Potential C6 fracture | Any experience??

Hey All,

So I crashed pretty heavy on the 6th, and tried to shake it off but just didn't feel right all week last week. Went to the clinic on the 13th and got some X-Rays done. Just got back from the doc now, and I have to go for CT scans as there's something showing on the C6 and C2 (odontoid process), but nothing conclusive.

The doc says it's not urgent, otherwise I'd be asked to go to the ER right away. He said to avoid heavy lifting until the CT scan, but it's not like I'm walking around in a rigid neck brace. He's pretty calm about it.

Anyone have any experience like this? I'm not in much pain, so I'm a bit surprised by all this. How long off the bike for recovery? Special excercises? Drink more milk?

Thanks!

A guy I knew did a stable C4-C5 (I think it was those 2) years ago and his treatment plan was to not do any heavy lifting for a year. For example, he could lift 1 pint but no 2-handed beer drinking.

I think I could handle that lifting regime. :beer:

I'm assuming it must be a stable fracture, or hairilne or whatever since none of the docs I've spoken with seem too concerned about it…

Hey All,

So I crashed pretty heavy on the 6th, and tried to shake it off but just didn't feel right all week last week. Went to the clinic on the 13th and got some X-Rays done. Just got back from the doc now, and I have to go for CT scans as there's something showing on the C6 and C2 (odontoid process), but nothing conclusive.

The doc says it's not urgent, otherwise I'd be asked to go to the ER right away. He said to avoid heavy lifting until the CT scan, but it's not like I'm walking around in a rigid neck brace. He's pretty calm about it.

Anyone have any experience like this? I'm not in much pain, so I'm a bit surprised by all this. How long off the bike for recovery? Special excercises? Drink more milk?

Thanks!

Hi Coilair sorry to hear about crash. I fractured T5 and it took over a year to feel normal. It still bothers me sometimes now as I have genetic arthritis in my family. Stay away from the bike and follow you doc's orders .. So shitty:(

That sucks GTDad. How long were you off the bike?

The doc has cleared me for my normal cycling commute to and from work, he even said "just don't crash right now" when I mentioned MTB. I've got two young kids though, so I can't risk another spill seriously fucking me up for the long term. I'll be interested to see what the CT scans reveal.

I fractured my C7 vertebral body in a bad OTB digger back in late 2010. 2-1/2 months off work while in a neck brace (but no halo or surgery required). Back riding trails in 4-1/2 months after the crash. I think I have lost a little bit of range of motion, but it is not enough to bother me. I don't recall any restrictions on activities once I was cleared to ride. The neurosurgeon seemed pretty happy with how it all healed up.

I wouldn't ride until you get the CT scan. My initial x-rays only showed a very small chip on C6. The CT scan showed much more broken C7. That resulted in an instant call for the neurosurgeon and a 2 night stay in hospital strapped to a spineboard.

Slow down man.

That sucks GTDad. How long were you off the bike?

The doc has cleared me for my normal cycling commute to and from work, he even said "just don't crash right now" when I mentioned MTB. I've got two young kids though, so I can't risk another spill seriously fucking me up for the long term. I'll be interested to see what the CT scans reveal.

At the time I was heavy into whitewater kayaking freestyle not riding then. I took 8 months off boating.
Wait until you get the full picture before you make any decisions..

Good news is CT Scan is this Friday, so I'll know what's up soon.

I did compression fractures of my c3/c7/t7 in 2007, 6 weeks in a collar and a long recovery, no surgery and everything was stable fractures, but there was just no getting around being mostly immobile for a couple of months and how fast your muscles lose their strength. listen to the doctors, listen to physio, stay on program when it comes to rehab.

Thanks Flip. That's the thing that's kind of freaking me out a bit right now is that no one seems too concerned about it (ie: I don't have a neck brace on right now), but they're not 100% sure I haven't broken my neck… Blah. Glad my CT is this week.

Thanks Flip. That's the thing that's kind of freaking me out a bit right now is that no one seems too concerned about it (ie: I don't have a neck brace on right now), but they're not 100% sure I haven't broken my neck… Blah. Glad my CT is this week.

to be fair, after my first set of Cat Scan's the doctor asked me if I had ever fractured a vertebrae before, I said not that I knew of, and he said that it looked like I may have previously but that it's relatively common for people to carry on their daily lives with stable compression fractures and recover without them ever knowing they'd had that injury other than a 'sore back'…and also to be fair, I also augured into the ground head first and also fractured my skull and blew apart my cochlea in my ear too, so it wasn't an average tumble that I got up from and walked away shaking it off, I was immobilized and spineboarded on site and was not in good shape.

I wouldn't do any yoga or go and see a chiropractor before you know for sure.

to be fair, after my first set of Cat Scan's the doctor asked me if I had ever fractured a vertebrae before, I said not that I knew of, and he said that it looked like I may have previously but that it's relatively common for people to carry on their daily lives with stable compression fractures and recover without them ever knowing they'd had that injury other than a 'sore back'…and also to be fair, I also augured into the ground head first and also fractured my skull and blew apart my cochlea in my ear too, so it wasn't an average tumble that I got up from and walked away shaking it off, I was immobilized and spineboarded on site and was not in good shape.

Yikes, gnarly. Glad to hear you came away with recoverable injuries from that one!