broken clavicle...surgery or not?

[cormacoc]

Originally Posted by Alex Fruhauf .

Thanks pal, your reply was ace ..

So do you have any problems regarding movement or restrictions after surgery? How many 'checkups' and aftercare did you need after? I live in Spain but the op will happen in England so im curious how much flying I have to do. Also, was there much physio after it?

I hope you find time to reply, cheers matey!

Alex

not really a lot less than I did after original break. I was told by surgeon that I have to stay in sling for 4 weeks and the physio showed me some exercises I could do such as the "pendulum" which is basically holding your elbow with your good arm and straightening out arm this one is to prevent elbow locking up from lack of movement due to sling.I have an appointment for two weeks after surgery and depending on x-rays and stuff then that should be the last I see of him. I dont have any physio I mean I had my surgery in a sports clinic and the in house physio talked me trough some things the morning after surgery but didnt feel I would need ongoing treatment.

He told me not to move arm up in the shower for washing purposes and to lean forward and access your underarm that way, and not to lift arm to type on a keyboard which is a bit of a pain! and also he said to make fists with fingers and do pendulam exercise every two to three hours another tip was to put ice on affected shoulder every 3 hours or when it is particularly painful what I did was to put ice in sandwich bag and then into a pillow case and rest it on my shoulder really helps with pain!

on plenty of pain killers as well as anti inflamitory (spelt wrong) to combat swelling for the next two weeks.

any other questions feel free to ask!

Cormac!

 

[kathymh1]

http://www.sonomaorthopedics.com/index.php?page=clavicle-fracture-solutions

Find a surgeon who will fix it with this. You'll be back on the road in no time.

 

[kathymh1]

http://www.sonomaorthopedics.com/index.php?page=clavicle-fracture-solutions

This may be helpful to you.

 

[DualSport]

Hi new here I broke my left clavical at the distel end 7/8/11 on my dualsport. This was my second week back on the bike after having my right shoulders rotator cuff repaired ten weeks ago. Its a understatment to say my wife is very disappointed with me right now. Anyway I know my left shoulder has atleast has a partialy torn rotator cuff because I had a MRI on it a few years back.My question is did anyone have there rotator cuff worked on at the same time. I am kind of hoping to be able to take care of the rupured rotator cuff if I need surgery on my clavical. I plan on seeing my orthopedic surgen Tuesday just wondering if this might be a option. I relize there isn't any Orthopedic Dr's on here, but maybe someone can share a similar experience.

 

[DualSport]

Here is my break

 

[Mahbann8]

Hey all,

I broke my clavicle about 17 days ago, they say that its 100% displaced, and surgery can be an option...right now, i don't have a big bump on my shoulder, I was wondering if the bump would get bigger as my clavicle heals? because if it doesn't I would rather to not go through a surgery! and also, for the cosmetic reasons, which one would work better? surgery or just letting to heal as it is?

Thanks,

 

[shazzam321]

Hello,

I broke my left clavicle about 7 weeks ago in two places while mountain biking in tuskeegee national forest. It was broken at the tip of my shoulder, no more than an inch in, and in the middle. My doctor told me that my break did not require surgery and that everything was lined up well. Seven weeks later my clavicle still looks crooked, as if looking from the top down, and the doctor said that there is no union of the break on the tip. He wants to wait another 3 weeks before discussing surgery to see if it heals itself. He did not give me much info about the surgery but said that it was minimal and could be done outpatient. Any suggestions or comments?

Thanks

 

[DualSport]

Well on 7/13 I had the hook plate surgery and the ac tendon was completly torn so he sutured the clavical down to my scalpula so the tendon can grow together with scar tissue. I am felling pretty good. 7/28 the Dr gave me permission to use my arm without raising it above my shoulder so I sarted riding the dualsport on the street that day. It deffinatly gets sore but I ice right I after I ride for 20 minutes. I am scheduled to start physical therapy in another two weeks.
I was hoping before the surgery he would take care of my bad rotator cuff on this shoulder. I am glad now I didn't have both to deal with right then. I would say the first week after surgery was five times worse then when I had my other shoulder rotator cuff arthoscopicly repaired. It was mostly muscle spasams in my back and very dificult to take more then half a breath without pain.

 

[KittyQ]

I broke my clavicle in October last year.
The bone was overlapping by an inch and had shattered.

At the time, they gave me the choice of leaving it to heal, with the downside being having a shortened shoulder (and longer healing time), or going in for an operation and having a plate fitted, with the risk of infection. I was in so much pain, I decided to go for the operation.

I had to wait a week before I went it, and could barely move. However, immediately after having the plate fitted, I was mobile and returned back to work within a fortnight. There's no way I could have gone back to work so soon without having the plate fitted.

