# Fractured spine.. 7+ months recovery.



## Sacco (Sep 29, 2005)

Last March, while cresting a slippery, root filled climb, the rear wheel of my bike spun and I lost balance. The fall was short as I soon encountered a tree with my left side. The pain was severe but I managed to get up, get on my bike and ride 2 miles back to my car. The ER scan showed a fractured T5. I am still recovering. My goal is to get back on the bike by spring of 19...pain or not. 

The thing is....I've taken plenty of falls on my bikes over the years, some pretty horrific, but this one certainly was not like that at all. This was a slow speed fall. Looking back I am still surprised that it ever happened, and even more surprised at the outcome. Mountain biking has been my way of relaxing and keeping in shape for the past 17 years...2 or 3 rides a week, 10-12mi each outing. 

Where did I fall you ask? In a place I had ridden through 100+ times in every kind of weather....and in both directions. I knew every inch of that trail...yet this happened. All I can say is; I MISS MOUNTAIN BIKING!

Stay safe y'all!

Rich


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## Dropper (Mar 1, 2018)

Yup i think this goes for most things you get into in life, simple things get ya...sucks glad your ok.


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## Eric B (May 23, 2004)

Sorry to hear buddy. I'm also on the mend from a fractured C2 vertebrae. Crashed in a high speed sweeper just after cleaning a descent size double and some really steep Rocky stuff. Crazy how the lesser stuff can get you. Did you have to have surgery? I've been riding the couch for 3 months but I'm very thankful for where I'm at as there's light at the end of the tunnel.


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## slowride454 (Jan 11, 2014)

take good care of your back. I broke T5 and T6 over 20 years ago. I still have lingering problems.


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## JimF777 (Sep 23, 2018)

Heal up quick. 
I did a similar thing, though while riding a motorcycle. On a road I'd ridden countless times, not even "screwing around". String of simple events led to a glancing impact with a rock hillside and broke three verts in my back and one in my neck. 

One year off work, longer with nerve pain. I still get nerve pain in my hands no and again. I too couldn't wait to fx the bike and ride again.


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

You can never let your guard down, even on "easy" stuff. I had a similar situation to the OP, I was going up a climb on a shelf trail and spun out on some ice and lost my balance to the low side. My cleats were clogged with snow apparently, and I couldn't twist out in time. I fell into the ravine on the low side, my handlebars turned 90 degrees and speared my liver. Lacerated liver, three days in the ICU. Luckily, your liver regenerates, and I had no long term effects. 

In your case did you twist as you fell and hit the tree square with your back or ??? You said you hit the tree with your side but it fractured T5? I wear a Camelbak 99% of the time and I've always helped justify that by thinking it might help save my spine someday, but if you fractured T5 with a hit to your side, I guess a Camelbak would not have helped.


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## choan (May 6, 2016)

Hello,
i broke 2 vertebrae 5 month ago. T6 T7. I got surgery, spinejack to expand a vertebrea who was too mush crushed, and vertebroplasty on both. 
I was lucky to be able to walk again. So i've been patient before going back to do some sport. 
At one month and a half my surgeon give me the green light to get rid of my backbrace, instead of 3 month, and told me i could start cycling inside.

At 3 month i'm back on my road bike, it's not mtb but it's really enjoyable ahah. I'm bouldering also since month 4. I'm waiting for another month before going back on my motocross and mtb. I still have shadow pain on my vertebrae so i'm taking it slow, i'm climbing less. 

7month is a reasonnable objective, i'm guessing you will be back on your bike before.

Honkiunit you know i have broken my back withou even a hit on my spine. T6 and T7, big face plant a 60mph, my spine bend too much and too hard.


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## Eric B (May 23, 2004)

choan said:


> Hello,
> i broke 2 vertebrae 5 month ago. T6 T7. I got surgery, spinejack to expand a vertebrea who was too mush crushed, and vertebroplasty on both.
> I was lucky to be able to walk again. So i've been patient before going back to do some sport.
> At one month and a half my surgeon give me the green light to get rid of my backbrace, instead of 3 month, and told me i could start cycling inside.
> ...


Any residual issues after the brace came off?


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## choan (May 6, 2016)

Eric B said:


> Any residual issues after the brace came off?


Yes only 6 weeks of brace and my back was very stiff. 
My lower back put me in a lot of pain. I still have stiff lombar, I do a lot of stretching and that progress slowly.

The thoracic region of my back wasnt very painful. Muscular pain and some shadow pain on the bone but nothing crazy. 
Beside that, I got no muscle but it came back quickly.


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## Eric B (May 23, 2004)

choan said:


> Yes only 6 weeks of brace and my back was very stiff.
> My lower back put me in a lot of pain. I still have stiff lombar, I do a lot of stretching and that progress slowly.
> 
> The thoracic region of my back wasnt very painful. Muscular pain and some shadow pain on the bone but nothing crazy.
> Beside that, I got no muscle but it came back quickly.


No nerve issues? I'm having so uncomfortable stuff going on right now. Getting an MRI this week and hopefully l can start going forward.


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## clintj (Nov 17, 2018)

I had a compression fracture of L1 a few years ago from a work accident. Roughly a month of no lifting whatsoever, and various restrictions for about six months while the bone healed and stabilized. Lost a whole season of riding due to timing, it happened in early spring. I'm also roughly a quarter inch shorter now, but only the doc notices.

Had about a year of lingering discomfort after that, and I'm pretty sure it put an end to almost 20 years of riding hardtails for me as well. I would get a dull throbbing ache after an hour or so of riding from the constant vibration and bumps, even two years post-accident. I've also switched from the squat rack to the leg press sled and spend quite a bit more time on core exercises now, too.

The big takeaway is listen to your doc and obey his or her instructions. You'll have days where it's tempting to push it a little because you feel good, and it's really frustrating. Reinjuring the area is not worth it, though.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## choan (May 6, 2016)

Damn, i really hope I can go back to squatting weight lifting, i love it so much ahah.

I know a lot of motocross professional who broke there back several times, and always came back on top . Sure they got all the best physio with them, but they dont finish paralized after their next big crash (mostly). So i got hope ^^

(well one pilot Mathias Bellino, a young french enduro rider, got injured in september, broke is back for the 2nd time in T6, first time it was T5, and now he can't move his leg  but from what i heard his fall was really bad.)



Eric B said:


> No nerve issues? I'm having so uncomfortable stuff going on right now. Getting an MRI this week and hopefully l can start going forward.


I have some pain and discomfort in my spine but i dont think its nerve issues. 
Anyway i have a MRI tuesday and I see the next day a sport doc. 
I will let you know.


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## Biohazard74 (Jul 16, 2009)

Best wishes brother. Happy to see you'll eventually be back and haven't let this ruin your love for the bike.


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## JimF777 (Sep 23, 2018)

Speedy recovery to ya. 
I plastered myself into a rock face years ago, breaking three vertebrae in my back and one in my neck. Over a year of pain, still get nerve pain in my hands, but I don't qualify for the special Olympics, so I'm grateful. 

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