There are only a few manufacturers out there currently on the market: Alpinestars, Atlas, and Leatt among the most popular. It should be noted that just like your bike, helmet, boots, etc, any equipment worn must be properly fitted according to manufacturers instructions in order to provide maximum benefit and wearability. When should I not wear a neck brace?
RELATED: Save money by spending more - Buy the bike you want regardless of price. I've also left out all other articles that I deemed too anecdotal or dubious. When looking at a helmet/brace combination, it makes sense to select a helmet that does not have a large rear lower helmet projection, as was a design trend a few years back. I feel for all women everywhere who have needed an episiotomy in child birth. Keeping you safe is our passion and it is our duty to share what we have learned while catering to the motorsports industry and to our moto-family for the good part of a decade. Here is some more info I was able to find when doing my research. Dr. Christopher Leatt was first to patent a product intended to prevent neck injury in 2003. Of the 239 Critical Cervical Spine injuries without a neck brace, 87% (207) received Spinal Immobilization (Red), where as of the 26 Critical Cervical Spine injuries with a neck brace, 76% (22) were immobilized. This is real world data collected over many years, and has in no way been manipulated to show a benefit or detriment either for, or against neck braces. This required the neck brace to interact with the underside of the helmet and sit on the body in such a way as to be in the right place at the right time and only fail if the loading dynamics were of a magnitude that would cause damage to the body structures the neck brace was resting on, whilst still removing a component of the initial load. 4. Hearsay, third person accounts and stastitically insiginificant data have no place here. Everyone has some story about how they would have been hurt if it hadn't been for the neck brace. 5. Whether the head is stopped by the helmet rim or the chin. Onaverage,amountainbikeneckbracecostssomewherebetween $210 and $500 on Amazon. Riders from age 6 to age 50+ have shared some horrific fallacies about neck braces, much of this information is coming from other riders during what we call campfire talk. More frustrating are trainers with junior riders feeding this information to parents and young riders. [Dirt Rider Article "The Neck brace - Should You Wear One?" Much of the research and development is still only being handled by manufacturers, with not much of a sanctioning body overseeing or injecting regulations into the market. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Leatt-neck-brace-review-2009.html, http://www.dirtrider.com/features/the-neck-brace-should-you-wear-one/, http://www.dirtrider.com/features/the-neck-brace-web-component/, http://orthopaediciq.org/why-the-leatt-brace-is-dangerous/, http://www.motoverte.com/site/les-colliers-cervicaux-inutiles--57437.html, http://www.btosports.com/moto-news/motocross-gear/the-neck-brace-and-why-you-should-wear-one-perspective/. Should I Run My Brake Levers Moto Style?
Since the injury falls into our report criteria the accident is included in this report, but the circumstances are worth mentioning. Source: Great Lakes EMS Inc. / Action Sports EMS Ambulance data reporting system. We feel the results of this actual patient data is proof that neck braces are providing the results intended since their creation. I admit that they won't eliminate the chance of neck injury, but in cases like mine they reduce the severity of injury significantly. The HANS device was used in automobile motorsports before the invention of the Leatt-Brace. We've got a bunch of organic IMB merchandise to give away this issue. The mountain bike community is very good at closing in on bike or human components that really don't do much and just exiling them from the world of mountain biking. This is the issue with the neck brace debate. (http://www.btosports.com/moto-news/motocross-gear/the-neck-brace-and-why-you-should-wear-one-perspective/) Which I might add is the same as the first Dirt Rider article. (http://orthopaediciq.org/why-the-leatt-brace-is-dangerous/). As such, Leatt has had several licensing deals with other apparel and gear companys to produce neck braces with their individual branding applied. The validity of claimed effectiveness in neck brace research results can be argued, but until there are more users wearing neck braces, the medical community will continue to struggle with compiling enough data to come to firmer conclusions. For many people, the added safety helps build their self-confidence allowing them to feel safer and get into that flow state much easier. *Data is collected for all patient contacts per DHS rule in any state a provider is licensed. Quite actually, neck braces are not recommended to be worn with any type of helmet other than a full-face. If anyone experiences this, it would be a good idea to ask a LEATT agent or reseller to assist you in proper fitment and set up. A Non-Critical Cervical Spine injury is 75% more likely without a neck brace. its very easy to break your neck and if that brace is my last defense in preventing it I'm taking it with me and putting the damn thing on. You might have noticed almost all of the "info" available, and anything even remotely scientific, is also completely directed at motocross riders. The article further concluded that injury prevention and research into better helmet and protective gear was essential in the future.