During the operation the surgeon had to remove some muscle and cut through nerves, so for a few months there was quite a bit of muscle pain, reduced mobility and obvious nerve damage (loss of feeling around my chest and shoulder, and down my arm).
Afterwards, he said that the extent of the break hadn't been obvious in the x-ray and it was just as well that I did have the operation - it took them an hour to pick out the shattered bits of bone, it wouldn't have healed naturally.

I am back to 90% mobility, but my shoulder is still tilted forward and drooped, there is a lump in the bone but I'm told the excess calcium will shed over time and the lump won't be as noticable. The plate is very noticable and looks quite gross, it's a bit of a party trick to make people feel the screws under my skin! The shoulder still grinds occasionally, and I struggle to do anything weight-bearing while my arm is raised.

I really do think that having the plate fitted was the best option for me.

I've now decided to have my plate taken out (3 weeks time!) - because it is so prominent, it can be uncomfortable to wear a backpack or put any pressure on it. I play a contact sport, so there are additional risks of the plate becoming loose and causing serious damage, and also when the weather is cold, the plate causes the whole area to ache.

I personally would recommend surgery... but maybe I'll keep you updated post-plate removal... that might change my mind!

 

[bbninja]

Please update on getting the plate removed, that would be sweet to hear about that. My story real quick i live in canada and cost me nothing, Broke clavicle in middle on July 31st afternoon, it was sticking up in my neck could have been a compound was lucky = x-rays/sling fracture clinic next day 9 am Aug 1st He says i need surgery my shoulder was like a inch or 2 different then the other side was mess.

I go home they call me at 2pm that day by 2:30 i was in bed with IV waitin surgery. By 10pm i was in, woke up at 12pm and was out of hospital back home at 2AM. So i broke it had surgery (they put a plate in) and was home in less than 2 days after it happened. today is AUg 17th and i am going back to work in a few days and i can lilft things and i feel normal again in my arm except the bruising and lack of feeling from being cut, that will come back over time and will have do little bit of physio guess as range is not 100 percent. If you ask me surgery is the 100 percent best thing to do if you have to be back on your feet asap or if like me its so bad you have no choice. With me though they said call in a year and they will remove plate.

 

[ruffa]

hey guys i broke my left clavicle 2 weeks ago mountain bike. i landed right on my left shoulder and broke the clavicle. Its really dislocated and has broken pieces floating. One side is really poking my skin and if looks BAD. You can see the bone outline on one side of the clavicle. My orthopedic doc said no surgery is needed but others said its an option but their are downsides to surgery. Nerve damages can happen sometimes. Can i get some opinions? I want to have a straight collar bone & a fully functional shoulder. im not sure how forums work. this is my first time on one but id appreciate some opinions. thanks

 

[bbninja]

Ruffa, i would say surgery man,. Its a few days of discomfort but i am feeling great today./ I had surgery Aug 2nd same thing bone was sticking up in skin. Its Aug 24th today and i have been back to work for 3 days and lifted a 45 pound box today. 3 weeks after surgery and i am pretty much back to 100 percent if you ask me. No sling no wraps use my arm just like i would before the accident. Yes there is alot of stuff i guess if they cut something wrong could suck down the road but i have no issues cut is almost completly healed. Still a little tender but very close to 100 percent. They put a plate in and if you have multiple breaks you are neevr gonna be the same without surgery.

My doc told me you will never have proper function in your arm or be able to lift like you use to. but as of today its almost like it never happened. Seriously i know there is risks but you just gotta do it. I am seeing the surgen tommorrow for xrays and what not, hopefully i havent been hurting it using it these past few days but we will see, i feel great with no pain so i think im fine. I will always say have surgery unless it is a very minor break. Peace

 

[treble99]

hi guys really enjoyed reading all the posts on this topic last year i broke my collarbone in the iom on my motorbike.....i had the plate and screws in which i was fully mobile in three weeks well ive broke the opposite side on sunday which the doctor said should mend on its own any how i have to go back in 6 weeks to have it checked if its not joining he will plate it for me ime not in to much pain but moving that side as much as possible am i doing more harm than good by doing that? really want to be on my bike in four weeks!! thanks steve

 

[alienator]

Originally Posted by treble99 .

hi guys really enjoyed reading all the posts on this topic last year i broke my collarbone in the iom on my motorbike.....i had the plate and screws in which i was fully mobile in three weeks well ive broke the opposite side on sunday which the doctor said should mend on its own any how i have to go back in 6 weeks to have it checked if its not joining he will plate it for me ime not in to much pain but moving that side as much as possible am i doing more harm than good by doing that? really want to be on my bike in four weeks!! thanks steve

What makes you think that forum opinion is as qualified as medical opinion? Getting medical advice from faceless strangers is probably even worse than giving your credit card number to the son of the deposed king of Nigeria who promises to send you £1 million.

