BSB: Byrne confirms extent of injuries

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne has revealed the full extent of the injuries he suffered in his testing crash at Snetterton.

After undergoing successful spinal surgery on Monday, the six-time champion has confirmed the full extent of his injuries as he sets about a long recovery process.

Byrne crashed on just the third lap of last Thursday’s Snetterton test. Briefly knocked out in the incident, he was taken to Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital where he has remained since for treatment on a range of injuries.

“I’ve got two bruised lungs, all of my ribs are fractured, I’ve got four broken vertebrae, my neck is broken in two places, I’ve got a broken sternum, collarbone and multiple other back fractures,” Byrne explains.

“Fortunately, there was no paralysis, which is a big, big bonus as that was a real concern at first. The first thing my surgeon said after seeing my x-rays was ‘how on earth are you not paralysed?’

‘The operation to fix my back and neck ran obvious risks of paralysis, but fortunately that went very well. I’m now pretty sore and beaten up, but a rehab and recovery program always starts as soon as a crash ends. It’s a long road ahead but for once I got a great start and can’t thank you all enough for your support through these difficult times. There’s so many people to thank, marshals, medics, team members, friends, fans, and family that I don’t really know where to start. A massive shout-out to my amazing wife, Petra Byrne. She is my world, my everything and never stops being by my side while bringing up our children. She’s been being a Mum to them and then running around like a headless chicken after me, thank you all so much for the support.”