More images with no particular place to call home this issue! Neck braces do not fail safe. (http://www.dirtrider.com/features/the-neck-brace-web-component/) In this article Dirt Rider reached out to several sources for their opinions on the previous article. Beings that they are still relatively new to the market, a lot of research needs to be conducted in order to conclude that neck braces are in fact preventing injury without causing some other form of damage. The take home point from that was that kids don't have the strength of bone or muscle in the thorax to give a safe foundation for the brace to sit on, and therefore should not use them.
Personal watercraft, such as jet skis and wave runners are notorious for whipping the head around while riding at high speed in choppy water. Stay up to date with the latest news & advice, Save your address for more accurate local bike shop results, Pre-register for upcoming Demo Day events. It might keep my head from getting caved in, but when a truck hits me doing 60kph and my entire body is pulverized, head injuries don't mean anything. Love IMB? They (may) protect from ONE sort of neck injury, hyperextension/hyperflexion. At least in the mind of an XC racer anyway. ASK (and ANSWER) in our NEW Rider's Forum! Short travel forks from Fox, RockShox and Suntour get put through their paces alongside kit from Magura, Leatt and Ortlieb. We work directly for the AMA providing care and transport at various events, often managing over 1000 riders in a single weekend. This issue we chat to Dr Chris Leatt, the man behind the neck brace to get the low down on the development of this iconic piece of kit.
As shown in the left above, of the 239 Critical Cervical Spine injuries without a neck brace (Shown in black), 100% (239) of them required a hospital admit (Yellow) and ALS transport (Orange), compared to just 73%, and 42% for neck brace wearers respectively (Right chart, same colors). Over the course of the 10-year study, there were 702 recorded cases of Non-Critical Cervical Spine injuries without a neck brace, and just 109 with a neck brace. Safety and the study of rider injuries and safety gear has been their focus since 2013, and they have amassed 10 years of data that they want to share with the motorsports industry. Acompany by the name of EVS is producing a similar product to a neck brace, that they term a race collar. A Cervical Spine injury of any kind is 82% more likely without a neck brace. I flipped and landed on my head at about 35kmh. Should you use one? Both Leatt and Atlas are quick to claim the effectiveness of their products, but it's generally proven that internally produced data and anecdotal claims tend to be less accurate than conclusions produced by independent research. Like visors in NHL hockey, it took a long time for the older guys to give in and start wearing them. Additionally, a medical provider run by a friend conducted an internal study that showed increased risks to ANYONE wearing a neck brace who had an immature skeleton. [This random article that really can't be trusted.] As I head out to the trails I'm seeing more youngin's wearing neck braces, and while on the surface I understand their application I've been left wondering if there is any science behind the devices. By providing this information, they hope to make safety gear better and provide manufacturers real data as proof that they are on the right track. Over the course of the 10-year study, there were 443 recorded Clavicle fractures without a neck brace, and 291 with a neck brace. Of the 8529 recorded patients, 4726 of them were toggled as NO which indicates neck protection was not in place at the time of injury and when the record was created. The jaw part of the helmet hit my neck brace so hard it snapped. All you really have to do is ask yourself " does it limit neck movement".
A win-win. However, this device works in neck tension (elongation) during an accident, not compression as is the case in two-wheeled sports. Think again as Ewen Turner heads into the wild armed only with a rucksack, penknife and an Enduro bike to see if you can still have fun on a backcountry adventure by bike. These two companies were early pioneers in the neck brace market and have subsequently risen to the top of the MTB world. Both companies do invest in serious research using multiple test set-ups to try and replicate crashing, but much like the MIPS helmet debate, it's hard to accurately replicate a crash and to quantify the effectiveness of neck braces in these crashes.
