Adventure Motorcycle (ADVMoto) – July-August 2019

by John Spieker

O

ne of the more common injuries

sustained by an adventure

motorcyclist is a clavicle fracture. It

doesn’t take a high speed get-off to

fracture the collar bone. A low-speed

fall onto the outstretched hand

or landing on the outside of the

shoulder is enough for an injury to

occur, even with proper riding gear.

Other injuries to the clavicle can be sustained by the

same mechanism, including a separation/disloca-

tion at the acromial clavicular (AC) joint, as well as rib

fractures or cervical spine injury. The force of the fall

will be absorbed by your body, resulting in either soft

tissue bruising and strains, or a fracture, depending on

numerous factors.

So, what to do? Your bike goes down on a technical

route and you fall from a standing position on the

pegs onto a rocky or packed dirt surface. There’s a

snap and immediate pain. If you are riding solo, you

are in a real situation. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to pick

up even a mid-sized, loaded adventure bike with one

hand. Even if you are with riding buddies, it will be

very difficult, if not impossible, to saddle back up and

ride out. Don’t think that you’ll be able to grin and

bear it, to ride out one-handed.

Hopefully, you’re carrying a GPS locator or are

in cell coverage. Walking out is always possible,

depending on the location. Riding out as a pillion on

a buddy’s bike is hopefully also an option. You are

not going to enjoy the ride, but it’s unlikely further

damage will occur, assuming you don’t go down

hard again. It’s unusual for a clavicle fracture

to cause further damage without significant

additional trauma.

Internal plate fixation of comminuted clavicle

fracture with associated unstable AC joint.

Displaced, comminuted

midshaft clavicle fracture

injury films with post-

operative surgical

internal fixation and

anatomic alignment of

fracture fragments.

78 July/August 2019

TUNING UP