 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello, I fractured my back, after my binding sheared in half whilst skiing at speed down, a freshly groomed slope at the beginning of March this year (2011). I managed to get a 40% compression to the anterior part of T9 and not do any further damage to myself, from what I hear this is quite lucky as it is pretty rare to just damage one vertebrae!
I was wondering if anyone has done something similar, how long it took them to ski again (is next season too soon), will I be able to work as a ski instructor again next season and any thoughts whether a back protector would have saved the centimetre of height I have lost?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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JamieWait, yikes! I have no idea what the answers to your questions are, but thank goodness you were (relatively) so lucky. Welcome to snowHeads!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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what was the cause of the binding fail?
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Thanks Pedantica.
czl, on the rear portion of the binding, the metal plate that holds the screws into the ski and has the rear DIN attached to it, sheared sending me flying, I was first down the slope and you could see that I flew 30-40 meters and skidded a further 80-90 meters till I eventually stopped myself, under the gondola, in my ski instructors uniform, feeling at first a bit embarrassed and upset that I was going to have to ski the rest of the hill on one ski! But as I tried to get up and begin climbing up the slope the pain hit me, and the other instructors had to hold me down whilst we waited for patrol.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Glad to hear that it was not as bad as it could have been.
I have no idea about your particular injury and it is impossible to compare recoveries but I remember Mike Wilson (freeskiing madman) having a horrific injury a few years ago and being back skiing within 3 months - which was extraordinary.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mr L had an L4 compression fracture in April, is now held together with six screws and two metal bars. He is back at work, swimming daily and cycling if he can be bothered. Has been told he can board next season as long as he stays out of the park and doesn't do anything ridiculous. A back protector would have made no difference in his case because he landed on his bum, but I shall be making him wear one next season because he now has a weak point which would probably not benefit from a direct impact.
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Good luck to Mr L! I hope he continues to recover well!
The first surgeon wanted to cut into me, so glad someone more senior over ruled him! I'm also back at work, in-between frequent physio sessions, I even tried downhill mountain biking at kicking horse yesterday, wearing a lot of padding mind you! It i hurt but was good fun!
I fully expect to be able to ski at some level next season, but I would like to know if I will be able to push myself , as I have done through the previous seasons, or are pain levels going to be the limiting factor?
Having been given the green light to do anything I want, I guess I probably could do. I have been told by the spinal surgeon, that the more I do, the more it'll hurt, but I am not going to do any further damage. Long term prognosis is that I will gradually decrease in pain over the next two years and will then plateau at some pain level for the rest of my life.
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JamieWait, Me, 2006...VERY fit, from a period of intense climbing and cycling - it's march, it's drizzling, and I'm on my bike going flat out through some GREEN lights on embankment...and POW!!! motorbike goes through a red and t-bones me. Instant grade 3 shoulder separation and wedge fracture to C3. After three days of fearing the worst and being kept immobile, CT reveals stable fracture and so up I get. By May, I decide to rehabilitate by hauling rocks (big ones) up the slope in Switzerland to build a retaining wall. It worked. Right painful but built the muscle nicely. I think the good news for you is that the more I use my back the better it gets, albeit with an occasional period of pain. Skiing is fine, although if I do a few days of just tight turns on mega-steeps then I get a bit of pain - in go the Ibruprofen. Bad beds give me more trouble than intense exercise. I've climbed, skied and cycled as before...all fine. I can't dance the night away any more though, that for some reason triggers a lot of pain, so that's out...but then maybe it saves the embarrassment of all around me...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I have injuries from serious RTAs to back and neck and was in agony. I found a pain clinician that looks after beaten up Le Mans drivers, he's got me back skiing to instructor level again almost pain free.
PM me if you live near Brighton
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sun 11-09-11 13:32; edited 1 time in total
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I lost 3/4 of an inch in height due to compression fractures to T5-7, 5 and 7 suffered a little, 6 became a squashed trapezoid.
I skied 3 1/2 months after the fracture and only after 3 MRI's to confirm solid bone grown/reforming/solidification.
After serious physio (to release the tight muscle spasm that holds everything together, which can last months) and loads of core strength training (gotta love Pilates), I was fine to go out skiing.
your injury seems close in severity (to the one vertebrae - lucky escape for the surrounding ones eh?), so if you are generally fit with good core strength then I would assume you should be ok.
Get a good back protector that fits property and doesn't ride up when you are skiing. (I got a Dainese vest and modified the bottom by adding snap loops to attach to snow pants)
The pain varies from person to person. its been almost 2 years, and I still have s constant dull reminder. other people though, it simple disappears.
Good luck with the your remaining recover, and be safe skiing
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