Broke my collarbone Saturday on a shuttle run. Looking for any advice on the injury? Recovery time, Surgery? Ortho says I can do the surgery if I want but it's up to me. Snapped it in the middle, minimal displacement, some shards around the break but just a minimal visible bump right now. I've never had surgery and would like to avoid if possible but I'm afraid the bone is going to be more prone to breaking... I can deal with the time off the bike but just looking for any advice/experience? Sleeping SUCKS, I've been on a recliner since the accident and don't see myself in bed for a little while still. No pain meds either, hate the way they make me feel, just ibuprofen. Thanks all!
Clavicle breaks......
- Thread starter Tmeyer
- Start date
****'ll buff out. I broke both of mine within two months. one was during a race, which i managed to finish one-handed. didn't get it xray'd until it was too late. they wanted to go in and re-break it, but i declined.....it's been fine ever since. a noticeable bump but that's it. plus, chicks dig scars/physical anomalies.
just keep it in a sling, and it'll be usable again before you know it. good luck.
just keep it in a sling, and it'll be usable again before you know it. good luck.
I've fully (and permanently) dislocated my collarbone at the ac joint but not broken it before. The doc said it would have been better to break as clean breaks (which is what yours sounds like) tend to heal well.
When broken bones heal, they actually overcalcify and heal back stronger at the break site but the variation in strength across the bone means that impact stress is not distributed across it evenly which can lead to further breakages. The extra calcification means that you may have a slight bump after it's fully healed.
AFAIK, surgery is only to guarantee that the bone fuses back again correctly. In the UK they rarely operate on collar bones unless the break is bad (i.e. compound)
I found sitting up in bed to be a no-no. Rolling out on my good shoulder was the best...
When broken bones heal, they actually overcalcify and heal back stronger at the break site but the variation in strength across the bone means that impact stress is not distributed across it evenly which can lead to further breakages. The extra calcification means that you may have a slight bump after it's fully healed.
AFAIK, surgery is only to guarantee that the bone fuses back again correctly. In the UK they rarely operate on collar bones unless the break is bad (i.e. compound)
I found sitting up in bed to be a no-no. Rolling out on my good shoulder was the best...
I feel your pain. Have broken both sides. First one had a ¾" chunk of bone that turned 90° (never mind the cracked ribs and punctured lung) but doc did not advise surgery. There's still a lump there where it all fused back together. Only thing uncomfortable is it's right where backpack/knapsack straps can rub on it. Doc also did not believe in figure-8 slings (said it slowed getting back ROM); so it just clicked around for a while, felt odd.
Broke the other side 2 years ago - - large crack that time. Figure-8 sling and it didn't seem to slow rehab. Felt pretty damned nice to have on, compared.
Advice?
Yeah, sleeping sucks, especially if you don't like to sleep flat on your back. No way around it.
You are out for at least six weeks.
Insist on a good rehab outfit for your PT - - preferably one that specializes in sports injuries and getting athletes back to 100%. That's what you are, so insist on being treated as such. "Good enough" is not good enough.
Do your PT religiously. Do your at-home follow-up ROM exercises religiously. Drink your milk and your calcium-added OJ.
Broke the other side 2 years ago - - large crack that time. Figure-8 sling and it didn't seem to slow rehab. Felt pretty damned nice to have on, compared.
Advice?
Yeah, sleeping sucks, especially if you don't like to sleep flat on your back. No way around it.
You are out for at least six weeks.
Insist on a good rehab outfit for your PT - - preferably one that specializes in sports injuries and getting athletes back to 100%. That's what you are, so insist on being treated as such. "Good enough" is not good enough.
Do your PT religiously. Do your at-home follow-up ROM exercises religiously. Drink your milk and your calcium-added OJ.
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Burga broke his 2 years ago. He wanted surgery to make it look normal. He ended up having nerve damage and he couldnt use his arm for about a year. Took some crazy PT to get it back to working for him. He said he should have never done the operation and let it heal naturally.
was funny to watch him spin 7's and 9's with his arm just flapping around.
was funny to watch him spin 7's and 9's with his arm just flapping around.
I pretty much did the same thing you did 5 weeks ago. I started lightly riding again on Saturday. Its gonna feel like a pain in the ass for a few weeks then all of a sudden it will be fine and you be back on the bike. Just be sure not to use that arm for anything while its healing so it stays still and heals as fast as possible...
