moment – the second half – the scuffle continues. Krasnodar midfielder Pavel Mamaev came to the rescue. Accustomed to working with his feet, he let go of his arms.

It will be found out later – the footballers beat the official of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Denis Pak allegedly asked young people to be quieter and not swear in a public place.The remark ended with hospitalization. Already at the hospital, Pak wrote a statement and handed it over to the police through a lawyer.

“Kokorin and Mamaev mocked my client on a national basis. His honor and dignity were insulted … Now my client has a concussion, a bruised left hand, ”said lawyer Gennady Udunyan.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade, where Denis Pak works, said that another of their employees, the general director of NAMI, Sergei Gaisin, was injured.

“Employees of the Ministry of Industry and Trade were injured.Now, unfortunately, they are on sick leave, ”said Zalina Kornilova, head of the press service of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.

And it all started the day before, although, if you think about it, even earlier – with a photo posted on Instagram. Zenit player Kokorin congratulates the opponent in the match Mamaev, whom they just met on the field, for a goal against his team. The audience is delighted. Tens of thousands of likes.

Afterwards, happy and contented two friends left St. Petersburg for Moscow, to meet with friends, to a coffee shop.However, there is not only coffee on the table, but also, it seems, stronger drinks. Well, what happened next is already being studied by the police. The phones of the heroes of non-football battles are silent.

The Ministry of Sports turned to the football clubs of the players: it is necessary to draw the appropriate conclusions.

“This incident has yet to be sorted out. The victims went to the police. There is a video recording of the incident. But in this situation, there can be no mitigating circumstances. These guys do not play in the Russian national team and, apparently, will never be.I believe that the owners of the clubs they represent will also draw conclusions, ”said the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Pavel Kolobkov.

In the native clubs of the players, of course, they are outraged by what happened. They promise to take appropriate measures, show a yellow or even a red card to their players.

“Today we learned from the media about the incident in which Pavel Mamaev took part. This case is under investigation by law enforcement agencies. We are confident that upon its completion this incident will be given an appropriate legal and legal assessment, ”the Krasnodar club said in a statement.

“The decision to punish Kokorin will be made after an investigation by law enforcement agencies. And the incident is blatant, “- noted in the message of the club” Zenith “.

The Russian Football Union explained that the athletes are not part of the national team now. But they recalled – even in this case, the players must save face.

“The contracts of the players of the national team and the RFU provide for very tough sanctions if the regime is violated and the image of football is damaged. Kokorin and Mamaev are not in the national team and now have nothing to do with it.Our team is preparing for the upcoming matches with Sweden and Turkey in a healthy atmosphere. I cannot imagine that the people who gave us a holiday at the World Championships would allow themselves something like that, ”said RFU Vice President Sergei Anokhin.

“Let’s forget this is football. It was the residents of Russia who beat another person. There is criminal law, administrative law, whatever. The punishment should be adequate to their deed, “said Andrei Sozin, a member of the RFU Ethics Committee.

The Kokorin-Mamaev couple have already shown unsportsmanlike behavior outside the football field.After a disastrous loss at the Euro in France, the players shared the grief of defeat in Monaco, where they allegedly lost fabulous money in a nightclub overnight.

Now it looks like you’ll have to fork out too. At least lawyers. A criminal case was opened against two would-be football players.

Isinbaeva, Shirokov, Fury and other athletes who retired in 2016

https://rsport.ria.ru/20170103/1113059734.html

Isinbaeva, Shirokov, Fury and other athletes who retired in 2016

Isinbaeva, Shirokov, Fury and other athletes who retired in 2016 – RIA Novosti Sport, 07.01.2017

Isinbayeva, Shirokov, Fury and other athletes who retired in 2016

Two-time Olympic champion in pole vaulting Elena Isinbayeva, brawler and rebel boxer Tyson Fury, charismatic leader, ex-captain of the Russian national team, gymnast Romannaya Shirokov Yana Kudryavtseva other athletes who retired in 2016 – in the photo feed of the R-Sport agency.

