Collar bones - protection

[Kerry Clegg]

I'm coming off a really bad accident that did a # on my collar bone, finally, had to have surgery to pull it together. Anyway, since the accident (because it's a common subect now) I've been amazed at how many dirt riders are walking aroud with crooked, healed over collar bones. To anyone whose put the time in the saddle it seems to be a question of when it happened not if.

Not wanting to let it get the best of me, but, as you can appreciate, I'm a-little sensitive about the subject. I'm just getting back to riding and am very interested in whatever is out there by way of shoulder(collar bone) protection. I'm talking about something allot better than the old chest protectors. I was wearing one of those when I got in the accident and it didn't help squat!

You would think with all the knee-braces and chest-protectors out there, somebody would have come up with a really good shoulder (collar bone) protector. In that it is such a vulnerable and common area to be injured with dirt riders.

Please help if you know of anything out there...

 

[Neil Wig]

Because of the multitude of ways you can break a collar bone, I doubt if a brace is possible short of making a full exo-skeliton. The collar bone can break from your hand, elbow, or shoulder contacting the ground. You can break it with a vertical impact beside the neck (helmet?). I'm not sure how durrable it is if hit from the front.

PS - I broke my left side a couple years ago. Works fine, healed crooked, doesn't ache, it's all good.

Later

 

[Okiewan]

Moved to correct forum.

 

[Smit-Dog]

Do a search on this site for a ton of info on broken collarbones - protection, how they break, recovery options, etc.

CB are easy to break, and hard to protect. I broke mine going less than 10MPH.

As far as protection, I now wear a PCS neck brace device. Not only helps protect against a broken neck, but may help prevent the lower edge of the helmet from snapping the CB. Check them out here: http://procyclesafety.com

 

[taraker]

I tore up my collarbone pretty badly but nothing that required surgery. Anyway, the medic that checked me out was explaining to me how the design of the helmet, full face, was a major cause of collar bone injuries, but that since the jaw is better protected and collarbones heal rapidly and aren't as critical as a jawbone, nobody has ever done anything different. I didn't care though, I just wanted some demerol in a quick fast hurry..... :eek:

I know that EVS sells some over-rated neck brace that does offer some protection against the helmet edge but I found it uncomfortable, overpriced and lacking in adequate strapage, if that's a word. I then went to the football section of the local Oshmans sportinggoods store and bought a linebackers neckroll protection pad, and mounted it to my Fox chest protector and although it offers better protection, I can see where to chest protector can move enough and leave the collarbone exposed. I also use the SixSixOne Straight Jacket, which offer the most protection for the collar bone, (neck opening is about as big as a t-shirt hole) I have found. I don't have any complaints about the SixSixOne other than it really sucks on a hot day, but it does offer the same basic protection as the Fox chest protector, and is also fits extremely well under my cool colors, D671 :thumb:

 

[Smit-Dog]

MX-727 with EVS neck brace: http://www.dirtrider.net/teamdrn/showphoto.php?photo=4515&size=big&papass=&sort=1&thecat=

Me with PCS neck brace: http://community.webshots.com/photo/82672582/82676763HCYMQP

I was not wearing the PCS when I broke my CB. The ball of my left shoulder felt like someone hit it hard with a ball-peen hammer, so I suspect that the PCS neck brace would not have prevented the collarbone from breaking. It was a frontal impact to the shoulder that snapped it. FWIW, I was wearing a chest protector. I am considering rigging up some big plastic shoulder pads from a set of hockey pads to the chest protector.

 

[rickyd]

I won't ride w/out my PCS neckbrace, i think NIKKI wrote an article on them awhile back, great insurance for the price..
Rick

 

[Smit-Dog]

Really drives the point home when you see someone on the trail getting CPR. Turned out to be a broken neck, and the guy (27 y/o) did not make it. And this was a C-level trail.

 

[rickyd]

Always good too wear whats available, i saw an ArenaCross flagger take a front tire too the sternum, he didn't make it :(

As for the PCS Or EVS, it may help it may not, but its worth it too wear it IMO
Rick

 

[Rob Reid]

There have been in the past protectors that had rigid (fixed to the chest and back panel) and suspended by internal neting, so impact is cushioned well. My current acerbis is similar to this.