# Should I be worried? (neck injury)



## Dudeus (Jan 26, 2011)

A couple years back I had a bad car wreck that nearly killed me (I "severely dislocated" ie broke my c5 and c6 vertebrae). I had immediate surgery that fused them both together with a part of my pelvis they cut off and now I have 4 bolts and 2 plates in my neck...

Anyways, I made a complete recovery and now all I have to show for it is a massive scar, constant dull pain, and I can't quite look all the way up... BUT I love mountain biking and have been doing it quite hard for the past year or so. I wear a full-face helmet but am kinda worried about the whole re-breaking it thing....

So, has anyone had any experience like this? Should I be worried about doing an endo and re-snapping my neck? I know this is a pretty specific question, so I'm not really expecting anyone to have any experience like this, just figured I'd put it out there...



For the recored, that same year I also had major knee surgery, yay patella re-location. I've got two screws down there, but a knee brace does the job nicely.


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## BoiseBoy (Mar 1, 2006)

The easy answer would be, don't wreck!
If the fusion were solid you likely have no more risk of injuring the area than if it were "normal".

I would even question whether a full faced helmet would help the neck if you were to crash. Depending upon how the helmet fits and where the helmet ends on your neck it may help stabilize the cervical spine a bit, or it could actually transfer all of the force to the point where the helmet ends and potentially cause more injury.

You may have to weigh your options. The risk of injuring the area while riding cross country is likely quite low, however, if you were to perform aggressive downhilling or free riding then the risk is likely quite genuine!


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

You could get a Leatt (spelling?) neck brace to keep your head from going back. Or you could re-assess whether the consequences of an OTB are worth the riding. Your choice, really. (and the idea that riding cross country pretty much eliminates any chance of a catastrophic crash is ludicrous. ***** happens at slow speeds too)


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## SLOCanucker (Sep 8, 2010)

xcguy said:


> the idea that riding cross country pretty much eliminates any chance of a catastrophic crash is ludicrous. ***** happens at slow speeds too)


^ +1...

My worst dirt biking and mountain bike crashes have been at slow speeds... I had a neck injury last year that took me out for a few months... not fun. Wear a full face and look into the neck braces... if you like riding, the brace option may be worth it... they invented them for a reason...


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## BoiseBoy (Mar 1, 2006)

SLOCanucker said:


> ^ +1...
> 
> My worst dirt biking and mountain bike crashes have been at slow speeds... I had a neck injury last year that took me out for a few months... not fun. Wear a full face and look into the neck braces... if you like riding, the brace option may be worth it... they invented them for a reason...


I'm sorry, I guess that I missed your medical credentials.

I believe that you would benenfit from re-reading my post. All we are talking about is statistics and likelihoods at this point. It is far more likely to sustain a more serious neck injury with the aforementioned types of riding than it is XC riding per hour spent on the bike.

Yes, the Leatt-Brace would be an option, however, I have seen little medical evidence in the form of quality research that supports the brace. Furthermore, you have to realize that once a cervical spine is fused, it loses all natural, mechanical characteristics. Regardless of helmet or brace, as a force is placed through the neck, that force must be absorbed and dissipated. If the weakest link in that chain happens to be at his C5-C6 segment then that particular area will be affected.

If it makes the original poster feel safer while riding with the brace plus helmet then I am all for it as he would be on his bike in one way or another. But, medically speaking, this scenario is likely just as unsubstantiated as are knee braces. Knee bracing is a multi million dollar industry with little to no research to back up what is being sold.

To the original poster:
If you truly want medical advice, then MTBR is not the best place to look. You will get a lot of "well, uncle Joe says..." on here.
If it makes you feel safer to ride with the brace/helmet then go for it. Personally, I wouldn't spend the money, I would just ride more conservatively!


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## SLOCanucker (Sep 8, 2010)

BoiseBoy said:


> I'm sorry, I guess that I missed your medical credentials.


I got my certificates from actor Troy McClure! You might remember him from such driver's ed films as "Alice's Adventures Through The Windshield Glass" and "The Decapitation of Larry Leadfoot." For the next sixty minutes, we'll be seeing actual film of car crash victims.

It was just an opinion... this is a forum... I didn't know you needed a medical degree to post...


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## FisherCaliber (Apr 1, 2010)

I had C 5, 6 & 7 fused in 2003 when I was 43 years old due to significant arthritis induced bone spurring. At that time I had 27 years of motorcycle off road racing under my belt. Motocross, Enduros & Observed trials.

I think that when it comes to crashing and literally "breaking your neck" It's a matter of luck. You hit the ground wrong and you trash you neck with potentially fatal consequences or you get "lucky" and hit the ground "right" and you walk away unscathed. This can happen at 7 mph or 45. 