2017-01-03T13: 00

2017-01-03T13: 00

2017-01-07T21: 09

/ html / head / meta [@ name = ‘og: title’] / @ content

/ html / head / meta [@ name = ‘og: description’] / @ content

https: // cdnn21.img.ria.ru/images/sharing/article/1113059734.jpg?7094315541483812569

RIA Novosti Sport

[email protected]

7 495 645-6601

FSUE MIA “Russia Today”

//xn--c1acbl2abdlkab1og.xn--p1ai/awards/

2017

RIA Novosti Sport

[email protected]

7 495 645-6601

FSUE MIA “Russia Today”

https: //xn--c1acbl2abdlkab1og.xn--p1ai/awards/

News

ru-RU

https: // rsport.ria.ru/docs/about/copyright.html

https: //xn--c1acbl2abdlkab1og.xn--p1ai/

RIA Novosti Sport

[email protected]

7 495 645-6601

FSUE MIA “Russia Today”

https: //xn--c1acbl2abdlkab1og.xn--p1ai/awards/

RIA Novosti Sport

[email protected]

7 495 645-6601

FSUE MIA “ Russia Today ”

https: //xn--c1acbl2abdlkab1og.xn--p1ai/awards/

RIA Novosti Sport

internet-group @ rian.ru

7 495 645-6601

FSUE MIA “Russia Segodnya”

https: //xn--c1acbl2abdlkab1og.xn--p1ai/awards/

photo, Yana Kudryavtseva, Ivan Cherezov, Olga Vilukhina, Tyson Fyodor felipe massa, tim dankan, ekaterina gamova, ivan skoprev, lyubov sokolova, elena isinbaeva, roman shirokov

“We have not seen such a change in mood over the past 20 years”

The sociologist who predicted the rallies on Bolotnaya about what kind of leader the people are waiting for after Putin and whether populism will win in Russia.Part 1

“Public opinion in Russia has ceased to be stable. Mass sentiment has been torn off the anchors, and it’s hard to say where the ship will turn next, ”says Mikhail Dmitriev, president of the New Economic Growth partnership. He told BUSINESS Online that citizens suddenly wanted not only “food and clothing,” but also respect from the state. They turn to the European values ​​of the early 2000s, and not even Stalin, but Lenin, began to come out on top as the best leader.

Mikhail Dmitriev: “Now people have priorities that were not expected. These are no longer economic issues, but justice, understood as the equality of all before the law ”
Photo: Alexey Belkin

“PUBLIC MOOD IN RUSSIA GOES OUT OF MOOD IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES”

– Mikhail Egonovich, the last time we met at the end of 2016. Name the key events that have taken place in the country and the world during this time.What do you think is the most important?

– In my opinion, the most important thing in the world, in developed countries, is the irrevocable triumph of populist movements. This greatly changes the role of developed countries in the modern world. Many of them, especially European ones, were focused on free trade, building a global world, cooperation with a wide range of countries in the “win-win” logic, rather than a zero-sum game, when the victory of one means the defeat of the other. Now this logic is failing completely even in those countries where the populists have not won.They are so influential that governments are forced to take their opinion into account, as, for example, Emmanuel Macron in France with his “yellow vests.” And in countries such as Italy, Great Britain, this is already a real orgy of populism, which leads to the disintegration of the modern world. Since the United States has fallen into this same canvas, the world is really becoming different. This happened quickly, literally in 2017-2018.

And in Russia, if we talk about social and political life, the decisive event was the presidential elections and a serious change in public sentiment, which coincided in time with the voting.Until the spring of 2018, the mood of the population kept in a certain outline, they were stable – this is the so-called Crimean consensus. Just about a year ago, it began to break down quickly, and now not a trace remains of it. Now this is a completely different population, with different preferences and sentiments, who hardly remember the Crimea.

– Why did it happen?

– We can never say for sure why exactly this is happening, we only see moments of mood change according to sociological observations.For the first time, we noticed a radical change in mood in April – May last year. Since then, public opinion never ceases to amaze us. Already in October, the mood was not at all the same as in May, and now they are drifting even more in the direction in which they changed by October. Indeed, if we compare the agenda that the Russians were ready to discuss somewhere at the end of 2017, this is not at all what worries them now. Now people have priorities that were not expected. These are no longer economic issues, but justice, understood as the equality of all before the law.A completely different position on foreign policy has appeared – this is not the view of populists from the United States or Great Britain, but the view of people who want cooperation with all countries, supporters of Russia’s peaceful policy and deriving maximum benefits from interaction with everyone.

