hardware in my neck

[stuckonseven 0]

I recently had 3 screws and a plate put in my cervical spine. The doctor has told me no jumping because it will weaken my spine above and below where she did her work. I was wanting to know if anyone else is jumping with hardware in their neck and if it caused them any problems.

[rivetgeek 0]

Ouch. I cant help with advice but was it a skydiving related injury?

~Bones Knit, blood clots, glory is forever, and chicks dig scars.~

[stuckonseven 0]

No, wish I had a cool story to go with the surgery but I don't. I guess I'll have to work on getting one.

[erdnarob 1]

I suspect that your doctor is not part of a sport medecine clinic staff. Don't be discouraged too early and get advice from doctors who deal with sport injuries. They know the athlete's motivation and the benefit of physiotherapy.
One of the tandem masters at my DZ had 2-3 broken vertebrae in the middle of his back after a bad landing on his own sport rig. He had first a surgery including metal pins which wasn't a success. He got a second surgery where the doctors decided to "weld" the 3 vertebrae together and after physiotherapy, swinmming... he had a quite good recovery. Now he is back to skydiving and even has resumed his activities as a tandem master. It's still hard to believe especially after I have visited him twice at the hospital. Just keep your motivation and your dream. Don't give up.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[Reginald 0]

Um, lot's of people here have fusions on their necks. Mine is on the C6/C7. It's kind of a club we have going on in the sport. I didn't jump for 6 months after mine second one (long story).

She's right that the discs above and below will take more stress and likely wear out sooner than they might otherwise. So the point is to avoid doing anything that will cause extra stress. Have a soft opening canopy, don't wear a camera on your head, etc.

If what you had was a normal fusion talk to her about it and get a better explanation of why she doesn't want you to jump. She may have a good medical reason or she just may think you don’t need to jump anyway – does not understand the sport. There are plenty of sports medicine Dr.'s that put people back on professional football teams after fusions. A little skydiving can’t to any worse. As my Dr. told me, “You may break your neck skydiving but not where I fused it!”

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[Dumpster 0]

I've C-5/C-6 fused and and reinforced - Doc had me wait about 7 months before going back to jumping. I won't be putting a still camera on my head but will wear the side-mount video from time to time. But I don't know your particulars - talk to the doc and get a 2nd opinion. ( I spoke with my regular doc and 2 neuros before having mine done...)

Easy Does It

[stayhigh 2]

I knew a guy with neck fusion,, he was fine and did hundreds of skydive until reserve had to be used and viola.. broken neck again from opening shock...
which flew him into the trees..
and viola tree trunk thru his stomach...

but the guy is not fine but seen him walking around years lator..

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[freeflysteve 0]

yo in the fusion club myself

3 titanium pins between c7 and t1

hard opening with cameras september 2008

back jumping now but NO cameras!!

my consultants view was that he was there to fix me so i could carry on with my life sport and fun at my risk.

we only have one journey no repeats.

blue skies

freefly steve

Swooping, huh? I love that stuff ... all the flashing lights and wailing sirens ... it's very exciting!

[TheBachelor 5]

I'm in the fusion club too. C3-C4 & C5-C6. My doc didn't know anything about skydiving, so he made me wait 6 months before jumping. I've been back jumping for a year now with no problems.

The levels above and below the fusion do experience more stress in general because one section of your spine no longer bends. That is one of the risks of any fusion greater than normal chance of neededing another fusion in the future. I know someone who has had 2 in his cervical spine, and another who has had 3 in his lumbar spine.

My suggestino is you give it 6 months to heal, get some new x-rays, and find another surgeon to clear you. Obviously, you can jump without clearance, but I'd want to make sure there was nothing unique about my situation.

There are battered women? I've been eating 'em plain all of these years...