Injuries. What's your story?

[Stredda]

After breaking my ribs and a few other parts of my body and gettingView attachment 423736 fed up with the recovery time I dug out my old MX protection. I don't care what people think.

Unfortunately there isn't much you can do for ribs or things like collarbones. Those MX armour vests are good for impact protection and puncture protection, but unless you had a solid cage around your chest, it isn't going to do much for ribs. Plus they just get too hot in the summer. Not so bad on an Ebike but I couldn't wear one on the analogue.

 

[bigdamo]

Unfortunately there isn't much you can do for ribs or things like collarbones. Those MX armour vests are good for impact protection and puncture protection, but unless you had a solid cage around your chest, it isn't going to do much for ribs. Plus they just get too hot in the summer. Not so bad on an Ebike but I couldn't wear one on the analogue.

Actually it's not to bad in summer my elbow guards and knee pads get alot hotter. I don't think it saves your shoulder

if you fall and put your arm out to break the fall. It saved my ribs the other day when I came off in the rocks and landed my ribs on the rock.

 

[Stredda]

Actually it's not to bad in summer my elbow guards and knee pads get alot hotter. I don't think it saves your shoulderView attachment 423737 if you fall and put your arm out to break the fall. It saved my ribs the other day when I came off in the rocks and landed my ribs on the rock.

Yeah any penetration type impact they are good for and they spread the impact out so the point loading isn't as high. An impact that crushes your body, they aren't very effective.
I usually just wear knee pads, helmet and gloves. I have some armoured Leatt under shorts that protects my hips and tail bone, but probably only wear them for gravity racing or gnarly rocky trails.

 

[rowdyflat]

I wear elbow protection I have had heaps of scrapes.
Mountain biking is fairly bad for non life threatening injuries especially above the waist have had about 3 broken rib episodes ,I fell off a north shore bridge I had made, when a loose plank kicked up and jammed the back wheel broke 5 ribs I was badly winded for a while and it must have burst the lung a bit because I had so called surgical emphysema when the skin crackles.

 

[Stredda]

I wear elbow protection I have had heaps of scrapes.
Mountain biking is fairly bad for non life threatening injuries especially above the waist have had about 3 broken rib episodes ,I fell off a north shore bridge I had made, when a loose plank kicked up and jammed the back wheel broke 5 ribs I was badly winded for a while and it must have burst the lung a bit because I had so called surgical emphysema when the skin crackles.

Apparently my X-ray showed signs of surgical emphysema (hadn't heard of it before) but they couldn't feel anything when they checked me over. Sounds like a strange condition. I was a bit worried that there may have been a chance some internal injuries, and I did piss blood the first couple of times I went to the toilet, but it all cleared up.
I was back at work yesterday and off pain meds during the day, so the recovery seems pretty good so far.

 

[SummitFever]

Get well soon @Stredda . I had a couple of broken ribs at the beginning of the year and the worse thing was having to sleep on my back for about 4 weeks. I'd wake up with my back in agony but couldn't roll over and sleep on either side. Had to just get up and move around. I gave the whole experience on half a star.

 

[Haakon]

Apparently my X-ray showed signs of surgical emphysema (hadn't heard of it before) but they couldn't feel anything when they checked me over. Sounds like a strange condition. I was a bit worried that there may have been a chance some internal injuries, and I did piss blood the first couple of times I went to the toilet, but it all cleared up.
I was back at work yesterday and off pain meds during the day, so the recovery seems pretty good so far.

Beware pneumonia... I got it after all my ribs and it sucked. A lot.

Extra fun as my collarbone was a non-union after 6 weeks and then I had to wait another 6 weeks for the pneumonia to clear before they'd give me a general to plate the collarbone - 3 months in a sling with busted collarbone not super fun,.

 

[Rusty_68]

Crash No1: St kilda Crits = Broken shoulder blade, five broken ribs, punctured lung.
Crash No2: Mair Street Ballarat = Shattered elbow, compound fracture of the upper right arm, three broken ribs
Crash No3: Creswick State Forest = Two broken ribs torn lower back muscles (now full of gloop they can't extract, apparently)

Not to mention numerous motocross racing accidents:
Broken right wrist
Three broken fingers
Two smashed knuckles
Concussion
Right knee meniscus

And I think I got away pretty lightly, based on my best cycling buddy over in WA....He is totally fucked!

This is my right elbow after surgery....

 

[Coopz]

Crash No1: St kilda Crits = Broken shoulder blade, five broken ribs, punctured lung.
Crash No2: Mair Street Ballarat = Shattered elbow, compound fracture of the upper right arm, three broken ribs
Crash No3: Creswick State Forest = Two broken ribs torn lower back muscles (now full of gloop they can't extract, apparently)

Not to mention numerous motocross racing accidents:
Broken right wrist
Three broken fingers
Two smashed knuckles
Concussion
Right knee meniscus

And I think I got away pretty lightly, based on my best cycling buddy over in WA....He is totally fucked!

This is my right elbow after surgery....

View attachment 423740

Ah man that sucks. Sometimes I question the fun factor for the potential risks in this sport..
My leg has healed up OK after a violent pedal strike 12 months ago resulting in 8 stitches. The cut was gushing blood out so fast I even thought I might have to put a tourniquet on my leg as I was a long way from my car at the time..
The evil pedals were replaced after that.

 

[ForkinGreat]

Ah man that sucks. Sometimes I question the fun factor for the potential risks in this sport..
My leg has healed up OK after a violent pedal strike 12 months ago resulting in 8 stitches. The cut was gushing blood out so fast I even thought I might have to put a tourniquet on my leg as I was a long way from my car at the time..
The evil pedals were replaced after that.

Gone to clip-in pedals?