It is surprising that the public sentiment in Russia runs counter to the sentiments in developed countries, where they slide in a direction that is extremely dangerous for world development. The Russian population, on the contrary, is beginning to be more open, seriously thinking about enduring values, and not just about how to improve their material well-being.This is a very modern and responsible outlook on life, people want to help the development of the country on their own, actively participate in social and volunteer movements and even express their readiness to pay large taxes for the development of the Russian Federation. It looks strange after the protests against the increase in the retirement age and the increase in VAT, which we saw in the summer of 2018, but nevertheless, many of our respondents say that they are ready to really pay high taxes if they are sure that this will help the country to develop, and not stand in place.

– How does this fact correlate with the statistics that indicate a drop in real incomes of the population?

– Statistics are a bigger lie than anything else. What happened to the statistics of our income in the last 5 years, as the Ministry of Economic Development has already told us, was incorrect. Now they have revised the method of accounting for income and are recalculating them starting in 2013, that is, since the pre-Crimean period. In my opinion, the dynamics of income over the past four years, calculated according to the old methodology of Rosstat, does not look plausible.Indeed, there were many distortions, perhaps now some of them will be corrected, but so far there are many questions.

Why in the first quarter of this year revenues fell, there are no secrets. In the first quarter of last year, public sector wages grew at double-digit rates. In 2019, indexation was postponed to the second quarter. This is the main difference. If the Ministry of Economic Development had suffered a little and calculated revenues using the new methodology only three months later, taking into account the second quarter, I think the picture of revenues would have been different.

“If you borrowed a smartphone on credit, then yes, maybe you put off buying shoes if you have another pair. No one walks barefoot down the street. It’s just a choice of priority. ”
Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

– That is, people still began to live better?

– Of course, they did not begin to live better, because in any case, with the imposition of sanctions and the fall in oil prices in 2014, the standard of living of the population decreased by about 10 percent, but this means current consumption.If we speak in a broader sense about the material situation of people, then the situation does not look so deplorable at all. If the general financial situation had really worsened by 10 percent, we would have had a completely different population, not at all as complacent and constructive as it is now, but much more dissatisfied with their lot.

But in reality the drop in the level of income did not affect the entire standard of living of the population, but the current consumption. The fall in incomes began just at the moment when the population was well stocked with durable goods.The peak was in Russia just in 2012–2014, when purchases of these items grew several times faster than in most countries comparable to ours in terms of development. For several years in a row, we have been the leaders around the world in terms of the growth rate of expenditures on durable goods. As a result, people made a stock of such goods – this was very noticeable in the data of household budget surveys. When current income falls, what happens to the refrigerator, TV, washing machine? Once you bought them, they can last five or more years.But if you wanted to swap them out in three years for a prettier new model, then you put off the purchase for another couple of years. However, you will still use all the purchased property. This is exactly what our population has done. As a result, it smoothed out its standard of living. Due to the fact that purchases of durable goods, plus cars, furniture, have fallen sharply since the beginning of the crisis, purchases of residential real estate have decreased, current consumption has actually not changed so much. This is especially evident if we look at the provision of poor families with durable goods.Over the past four years, the number of air conditioners has increased by 7 units per 100 poor families, and the number of microwaves has increased dramatically. The number of televisions, refrigerators, personal computers and mobile phones in the poorest 20 percent of households exceeds 100 per 100 households. And in 2010, the poor were ahead of the non-poor in terms of the number of mobile phones per 100 families. At the same time, the number of cars continued to grow. Even poor families now have more computers than there are such families.This does not mean that poor families have no problems, but that poverty in modern Russia still has a great deal of specificity, for example, that poor families, in terms of the level of consumption of durable goods, have access to many of those benefits. which are accessible to people of the middle class. Even if we take housing: it seems to be a very expensive asset, which is now available primarily to the non-poor, but in the number of rooms per family, the poor are ahead of the non-poor. This situation had developed by the end of the 2000s, and it seems to continue to this day.Even during the crisis, poor families were able to increase the provision of durable goods. This suggests that, for all the complexity of the current situation, in fact, it is far from being as unambiguous as it is sometimes presented.

– But recently everyone was discussing the news that the population does not have money to buy shoes.