There is significant anecdotal evidence of an increase in clavicle injury in users, over and above the normal injury rate (I accept it's a common injury). Reduction in brain injury-associated dynamics through the correct interaction between deceleration and the time-related control of head impacts. Dr Leatt is an active motorcyclist and raced competitively as well as providing medical coverage for events. On the way, they take in some of the most exceptional riding in the area and eventually get to the top. Because of the lack of diversity in the neckbrace space, there really isnt a vast selection of design options to chose from. I've been riding for years without one, but as I progress and start riding gnarlier and gnarlier (DH) terrain the prospect of serious injury is something I am increasingly aware of. A neck brace is essentially just a collar that sits on the shoulders, surrounds the neck and acts as a bump stop during extreme maneuvers or crashes that would cause the head an neck to travel past the point of their normal range of motion. I'll take a broken collar bone over a broken neck. [A marketing piece by BTO sports with input from Dr. Chris Leatt (founder of Leatt).] Equipment used data capture parameters in patient care worksheet : Helmet, Goggles, Boots, Knee Braces, Neck Brace, Chest Protector, Gloves, Body Armor, Bike, ATV, Motocross, Flat Track, Hill Climb, Woods. This information is vital for cyclists as most research available is based on motorcycle or impact team sports, like hockey and American football, and although similar, there are still some differences among the impacts and injuries that may distort the data. We are an EMS service that is simply looking out for rider safety. It seems to me that there are some identifiable benefits, but there may also be negatives to them. Our annual coverage includes multiple area and regional Loretta Lynn qualifiers, Flat track grand nationals, ISOC, sno-cross events, and more. Even if crashes are hard to accurately replicate in a lab, a 46% reduction in forces in a front to back impact is hard not to get excited about. NOTE: Neck braces are to be worn WITH a full face helmet. 9430 recorded accidents over nearly 10 years is a substantial sampling of real-world data pertaining to neck braces, and in every instance above neck braces are an exponential improvement in rider safety. Over the course of the 10-year study, combining all critical and non-critical Cervical Spine injuries, 945 injuries were recorded without a neck brace (20% of 4726 people), and 136 with a neck brace (3.5% of 3803 people). [A french article by motoverte.] This is known and caused the UCI to clarify their position on the use of helmets whilst between the tapes, regardless of whether you're astride a bike or not. There are many different designs of neck braces currently on the market, most of them all work under the same concept; limiting head movement in order to prevent neck injury. Oh god no. Undoubtedly, in time, as more research is conducted and data is compiled, a set of standards for kneck braces will be put forth. Yes it does, why wouldn't it work? Now, if this rider is not you; meaning you like to take the smooth line, keep a mellow, easy-going pace or the tires rarely leave the ground, then maybe a neck brace might be just a bit overkill for your individual needs. Death is 69%+* more likely (due to Cervical Spine Injury) without a neck brace. With the insanely fast speeds that modern-day mountain bikes are capable of achieving, more and more mountain bikers are beginning to wear neck braces while they ride, and for good reason. Really appreciate the rational approach here. People who wear neck braces do risker stuff ect. from 2013] (http://www.dirtrider.com/features/the-neck-brace-should-you-wear-one/) This article was interesting.
I mean, they're either in so much pain or on so many drugs that it may not be that much of a hinderance at the time. Remember when everyone wore hard plastic knee+shin pads and forearm guards and like gloves with metal knuckle covers and don't forget a full face as well. I say better safe than paralyzed from the neck down, or dead. Spinal Column and Spinal Cord Injuries in Mountain Bikers: A 13-Year Review, Save money by spending more - Buy the bike you want regardless of price, Compare 3 of the best neck braces from Leatt, Compare 3 of the best neck braces from Atlas. Reduction in thoracic spine bending moments in extension through the use of an energy conductive (through absorption) strut that fractures at a predetermined load. There are three reasons I will not wear one. I have also looked for real evidence of efficacy of neck braces and came up with less than you did. Click here to fill out the Neck Brace Survey, Racing Rumours: 5 Possible Changes for the 2023 World Cup Season (Warner Off Commentary Confirmed), Gang-Related Shooting in Whistler Leaves 2 Dead, Disrupts Resort Operations, Review: Maxxis's New Forekaster Tire is Heavier & Better Than The Original, First Look: Norco's New Fluid Is For a Bit Of Everything, Qualifying Results from the Snowshoe DH World Cup 2022, Track Walk & Tech Randoms: Snowshoe DH World Cup 2022, Results from the US DH, Enduro & XC National Championships, Starling's Environmental Impact Report Finds Carbon Produces 16x More CO2 Than Steel, www.dirtrider.com/features/the-neck-brace-should-you-wear-one, www.amazon.com/EVS-Sports-112040-0209-Race-Collar/dp/B00CR7ZR84, www.pinkbike.com/news/neck-injury-stats-2010.html, www.cyclenews.com/2018/12/article/neck-brace-effectiveness, www.pinkbike.com/news/jay-balabas-the-injury-that-inspired-the-transcr.html. Wearing a neck brace while riding mountain bikes is still getting mixed reviews despite the tiny voice in the back of our minds telling us it's the right