Covering your back - what's the point of back protectors?

A snowHead

@Thornyhill, @Dave of the Marmottes, ...could be...

But when you read this, on the Martin at Dundrod incident...

http://www.u.tv/Sport/2015/09/03/Guy-Martin-opens-up-about-Dundrod-horror-crash-44302

Now, that's 130mph onto tarmac, and my opening post was about the dynamics of ski accidents, which posed the question of exactly In which types of incidents would a back protector be protective. I am rather dubious about the more rigid back protectors preventing hyperflexion under the energy conditions of a big fall - this is the main reference I can find and comments that flexion is not well-controlled:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4262813/#__ffn_sectitle

I can't find anything else, which puts a bit of a question mark over some of the claims regarding prevention of hyperflexion.

A snowHead

I wouldn't rely on one to prevent hyperflexion/extension although provided they are well fitted there doesn't seem much to lose on that front. Energy dissipation from a direct impact which would otherwise load one or two vertebrae seems the main point to me. Plus a little bit of physical protection if you are going to slide over rocks etc: in a high stakes fall where arrest is not possible you are going to want to be on your back with feet leading to take direct impacts.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

If your primary concern is hyperflexion of the neck, then you probably should be looking into something like a neck-roll (a-la a NFL player) as a cheap way of limiting the problem.

If you're talking about your back - then is it *actually* that much of a problem? The back is pretty flexible in all directions (preexisting conditions aside) so is hyperflexion that much of an issue. If you're protecting from impact injury from falling, thats one thing - but if you're looking to put a stop to overextended movement, you're probably trying to fix a problem you're very unlikely to encounter on skis.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I wear one cos when i was young my parents made me. you get used to it and i feel exposed. not wearing it when i have my pack with avy gear in it.
my shovel handle/head and probe in my steel reinforced pack works when i'm wearing that. if i havent got a pack i wear it. if i dont have at least 3 straps going over my shoulders it's odd.
my bro doesnt wear his cos he feels he overheats in it. but i've seen him on the top of grand montet in heavy snowfall with his jacket open cos he's hot...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Richard_Sideways, ...having had an L2 wedge fracture, hyperflexion is an issue, I think. And I'm not sure that it's that uncommon in the park.

Help!!

Covering your back - what's the point of back protectors?

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