– If you took out a smartphone on credit (and the peak of their purchases was in 2017-2018), then yes, maybe you will postpone the purchase of shoes if you have one more pair.No one walks barefoot down the street. It’s just a choice of priority. People buy things that are not cheap for their budget. A new smartphone is not a necessity. It seems that in the information age this may be so, but not quite. When people give up shoes, you need to look at their total budget, very often this is due to the fact that they either sit on a mortgage (middle class), or have bought on credit some relatively expensive thing in their opinion. We see that the poor have a growing number of expensive items in their family assets.Each of us, when buying an expensive thing, begins to save on what is essential for him, and we buy clothes and shoes less often. We try to save money on food if we got a mortgage or bought a car that we can’t quite afford, but took on credit because we really want to. This applies to everyone. Therefore, if a person in a sociological survey noted that he could not buy boots for the season, then in modern Russian realities this cannot be unambiguously interpreted as a sign of hardship.It is more likely that other significant expenses have appeared in the family budget, and not always for basic necessities. Of course, the opposite situation is also possible, when the family really desperately needs the essentials and there is not enough money even for shoes. But this cannot be unambiguously judged only by the answer about the purchase of shoes. It is necessary to see other family expenses, which is possible only with a comprehensive survey of household budgets.

“Protest activity is measured by all leading sociological centers.Its peak came at the end of last summer, when they protested against raising the retirement age. ”
Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

“IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 2000S, FREEDOM WASN’T INTERESTED TO ANYONE, AND NOW IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITIES”

– You noted that the mood in society began to change a year ago. What does the situation look like now?

– Request for change grows from survey to survey. He already turned out to be very accented last May, but then he was different.The overwhelming majority of people wanted to immediately improve the situation, and they were ready to correct it even in unverified ways that led to significant risks. We carried out tests when we showed a picture depicting a green lawn, under which, however, a swamp could be hidden, and immediately behind it could be seen a conditional bright future, and there is a curve a long road to the same future, but it takes a long time to walk along it. Back then, most people said they would walk across the lawn even if they risk getting stuck in a quagmire.And now many respondents note that they are ready to endure for 20 years – most of the rest of their lives – and even endure these years of deprivation, so that the country can develop normally and achieve a significant improvement in the situation.

– How old did people say that?

– A variety of respondents. These moods are not very dependent on age. Students, middle-aged people, and retirees speak very similarly about the situation. People really have a serious demand for the development of the country, for improvement.They understand that these improvements cannot be easy and quick. These are not populists who chose Donald Trump in America and want everything at once, here and now, and not the British, who voted for Brexit in the silly hope that the situation in the country will improve, but people who are serious about the future, who see what is good the future does not know easy decisions, for which it is necessary to work hard, to work, and they are ready to help these changes, cooperate with the authorities and push them. These are the key changes in sentiment that we are currently seeing.

– Are you saying that the demand for change is stronger now than for fairness?

– They go toe-to-toe. But the request for justice a year ago was for one that would quickly solve problems. How can this be done? Take it away from someone and divide it up for everyone. Development does not happen quickly, people understood this fact even then. A year ago, in search of quick solutions, respondents wanted to see where something could be redistributed in their favor. It was populist, much like Trump’s favorite voters are now expecting quick fixes from him, such as taking away trade quotas from China so that local workers in America get more orders, or building a wall against Mexican migrant workers.

Already in October, when we asked respondents which justice is more important – to take and share, or the key issue is equality of opportunities (namely, equality of all before the law, the ability to defend their rights and have a guarantee that they will be satisfied), then 80 percent of the respondents said that equality before the law is more important. But these are not quick solutions to problems, but the creation of conditions when each person has the opportunity to realize himself in accordance with his abilities and to defend his rights so that they are not violated.Therefore, development is now perceived not as populist, but as a very important long-term task. In this sense, justice as the equality of all before the law is on an equal footing with other key intangible values, which we asked people to rate on a 10-point scale. Now they want to see leaders as democratic, open people who consult with the people, as transparent as possible and focused on solving problems that worry people. And in the poll, freedom arose – a very abstract concept for our society for many years.In the early 2000s, freedom was of no interest to anyone, but now it is assessed as one of the most important priorities.

– Maybe because there is a lot of lack of freedom?