thing to do. It was actually quite unnerving to ride this way, as he felt it was forcing him to almost stare at the front tire instead of looking where he wanted to go. On average, a mountain bike neck brace weighs between 500g-600g (1.1lbs. I will say that I do think they are helpful but anecdotes are not scientifically conclusive as to the effectiveness of the braces. If they didn't work people wouldn't wear them. Great Lakes EMS is an ambulance service catering to the amateur motorsports world, specifically motocross and racing in the Midwestern USA. Plus i think they look cool. MIPS Helmets: How do they work? So the efficacy of a neck brace for mountain biking is even more in question. So if you are the rider looking to take on the most challenging features and trails, then the last thing you should do is sacrifice safety for weight. First, let's understand the demographics of spinal injuries and who is most affected by them. What is the difference between a $60 and $300 cycling helmet? There is no literature confirming they are effective in preventing injuries in motocross. Cervical Spine injuries sustained without a neck brace are more severe, require greater care. Over the course of the 10-year study, there were 4 recorded cases of death caused by Critical Cervical Spine injuries without a neck brace, and just 1 with a neck brace. A neck brace is a rigid device worn around the neck which interacts with the user's helmet or head to reduce catastrophic neck injuries in case of a fall. The human head is quite a heavy object to be held up by our relatively small neck, so neck injuries are all too common in many of todays sports, including mountain biking. Its as simple as that. There is a white paper available from Leatt and various videos and documents from other manufacturers, but I've specifically excluded them because of the clear opportunity for bias in those articles. Find out why we need your support as Rou explains the changes going on at the magazine. Or is it the thought of wearing any sort of collar, a conscious or subliminal avoidance of submissiveness, that deters us from fully embracing the neck brace? With a neck brace in place, the force would go from the ground to the helmet which rotates to a point and interacts with the brace. Why is this? We asked him some questions to him about his neck brace and how it all came together. Here is the report Great Lakes EMS provided related to real-world neck-brace statistics pulled from their database from the last 10 years: Neck Brace Effectiveness Statistics by Great Lakes EMS Inc (Action Sports EMS). All data contained within, and related to this report is the sole property of Great Lakes EMS, Inc., and shall not be used by any entity, company, manufacturer, or organization as a means to market and/or contribute to the sales and/or profit of goods or services without written and legal consent of Great Lakes EMS, Inc. After some time you actually begin to forget that its there, some manufacturers claim that within five minutes youll be used to wearing it. Now, 600g. I'd like to have a measured and critical (critical doesn't mean negative) discussion of the validity of neck braces as an injury prevention/minimization intervention. Should you be wearing one? With the modern, lightweight materials available today, neck braces have gotten lighter with time. Most of all though, I don't want to be thinking "I'm wearing this because at any moment I may suffer a life changing or ending spinal injury whilst taking part in a lesiure activity". In certain accident situations, it is possible, they are worse. This does not specifically concern neck braces, but there are some good stats on the prevalence of spinal injuries in mountain biking: http://pinkbike.com/news/neck-injury-stats-2010.html. So I put it to you, r/MTB, what is your cite-able knowledge on the subject? Press J to jump to the feed. But rolling hills and smooth singletrack are not what were talkin here. The neck brace acts as an ALPT (Alternative Load Path Technology ) device to transfer load otherwise directed to the neck to other body structures. Injuries protected against are flexion/extension and coupled axial loading injuries. Fabian Gleitsmann aims for the Aiguille de la Grande Sassire, the highest ridable peak in the Alps but gets more than he bargained for. Wearing a neck brace with a half lid is utterly useless. Right now, multiple companies have braces on the market, mostly for motorsports, but there are two main companies making neck braces for mountain biking: Leatt and Atlas Brace Technologies Inc.. The two struts that lay flat against the chest and back not only keep the brace in place but have the added benefit of an extra layer of impact protection to the collar bones and spine. In so doing, the force transmission through the neck is reduced, and the threshold required to produce a neck injury is not reached, reducing catastrophic injuries. When properly fitted and adjusted to the individual rider, neck braces are not that much of a hindrance when riding. One of the problems that I've encountered is a lack of data on where the injuries occurred on a cyclist. Amid a seemingly endless supply of bike videos, Jasper da Seymour is attempting to offer something different to the standard' shredit'. https://www.actionsportsems.com/safetystudies, 2022 Washougal Pro Motocross Round 8 Results, AFT Legends Meet & Greet Session Planned for Sacramento Mile, Pirelli to Serve as Tire Sponsor of the 2022 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynns Ranch, R2R Teams up With Method Race Wheels and Haiden Deegan for Fundraising Auction, Vialle to Move to North American Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for 2023 AMA Challenge, Watch The Race of Champions Live on