A hard fast rule of anything medical is that sometimes you just don't get to heal as fast you want. If you want real advice, go see a different orthopod, i.e. someone who is actually knowledgeable about orthopedic injuries and works in the field, for a second opinion. You should also be expressing your concerns and wishes to your doctor. If your doctor doesn't at least listen to your concerns or doesn't answer your questions, it's likely time to find another doc. You might also want to ask the doc if it would be appropriate to see and start working with a physio. Physical therapy can speed healing and help maintain or regain range of motion/function. I've found that my orthopods encouraged early physical therapy and worked together with physios to get the best outcome possible. Likewise they did what they could to meet my expectations for healing time and return to normal activities.

 

[treble99]

well i didnt think for one minute that it would be a qualified medical advice i would be getting but what i was after was just advice in general been given advice doesnt mean you have to take it/img/vbsmilies/smilies/ROTF.gif the general idea of a forum is to offer advice and try and help at least thats what i thought anyhow......./img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif

 

[ncycle]

Your break looks like mine did, and I broke it off road motorcycing, too. After 8 months of pain, I finally had surgery and was in and out in a day. Apart from the intitial healing pain, I was pain free and mobile after a week. Huge difference. The surgery was tricky as mine was so distal, but they managed to put in a pin, and 7 screws. I will have it removed in about a year, as it does interfere with carrying a backpack. But, I am now riding, running and cycling.
Good luck to you./img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif

P.S. This website has been so helpful. Even though we are not Orthopedic Surgeons, I found it helpful to see what others have been going through, and some great links posted on Clavicle information.

 

[alienator]

...and what help do you think a bunch of people without medical training can offer? Talk to you doctor.

 

[ghike]

Just a couple of broken clavicle stories to add to the list.

My son broke his clavicle when he was 18 riding motocross. Typical motocross break, the chin protector on the helmet gets knocked into the the collar bone and it breaks. It broke in 2 places with the middle piece being split down the middle resulting in 4 major pieces along with a number of smaller bits. He simply used a figure 8 and healed naturally. He has a shortening on that side and you can feel a large chunk of bone where it healed. No problems or side effects. His break was in the middle.

I broke my clavicle 4 years ago in a road bike accident. Clean single break on the outer third of my right clavicle. It seemed to heal quickly, but I never had a follow up x-ray. Found out last year I had a non-union. I had increased pain and could not seem to get my shoulder on that side back to the strength level I expected, so I had an x-ray and sure enough it never healed.

Last April they put a titanium plate with 11 screws. They also packed in some bone from my hip. I was loving the result, but the bone did not effectively join and last week the plate broke and I am back to an unresolved broken clavicle with a couple of pieces of titanium thrown in.

The plan is to put in a new plate and this time add the BMP (Bone Morphogenetic Protein). The doc says it should heal just fine as the BMP sounds like it would grow bone on your driveway if needed. There are some potential problems, the biggest seems to be an infection like irritation for 6 to 12 weeks in the skin around the surgery site from the BMP, but it seems to clear up in all the cases he is aware of, just uncomfortable for a while. I am getting a second opinion next week just to confirm this is the right path for me.

I am a huge winter sports fan skiing, snowmobiling, ice hockey, etc so I plan to just live with the pain and loss of strength and have the second surgery next April.

From research, including this forum, it looks to me like if you are over 40 you might want to consider BMP and if under you probably won't need it. That matches my and my son's experience. In addition time since the break may have some effect. They had to cut out all the fibrous stuff that had filled in the gap where the bone failed to join.

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with BMP? (I saw a post from 2008 on breaking 2 plates and then getting a third with BMP and it all working out, just wondered if there were others with comments or experience?)

For those that think it is hard to break a titanium plate, it is not. Just make your hands into fists and put them together like a broken bone that needs to heal. Now imagine a plate on the top and the bones never healing. The constant back and forth, up and down on the plate and sooner or later it will start to tear at the stress point. In my case it was 4 weeks between when the plate started to show signs of stress on the x-ray and when it finally came completely apart. Bottom line if the bone doesn't heal the plate will give out. This is one of the amazing things about the human body, the strain on our bones is taken care of by the fact that they are constantly growing and healing themselves, unfortunately my body doesn't know how to repair titanium!

 

[treble99]

well theirs plenty on here so what you are saying is dont take any notice of any of them/img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gifthanks for your reply ncycle at least some people have sence/img/vbsmilies/smilies/ROTF.gif

 

[alienator]

Originally Posted by treble99 .

well theirs plenty on here so what you are saying is dont take any notice of any of them/img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gifthanks for your reply ncycle at least some people have sence/img/vbsmilies/smilies/ROTF.gif

Awesome! Have at it! After all, what do the doctors know? When in doubt, always follow any critical advice (medical, financial, and etc) found on the internet, especially in internet forums. Dagnabit, iffin' internet forums ain't where solid medical advice is found, then where in tarnation can you look? What could go wrong? It's only your clavicle. You've got an extra one.

Oh, hey: make sure to follow up with any emails you get about helping the deposed King of Nigeria to recover his money. Absolutely.

Never let critical thought get in the way of doing something.