– Maybe they are tired of all sorts of restrictions that prevent people from being realized. But this suggests that the current financial situation no longer attracts the attention of people so much, they are concerned not only with survival. When we asked to compare what is more important – clothing, footwear, food, housing, health care, all these needs on a 10-point scale were assessed one and a half times lower than freedom and equality before the law.As sociologists say, post-materialist values ​​suddenly came to the fore. A year ago, there was nothing like this. This means that people are interested in development in the broadest sense of the word. They are no longer bread alone, they do not think exclusively about food and clothing, but they also want to develop, to feel like full-fledged citizens, so that they are respected, especially by the state.

– Is the request for change related to the fact that people want to renew their faces in power?

– As I said, there is a request for a new type of leader.The characteristics that people associate with them are very different from the positive qualities that our respondents saw and still see in the country’s existing leaders, including Vladimir Putin. They see in him a firm and decisive person who does not succumb to difficulties, goes to the intended goal, is able to professionally solve complex problems. And the expectations from new leaders are the ability to listen to people and be open to them. This kind of relationship is now in short supply.But the specificity of the current situation is that the population does not associate almost none of the existing politicians with the newly emerging ideal, practically does not trust anyone, and specific people who would be identified with the image of the leader of the new generation are not yet visible on the horizon. There are certain risks in this. On the one hand, people have a constructive attitude to problems, that is, they do not look for easy and simple solutions, they do not try to cut the Gordian knot, they know that in geometry, as Euclid said, there are no royal ways, but you have to do everything with your own labor.But, on the other hand, no one among our respondents knows exactly how to improve the situation in the country; no positive constructive agenda has yet emerged in the mass consciousness. There is a great risk that in such a situation, a leader who somehow gains trust (for example, because he looks trustworthy, and not because he understands well what needs to be done), may impose a non-constructive populist agenda on the society, which does not solve problems. And this is perhaps the greatest threat that arises in such a situation.

– Do we often have new faces in politics? It seems to me not.

– Yes, but when the request for change is as strong as it is now, it could come at any time. For example, in recent focus groups (you can say that I am revealing the secrets of an unfinished study, we will summarize the results only in the summer) in Moscow, we asked people to rate Russian leaders of the past on a five-point scale. For the first time in many years, Vladimir Lenin took the first place among those to whom they feel the most positive attitude.In the latest polls of the Levada Center, Joseph Stalin was among the leaders, but in our polls he was not. However, the most interesting of all are the reasons for the positive attitude towards Lenin, which were indicated by the respondents. After all, for many years he was an unpopular figure, because he was directly or indirectly to blame for the revolution and all the subsequent difficulties that the country experienced over 70 years.

– And Putin said that Lenin planted an atomic bomb under Russia.

– But now people are saying that Lenin was able to formulate new goals, changed the system and successfully set the country in a new direction of development.In fact, Russians are waiting for a leader who can transform the situation. The current one does not suit, everyone wants the development of the country and looks at the leaders who have successfully achieved this.

It is curious that Putin is in second place, the gap from Lenin is small. But the reasons why people approve of the president have now also changed a lot. Only one out of 50 people said that the annexation of Crimea was one of the achievements of Vladimir Vladimirovich. If such a survey had been three or four years ago, almost everyone would have said that the peninsula is one of the main achievements.Now the effect of Crimea is already beginning to exhaust itself. And among the achievements of Putin, the very distant ones indicate what belongs to the first terms: he put an end to the rampant banditry and stopped the war in Chechnya – all these are things from the 2000s. The mass consciousness is now in search, people are trying to evaluate the surrounding life in a different way in search of new goals and priorities, they are looking closely at who could become the leader of the new generation, but so far they do not see such. Society again begins to associate its ideas with decisive transformers.But any radical transformation is a risky process. We see this in the example of what Lenin laid the foundations for. These are the big risks, the transformer leaders do not always live up to expectations. And this is a big problem of the present moment: people want very serious changes, for which they are ready to wait and endure, but they do not always understand what great risks are inherent in such strategies.

“Ecology is a value of a higher order, no longer a question of lack of food or clothing.”
Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

“IN JUST A YEAR, DECISIVE CHANGES IN SEVERAL DIRECTIONS – NONE WE COULD PREDICT”

– Does your research show risks of protest activity? Remember what happened in 2012, now the “white ribbon workers” do not come out to protest actions so often and in large numbers.But in the regions, for example, in the Arkhangelsk region, where people traditionally did not take to the streets, the situation has changed dramatically – thousands of protesters, say, against the Moscow rubbish.