MotoAmerica TV, All-Star Analyst Announced for 2022 Pro MX Broadcast (Updated), Cervical = neck made up of seven vertebrae C1 C7 Clavicle Injury = Collarbone, ALS = Advanced Life Support Ambulance or Flight Service Hospital Admit = Admitted to Surgery, ICU, or Floor, Spinal Immobilization = Long Board Cervical Collar, Non-Critical = Stinger Neck Pain, Decreased range of motion. A study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine in 2010, Spinal Column and Spinal Cord Injuries in Mountain Bikers: A 13-Year Review, found of 107 patients who sustained spinal injuries while mountain biking, 102 were men and 5 were women, and all an average age of 32.7. Compression Socks: Science or science fiction? Overall however, I'm sure they offer some protection you just have to wonder if the decreased mobility might be the cause of a certain number of accidents. My son wore his when riding for seven or eight years and never once complained of it being uncomfortable, too confining or cumbersome. T-shirts and hoodies for one lucky winner! Without a chinbar to bear the brunt of the force during hard impacts, it will be your chin and jaw that take the hit, and that sounds like a quick trip to facial reconstruction surgery to me. In order to progress at anything in life, we have to put ourselves just past our comfort zone. As my son becomes more and more interested in mountain biking, that protective parent in me has been kicking in lately and has me pondering should he wear a neck brace while mountain biking?. Great Lakes EMS, Inc. and its members, volunteers, contributors, and alike are not medical doctors, nor are they attempting to solicit medical advice in any form. After adjustment, if the brace is still too limiting, you may have to ditch it. Now you go to your local mountain and shred double blacks with a good helmet which could be a half helmet, a set of good knee pads and XC gloves so your hands don't sweat. Some pros wear neck braces and some do not, some kids who eat-sleep-breathe MTB wear them and some do not. Regardless of make or manufacturer people seem to think they are bad. This perception may be based on old designs, personal experiences, social media commentary, and/or a total lack of knowledge when it comes to body mechanics.
Copyright 2022 CycleNews. Yes,especiallyifyouplantodoanyjumping,largedrop-ins, rail hard into berms or just plain push the limits of your capabilities every time you ride. What's the deal with neck braces? Yes, before the development of the neck brace, only foam collars existed. All considered while I'm confident my helmet has helped me on multiple occasions, neckbraces are definitely less proven. More studies and information can be found at https://www.actionsportsems.com/safetystudies or www.actionsportsems.com. Josh worked retail in the bike industry for 12 years writing in his spare time just for fun. IE: Not a reliable source of information. I have however had three friends who have suffered cervical spinal injuries whilst competing. We will continue to record this data for many years to come, and we feel with time these statistics will only continue, if not improve if more people continue to adopt this technology. It is a major failing. These were not considered in the initial design process for two reasons so as not to influence the ideal and most efficient neck brace design, as well as the fact that when your head extends over the collar in an accident, they can increase neck forces where the collar acts as a fulcrum. We swing a leg over Pivots rocket ship XC bike, Radon's bargain enduro rig and hit the jumps on DMRs Sect. So do you need a neck brace for mountain biking? In addition, brain forces are reduced by limiting post-impact head whip and so are collarbone injuries by shielding the clavicle from helmet rim strikes. The combination of the reduced range of motion and his more bent-over riding style did not allow him to look up and ahead far enough, in order to safely read the trail with enough time to react. Looking at large populations over all can bias results also.
This was the article that seemed to attempt to be the least biased and most scientific in its approach. to some of the weight weenies out, there is a ton. We catch up with him and find out more about his views on the state of MTB film making and his unique approach. Over the course of the 10-year study, there were 239 recorded cases of Critical Cervical Spine injuries without a neck brace, and 26 with a neck brace. Whats the purpose of protective gear, if it causes you to crash more? Next, the thesis of a rigid load transfer device alternative load path technology (ALPT) was developed. MysonhadanolderstyleLeatt brace that he wore for years when he was dirt biking, but when he began mountain biking more, he discovered that his neck brace limited his movement so much that he actually felt unsafe wearing it. Here is a list of some popular models and their cost. The process of development included a review of neck injuries, the accidents that cause them and the major forces at play during a fall onto your head. Most modern neck braces built today are actually quite comfortable. Jorge Lorenzo almost retired before Honda deal was announced. The sizing, fitment and adjustment are crucial to get right just like the sizing of a helmet. The number one online mountain bike magazine. Check to make sure it is properly adjusted. Had X-rays and they came back all clear, neck was sore for a few weeks though. Which Mountain Bikes Are Made in the USA. The numbers dont lie, and we highly recommend everyone consider wearing any protection item that can help contribute to their safety.
In fact after bicycle helmet laws are passed in many places there are no resulting decreases in head injuries per bicycle rider.