Ice hockey is a fast-paced sport that can result in both acute and chronic injuries. The “Bauer bump” is a common chronic injury of the foot caused by pressure from the rigid heel counter in ice hockey skates.
Everyone has a prominent area of bone behind their heel, but some are bigger than others. When the prominence rubs against the heel counter of a rigid shoe it can cause pain and a swollen bursa (Haglund’s deformity).
Size
Everyone has a bit of a protrusion at the back of their heel bone. This is a natural variation and is called a Haglund’s deformity or a Bauer bump (named after the most popular brand of ice hockey skates). Those with bigger enlargements are more likely to run into problems when they wear footwear that is quite rigid such as ice skates. The pressure from the ice skates causes the prominence to swell up and creates painful bursitis.
The good news is that the condition can be easily treated. Conservative measures include accommodative and protective padding and modifications to the footwear. If these are not successful then surgery may be required to remove the bony prominence.
One thing that can help is to switch brands of ice hockey skates. Different manufacturers use different lasts to design their ice skates which can make the heal counter area of the boot a little differently. Our daughter found that CCM RBZ skates fit her heal much better than her Bauer Vapors. She has not experienced any pain or recurrence of the Bauer bump since switching to these skates.
It is important to have your feet measured when buying ice hockey skates. This can be done with a simple tape measurer. You should pull the tape measurer snugly to get the most accurate reading. Also, it is a good idea to visit an experienced ice hockey shoe and skate fitter. They will be able to give you a recommendation for a good pair of Bauer baur bump ice skates.
Fit
Everyone has a small amount of enlargement or prominence on the back of their heel bone (calcaneus). This is not painful in most people and can be quite varied in size. Problems arise when rigid footwear is worn that presses on the area (eg ice hockey skates) leading to Haglund’s deformity and a painful, swollen bursitis in the back of the calcaneus. Hockey skates are often blamed for this condition – hence the name Bauer Bump although it can occur with any brand of footwear that is rigid around the heel counter.
If the bump becomes symptomatic, a donut pad placed over the area may help to offload and disperse the forces that are creating irritation. This will also help to prevent the irritant rubbing against the inner surface of the skate. Some players have anecdotally reported that changing brands of skates will improve or resolve the condition. This is probably due to the different lasts and heel counter shape that each brand has which can cause a snug fit for some but less so for others. This was the case for my daughter, who switched from Bauer Vapors to CCM RBZ skates this season and found that her heels have not gotten bigger and that the friction is far less.
Materials
Everyone has a small protrusion on the back of their heel bone (calcaneus). Some have more than others. The problem is that this prominence can get irritated and develop a swollen bursa (Haglund’s Deformity or Bauer Bump) if you wear footwear that is very rigid like some types of ice hockey skates or other sports shoes such as work boots that are very rigid in the heel area.
If you have a Bauer Bump, the best thing to do is see a specialist ice skate fitter as they will be able to make changes to the shell of your bauer bump ice skates so that it does not rub on this bony prominence in such a way that causes pain. They may even be able to add some sort of donut pad over the bump to offload the pressure from this area.
Many people anecdotally blame specific brands of ice hockey skates for their Bauer Bumps but in fact changing the brand of skates does not help all players with this condition. It is a combination of the rigidity of the ice skates and a prominent area of bone on the calcaneus that makes this a common issue. Foot beds such as the Superfeet Carbon Pro Hockey footbed can also improve the fit of your ice skates and help prevent this condition from occurring or getting worse.
Design
Everyone has a bit of an enlargement at the back of their heel bone (calcaneus) but some people have more than others. When you play a sport in which the footwear needs to be quite rigid such as ice hockey this can put a lot of pressure on the back of the heel bone, causing a Haglund deformity or a Bauer bump (named after the most popular brand of ice skates). In many cases the condition is easily managed with a combination of accommodative padding and footwear modifications. Some players report that changing brands of skates helps, while others find this does not help at all.