– Protest activity is measured by all leading sociological centers. Its peak came at the end of last summer, when people protested against raising the retirement age. Then, according to the Levada Center, the readiness to protest exceeded all observations of the 2000s and reached the level of 1999, when after the default there was a high intensity of protest activity.But now the level of readiness to protest has decreased, although it is still higher than it was before May last year.

According to our research, we see that this is a different type of protest activity. In 2010, we predicted that people would be inclined to take to the streets and express their dissatisfaction, now we do not see this. This is a completely different kind of protest. Residents of the Russian Federation are not very ready to protest on major all-Russian issues: we saw that the rallies against the retirement age were not massive. Rather, people are worried about events in their immediate surroundings, such problems as in Arkhangelsk with the disposal of waste and the resulting damage to the environment.But these are local problems. Such people have little chance of integrating into all-Russian ones.

– Nevertheless, environmental issues have proved to be very significant in recent years.

– By the way, it has become significant in many respects also because, after all, the current problems of financial situation, survival do not bother people so much, priority is given to non-material problems. Ecology is a higher value, no longer a matter of lack of food or clothing.

– In general, is the situation tense? Can we say that a burning match will fall and everything will flare up? Or is everyone lazily discussing problems on the Internet and in the kitchen?

– Public opinion has ceased to be stable.Where public sentiment will turn further, we do not know. In just a year, such drastic changes in several directions at once – we could not predict any of them. We were one of the first to record that this was happening, but did not foresee what would happen just like that. Therefore, roughly speaking, mass sentiments are ripped off the anchors, they float by the will of the waves and winds where the winds blow and lead the currents. Where this ship will turn next, what new questions people will raise in a year or two, now it is very difficult to say.The stability of public sentiments has been lost, at least for a while.

– Is there simply no leading force to guide?

– If we are talking about the period of perestroika, with which the current changes in mood are now actively being compared, then it was preceded by a period of glasnost, when the authorities themselves began to shake public opinion, raise many topics that had not been touched upon before. After five years of this buildup, public opinion has changed dramatically.In 2010, when protest sentiments also appeared, people began to present non-material requests to the authorities – respect, fair elections, and the fight against corruption. This was preceded by almost five years of the modernization rhetoric of President Dmitry Medvedev, who also called for an orientation towards openness, freedom, democratization, the fight against corruption, and people really fell under the influence of this rhetoric. Now nothing like this has happened, the official rhetoric has not changed much since the annexation of Crimea, it was in a certain, very conservative canvas, and all these changes did not happen under the influence of the official media, but rather in spite of them.The transformation took place due to internal changes in the mass consciousness, due to the logic of its self-development. These reasons are much more secretive, we do not fully understand them. This is a rare case in our history, over the past 20 years such a serious, completely autonomous change has not yet been observed.

– It turns out that we are not in the global trend?

– In the exact opposite. Roughly speaking, our population is turning to those values ​​that were considered a common European standard in the early 2000s.Now Europe, at least for a while, is moving away from them under the influence of radical populism, and our population, on the contrary, gives them priority, believing that they are more important than the current standard of living and many other issues that worried people in the first place a few years ago …

– Do I understand correctly that we have a request for a more peaceful foreign policy? Are citizens tired of sanctions and geopolitical tensions?

– Yes, the changes did not take place immediately either.Last May, people said that they fully approve of foreign policy, but do not agree with domestic policy, they saw all the problems inside – in the economy, the social situation, which was the subject of dissatisfaction. However, already in October, the majority noted that foreign policy should also be changed in the direction of greater peacefulness, the establishment of cooperation, and not confrontation, including including Ukraine and the countries of the West. The reasons for this are not entirely unambiguous. It can also be a narrowly pragmatic understanding that foreign policy in the current format of confrontation with powerful countries is costly to the economy, and you have to spend a lot on various kinds of foreign policy and military presence abroad.This has not happened since the end of the Soviet era, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. So many people just think it is too expensive.

And the second component just corresponds to the demand for freedom, trust, cooperation and development. All of this requires peace – the fundamental value that opens up these opportunities. So both changes influenced the attitude towards foreign policy.

Interesting, because we have unrepresentative studies, small focus groups that do not represent the general population.