 

[Coopz]

Gone to clip-in pedals?

I use spd's on my hardtail but I too unco to have them on my dualie.

 

[Stredda]

Get well soon @Stredda . I had a couple of broken ribs at the beginning of the year and the worse thing was having to sleep on my back for about 4 weeks. I'd wake up with my back in agony but couldn't roll over and sleep on either side. Had to just get up and move around. I gave the whole experience on half a star.

I usually sleep on my right side as my left one is the side where I broke my collarbone a few years back and it feels uncomfortable after a while. Unfortunately it is my right side that I busted all my ribs on so like you, I'm on my back for a while. My back doesn't like laying down flat for too long these days so I prop myself up a bit under my shoulders and that hasn't been too bad. I would still love to lay on my right side again though. It's funny the little things you miss when you can't do them anymore.
I did go for a short ride around the block yesterday though which was good.

 

[Haakon]

I use spd's on my hardtail but I too unco to have them on my dualie.

Im too unco to ride without them!

 

[ForkinGreat]

Got a look at my CT scan and I can make out some of my broken ribs.
View attachment 423730
You can see below in green is a old break that has healed.
View attachment 423731

I know it's medical imaging, but my first thought was actually " Dude.... your skeleton needs a pressure wash!"

 

[The Duckmeister]

Reading through the years of this thread, my list is pretty tame. Two concussions (three if including a non-bike incident); both wrists sprained twice each, the second time both in the one stack, coupled with the 2nd concussion following an OTB; a bashed shoulder from another OTB, and a couple of suspected but never confirmed fractured ribs. I knew from a friend's earlier non-biking rib injury experience that unless there is complete displacement, there is nothing that can be done beyond minimising movement. I couldn't feel anything out of line and breathing wasn't affected, so I just let it take its course. A few days later, I sneezed, and it put me on the floor!

The only significant surgery I've had was not bike-related at all; it was to correct a knee misalignment that stemmed from doing a lot of long distance running from a very young age.

 

[cokeonspecialtwodollars]

I keep a notes file on my phone, otherwise I'd never remember all of them, comes in handy when having to fill out my medical history on the admissions forms.

2001 (R) Inguinal Hernia Repair
2012 (R) AC Joint Repair
2014 (L) Inguinal Hernia Repair
2014 (L) Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy
2015 (L) AC Joint Repair
2017 (L) Calcaneus ORIF
2023 (L) 5th Metacarpal (conservative)
2025 (L) Radial head replacement

Bit those are just the injuries that required surgical repair, there have been plenty more including a few ribs various bursae and a concussion.

 

[fjohn860]

I've only had one concussion that I remember







I'll see myself out...










Now if I can only remember where the door is.

 

[teK--]

Unfortunately there isn't much you can do for ribs or things like collarbones. Those MX armour vests are good for impact protection and puncture protection, but unless you had a solid cage around your chest, it isn't going to do much for ribs. Plus they just get too hot in the summer. Not so bad on an Ebike but I couldn't wear one on the analogue.

Agree there is not really any gear that can be worn to protect against some bone breaks.

The best strategy is to build up strong and mobile joints through gym work, and also practice how to fall to minimise such injuries.

Also after a couple of snowboarding seasons I found it second nature to tuck, tumble and roll whenever I fell off the bike.

 

[Jpez]

Usual assortment of broken bones, bruises and stitches and dislocations but this one a few years ago almost killed me. Went OTB maybe 7-8 feet down onto a rock slab like superman.
Landed and made those weird noises for a few minutes before I rolled down the hill to the car. Thought I’d dodged a bullet. Plenty sore but nothing obviously broken. Full face smashed and eyebrow cut open but did its job.
Drove home and refused to get checked out.
Next morning, a Monday I decided to stay home from work and sleep. Was not feeling great. Tried to go to the toilet and woke up on the floor. Passed out. Still too stupid to realise something was very very wrong.
Missus gets home from work and I say ok let’s go to the hospital.
I walk in, tell my story, triage nurse asks if I’m normally as pale as a ghost and they quickly do an ultrasound to confirm their suspicions of internal bleeding.
So an ambulance arrives and lights and sirens to the nearest trauma hospital where they drained litres of blood from my abdomen and also took out my spleen whilst at it. I didn’t hit it with the stem or anything. It was just the impact was enough to blow it up.
The five broken ribs were the least of their worries. Like in the movies the doctors said I was pretty close to death because I was bleeding out and too stubborn to get checked out. They were shocked I was even able to walk into the local ER.

 

[yuley95]

Usual assortment of broken bones, bruises and stitches and dislocations but this one a few years ago almost killed me. Went OTB maybe 7-8 feet down onto a rock slab like superman.
Landed and made those weird noises for a few minutes before I rolled down the hill to the car. Thought I’d dodged a bullet. Plenty sore but nothing obviously broken. Full face smashed and eyebrow cut open but did its job.
Drove home and refused to get checked out.
Next morning, a Monday I decided to stay home from work and sleep. Was not feeling great. Tried to go to the toilet and woke up on the floor. Passed out. Still too stupid to realise something was very very wrong.
Missus gets home from work and I say ok let’s go to the hospital.
I walk in, tell my story, triage nurse asks if I’m normally as pale as a ghost and they quickly do an ultrasound to confirm their suspicions of internal bleeding.
So an ambulance arrives and lights and sirens to the nearest trauma hospital where they drained litres of blood from my abdomen and also took out my spleen whilst at it. I didn’t hit it with the stem or anything. It was just the impact was enough to blow it up.
The five broken ribs were the least of their worries. Like in the movies the doctors said I was pretty close to death because I was bleeding out and too stubborn to get checked out. They were shocked I was even able to walk into the local ER.

View attachment 423790

Jesus fuck