Tme But..... the sun is coming out in SLC and I just got a new Intense Tazer HT delivered yesterday
Did mine a couple years back. Blew it into 3 pieces and as close to compound you can get without being compound (through the skin). No surgery. 8 weeks. First attempt at getting my front wheel off the ground when I got back was EXQUISITELY painful, but I got better.
Take your time, don't push it. Expect it to be uncomfortable for a while. Now I have a big lump at the break site, but thats it.
Take your time, don't push it. Expect it to be uncomfortable for a while. Now I have a big lump at the break site, but thats it.
Get one of those little X brace things to keep your shoulders back after you are done with the Sling. I made the mistake of not wearing mine and getting back on the bike too soon, now my left arm is 2 inches shorter than my right and I have pain almost every single day at the point where it broke.
Listen to the doctors, they know their sh!t.
Listen to the doctors, they know their sh!t.
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i broke mine into 3 pcs did not opt for surgury, i have a small bumb on my shoulder. im glad i did not get cut open.
i think the best advice is to LET IT HEAL COMPLETELY, no way around it. broke mine for the second time after letting it heal 8+ weeks, not worth it. also, you'll have a bigger bump if you don't get surgery, thats about it, it will be stronger than it was before regardless.
^^^ truth
Yo Tim,
I broke my collar bone, but didn't bother to have anyone look at it. It felt set, so I just let it heal. The next crash I took, the two ends collided, shattered, and put a small puncture in my lung. That is, if any puncture to a lung can be small. At that point, surgery was the only option. If you think bike parts are expensive, you should see what they charge for "medical grade" screws. After healing from the surgery, and dealing with the enormous, awkward piece of metal under my backpack strap, I developed a staph infection on the hardware, and had it removed. Now all is good, and my clavicle is bigger than my femur.
Long story short, go back to the doctor in six weeks, get an x-ray, and make sure that $ucker has healed back together.
Also, get off that recliner and bring that frame down to the shop so we can touch it and smell it and pet it and call it George.
Shoulders are dumb,
joss
I broke my collar bone, but didn't bother to have anyone look at it. It felt set, so I just let it heal. The next crash I took, the two ends collided, shattered, and put a small puncture in my lung. That is, if any puncture to a lung can be small. At that point, surgery was the only option. If you think bike parts are expensive, you should see what they charge for "medical grade" screws. After healing from the surgery, and dealing with the enormous, awkward piece of metal under my backpack strap, I developed a staph infection on the hardware, and had it removed. Now all is good, and my clavicle is bigger than my femur.
Long story short, go back to the doctor in six weeks, get an x-ray, and make sure that $ucker has healed back together.
Also, get off that recliner and bring that frame down to the shop so we can touch it and smell it and pet it and call it George.
Shoulders are dumb,
joss
Truth.
I've broken clavicle + separated AC joint on one side and broken the socket on the other side (fast + clumsy = lots of hospital time).
Tim - don't sweat it, you'll be riding again without any issues in a month or two. Go see a surgeon if you're worried about the look of it (and accept the risks associated with surgery) - but will make no difference to strength.
tims already a goofy lookin mofo
nice thing about collarbones is they heal nicely. my doc gave me the option to have the surgery when i broke my clavicle and my femur. but after having this put in my leg i didnt want to get cut open any more!
Update- feeling WAY better at just about 5 weeks. Saw the Ortho Monday and he said 4-8 weeks till he'll "clear" me to ride. Not bad! . Riding the trainer a bunch and pretty much don't notice day to day other than sleeping and specific lifting. Worst part is I might eventually have minor surgery to clean up a few jagged spots that are rubbing against my skin (if they don't round over on their own). I'm gonna have a nasty lump and a little slumped shoulder but no hardware. Just wanted to keep the thread updated for future searches....
Glad to hear you're feeling better.
I just broke mine last Monday on the dirtbike...
Doc said I was on the fence for surgery. It is healing on it's own, but the overlap would leave my shoulder significantly hunched in. Going under the knife next week to get things straightened out.
Second summer in a row that I've lost to injury.
I just broke mine last Monday on the dirtbike...
Doc said I was on the fence for surgery. It is healing on it's own, but the overlap would leave my shoulder significantly hunched in. Going under the knife next week to get things straightened out.
Second summer in a row that I've lost to injury.