EUC Broken Shoulder Survey

[Skeptikos]

If you've broken your shoulder while riding an EUC, please help us avoid more shoulder injuries by answering a few quick questions.

[Eucner]

I find this important. Shoulder and clavicle are difficult to protect. We need to have a deeper understanding how the damage is happening. I would add more options: To question 1 if arm was fully extended and new question about the direction of impact (in polar coordinates).

Edited March 5, 2022 by Eucner

[Boostnsvt]

After looking back at my injury I think I injured it because I didn't know how to fall. This goes to say that even if I had shoulder pads, I think I still would of fractured it. The reason I think like it wouldn't of mattered is because I was falling forward and there is nothing to brace my impact besides my hands or arms. If your hands or arms take the forward momentum plus your weight you are more likely to break your forearm, hand, finger or something else. Another issue that you didn't account for is tissue damage. My fracture healed in like 2-1/2 months but I ended up going back to get an MRI because I couldn't get past the pain during physical therapy. The scan identified tissue and ligament damage, so while my bone is great, its the tissue damage and whatever else got smashed in there that is the real issue.

I wanted to add that I was wearing elbow and wrist pads with a helmet, but no shoulder pads. I recently purchased a jacket and stuffed lvl2 armored pads inside, so that part is at least covered now.

Edited March 7, 2022 by Boostnsvt

[Eucner]

1 hour ago, Boostnsvt said:

After looking back at my injury I think I injured it because I didn't know how to fall. This goes to say that even if I had shoulder pads, I think I still would of fractured it.

I'm sorry to hear about your accident. Knowing how to fall certainly increases your odds. Unfortunately it takes a lot of practice to make action fast enough. It is called a learned reflex. Did you have your injured arm stretched out when hitting ground?

[Skeptikos]

On 3/5/2022 at 3:36 AM, Eucner said:

I would add more options: To question 1 if arm was fully extended and new question about the direction of impact (in polar coordinates).

Yeah, I didn't realize outstretched arms were a common cause of shoulder injuries when I made the question. I'm not really sure what I'd do with the direction results, though.

 

9 hours ago, Boostnsvt said:

After looking back at my injury I think I injured it because I didn't know how to fall. This goes to say that even if I had shoulder pads, I think I still would of fractured it. The reason I think like it wouldn't of mattered is because I was falling forward and there is nothing to brace my impact besides my hands or arms. If your hands or arms take the forward momentum plus your weight you are more likely to break your forearm, hand, finger or something else.

My impression is that it would be safer to take some of the impact with your hands as opposed to the full hit to the shoulder. Hopefully the wrist guard would protect your hand at least, though it doesn't work every time.

 

8 hours ago, Eucner said:

Did you have your injured arm stretched out when hitting ground?

Based on the current survey results, no respondents have injured their shoulder due to outstretched arms so far.

[Skeptikos]

I'm really surprised that all of these injuries (so far) happened below 20mph. I didn't expect shoulder protection to be relevant at those speeds.

[supercurio]

Hi @Skeptikos! Interesting to gather data on this.

I had two injuries around the shoulder (collarbone and top of humerus), but none of the shoulder itself.
Could you specify more precisely what you mean by shoulder?

[Rehab1]

7 hours ago, supercurio said:

Could you specify more precisely what you mean by shoulder?

Shoulder injuries cover such a wide range of diagnoses from a rotator cuff spain, strain or tear, joint subluxation or worse- fracture of the humeral head and/ or glenoid socket.  

The latter was my injury which resulted from 25 mph catapult,  landing directly on my elbow. The impact translated up to my humeral head shattering it into pieces.  

Being a rehab specialist that designs orthopedic devices I have not been able to fabricate any type of elbow protection that would disperse that significant amount of kinetic energy I sustained without restricting range of motion. 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Rehab1

[Boostnsvt]

21 hours ago, Eucner said:

Did you have your injured arm stretched out when hitting ground?

I think I had my arm out and I hit my palm with the a large kinetic transfer though my elbow when it hit. My elbow was scrapped up because the pad moved and I got a big strawberry on my forearm. I can only assume it went like that because of the missing skin but cant be sure as I was either in shock or had a light concussion.

[Eucner]

13 hours ago, Skeptikos said:

I'm not really sure what I'd do with the direction results, though.

The direction of force is needed to know the area pads need to cover.

[Eucner]

11 minutes ago, Boostnsvt said:

I think I had my arm out and I hit my palm with the a large kinetic transfer though my elbow when it hit. My elbow was scrapped up because the pad moved and I got a big strawberry on my forearm. I can only assume it went like that because of the missing skin but cant be sure as I was either in shock or had a light concussion.

Thanks, it can be really difficult to analyze what actually happened. Everything is happening fast and trauma can wipe off part of the memory. When arm is stretched out the shoulder can get damaged from the initial palm impact going through to the arm, from the sudden violent wrench to the opposite of driving direction or from shoulder finally hitting the ground. That you think was the most likely damage scenario in your case?

[Boostnsvt]

I think it was the "sudden violent wrench to the opposite driving direction" becasuse my pads were plastic. The plastic on my hand hit, sliipped to my elbow pad plastic, smashed the plastic at an angle so it moved/slipped, then moved off my elbow to damage my forearm, then all my weight landed on my shoulder in an ackward way with enough force to "wrench" it.

[Skeptikos]

15 hours ago, supercurio said:

Hi @Skeptikos! Interesting to gather data on this.

I had two injuries around the shoulder (collarbone and top of humerus), but none of the shoulder itself.
Could you specify more precisely what you mean by shoulder?

I intended for this to include collarbones. I should have been more clear.

I wasn't thinking about the humerus, but if it's a break around the shoulder location, then sure, that too.

Edited March 9, 2022 by Skeptikos

[Circuitmage]

My shoulder is already broken from a motorcycle accident 30 years ago.