Certainly we can lessen our chances of not getting hurt by riding a bit more conservatively and within our level of skill. For me that works. I can live with the idea that I'm never gonna be the rider I was 20 years ago. What I really like is the fact that I'm still competing in trials and riding cool singletrack at 51 years young. 

It's all about making your choice and taking your chances.

What you and I have to worry about is that nasty thing known as "transitional syndrome" where the disc spaces at the ends of our fused levels suffer degenerative changes due to the increased amount of stress placed on them by the fused segment of vertebrae. We can end up with the same symptoms that caused our original fusions to be done. I'm beginning to have these changes, but so far have been without symptoms.

Best of luck with your choices!!


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## Dudeus (Jan 26, 2011)

Thanks for all the responses guys.

As to Fisher, its great to hear from someone who has some first-hand experience with c spine fusions!

What sucks is that I'm 20 and really wish I could be riding like it, but yea... If its just being careful and riding within my scope or going crazy and risking death, I'll take the former.

I was told by my doctor that since it healed really well my neck would be just as strong as it was before, but I'm always so paranoid of turning wrong or bumping it wrong and lights out. But you live with risks...

I've read a lot about about c spine fusions and the negative side effects involved, so I'm familiar with transitional syndrome, and I worry about having it done so young I'm that much more likely to have it happen to me. But its an unknown, I can just hope it doesn't. I can however hope that it doesn't cause me to roll a truck again! Hah.

Do you have any pain in your neck and/or shoulders Fisher?


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## FisherCaliber (Apr 1, 2010)

Yes, I struggle with neck and shoulder pain almost every day. The problem with the pain is that it's muscular in nature with trigger points seeming to be the lead cause of the problem. I found this out during 3 months of PT back in the fall of 2009. I do the stretching, heat and cold packs as necessary and will on occasion spring for an hour of trigger point massage. I have been so knotted up with severe muscle spasm that I've had to be prescribed muscle relaxers.

I truly don't know if this is a side effect of the fusion or not. I do know that I hurt whether I ride or not, so since I'm gonna hurt anyway i might as well ride!!

Since 2003 I have had several nasty crashes on the trials bike without any ill effects. The scariest was last summer on the Fisher. I didn't get the front end up enough on a small jump and did a sternum thumping endo for the ages. I walked away. Like I said, sometimes you just have to be lucky.

I sure wish that you weren't dealing with this at 20 years old. But hey you survived!!!


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## Dudeus (Jan 26, 2011)

True, life with reminders is still a hell of a lot better than not being here!

I have the same thing when it comes to knotted up muscles. Both sides of my neck are solid stiff. However, the girlfriend sure does love to massage me, and she's starting to get better. Oh the benefits...

Anyways, did they go in through the front since your fusion was not trauma based? I'm curious as to how they do it like that... Mine was really bad so they had to go in from the back, and I've got one hell of a scar to show for it. They also shaved off a piece of my pelvis on the left upper arch. It aches but nothing serious down there.

Some pics. (there are quite a few...)

















(this is where my teeth went through my lip)


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## FisherCaliber (Apr 1, 2010)

You had to have a posterior fusion. Wow, they don't like to do that unless it's absolutely necessary. Since you were a trauma patient, i'm sure you fit the requirements.

On the anterior approach they make a horizontal incision at the base of your throat where it joins your chest. This hides the scar a bit.

They retract the soft tissue, push the trachea and esophagus to the side a little and access the spine from the front. They remove the disc, then go into the bony part of the vertebra and shave down the offending bone spurs that are causing nerve impingement. They then place a piece of bone where the disc used to be and anchor it in with a plate and screws. Then they close you up. Going in from the front sounds quite ghastly, but my orthopod told me that it was much safer than going in from the back. When they go in from the back they are right into the spinal cord area. Going in from the front gives a little more leeway.

My surgery took about 3 hours. Rehab was nasty. I couldn't sleep lying down for the first month. The pain between the shoulder blades was just too bad. I also remember that during the first week if I took in a deep breath I thought I was having a heart attack. Man it freakin hurt.....

Despite the nasty recovery, the surgery did take care of the arm weakness and the burning sensations in my hands. So my surgeon did a bang up job. No complaints.

Keep riding!!!


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## jleslie246 (Oct 15, 2010)

Yes the tops of my shoulders are always knotted up as well. Still pretty weak 6 months out of surgery in upper shoulders, i.e. military press movements. Sleeping is literally a pain in the neck. See my other post for xrays.. Hope to get cleared for mtn biking soon. I see my doc April 14th!


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