Broken Neck

Triathlon Forum
1

I broke my neck (C5 and C7) in a time trial (a car made an illegal left turn in front of me) in July 2008. Surgery fused 5 vertebrae (C2 to C7) and put in 2 titanium rods. I have been in PT for 7 months. I cannot hold my head up to ride a race bike. My therapist thinks with another year of PT I might be able to ride a race bike.
QUESTION: Has anyone ever had cervical fusion and titanium rods and raced again? If so how well did you race? Thank you

jab2067

2

The answer is yes. I don’t have a name though but I am sure it has been done. If it hasn’t been done then someone will do it some day, perhaps you will be the first. Your broken neck did not, per se, weaken the muscles that hold your head up. They are weak from disuse. Unless your neck is structurally prevented from “coming up” I predict your function will return if you keep working on it.

3

the person you’re looking for is ex canadian pro triathlete steve mcmurdo. he’s an attorney in vancouver. (you don’t need him to be your attorney; he’s gone through pretty much what you are going through.)

4

Frank,

Thanks for the encouragement. Actually my muscles were tremendously weakened by the nerve damage in the accident. I lost all my tone one weak after the accident. I have been rebuilding is since then.

5

Dan,

Thanks for your response. How can I get hold of Steve McMurdo?

John

6

Dan,

Thanks for your response. How can I get hold of Steve McMurdo?

John
googled vancouver steve mcmurdo.

http://www.weblocal.ca/mcmurdo-stephen-lawyr-vancouver-bc.html

Good luck with your recovery.

John

7

Dan,

Thanks again. I will call Stephen.

John

8

Dan,

Thanks again. I will call Stephen.

John
No prob. :smiley: Judging from the other links that came up, looks like he is still doing triathlons as well. Whenever you get back to swimming, if you have any troubles with the breathing rotation, drop me a line. Somewhere in my college notes/books I have some stuff on neck impingement in the swimming stroke…

John

9

Dan,

Swimming is the only thing I don’t have problems with. I cannot hold my head up on a race bike and cannot run very well.

John

10

Dan,

Swimming is the only thing I don’t have problems with. I cannot hold my head up on a race bike and cannot run very well.

John
Hehehehehe…

Me John. You John. Him Dan. Nice to meet everyone! :smiley: :smiley:

John

11

Sorry about the name confusion.

12

Dan,

Wasn’t there a guy on ST (about three years ago) who was in a Halo for a long time, then got back into the sport? Was it like Tribriguy, or some screen name near that?

13

it was steve mcmurdo, mentioned above.

14

At my last race, IM Buffalo Springs 70.3(TX), I ran in with a gentleman who was hit by a tractor-trailer almost one year before while riding his bike.

He wasn’t fast (yet), but he was at Ironman in less than one year, albeit riding in a less aggressive position than before the accident.

We joked about his inability to get through airport metal detectors in his current condition.