I just broke my collarbone in a car accident last week, and I've talked to a few doctors and they all said I can have surgery or not but they all tend to lean against it. I'm a girl so I am concerned as to how it will look when its healed. my doctors said to expect a bump, and I'm ok with that, but right now the broken side of my clavicle is on a major angle, will this settle down?? I just need advice from people who have been through this, thanks
broken clavicle...surgery or not?
- Thread starter James Thomas
- Start date
You're doctors can best answer that. During the healing process of a bone, one of the things that happens is that a large callous forms over the fracture site. Typically that callous--which appears as a bump if it's close to the skin--will be partially reabsorbed but not completely. How much reabsorption happens is dependent on the injury, your health, and your metabolism, as well as a few other factors. For example, when I broke my clavicle a very large bump formed. It was a combination of callous and bones segments being misaligned. My bump went down over time and is now hardly noticeable (note that this was just my experience and I only offer it as an example of what can happen, not what will happen for you). I've an old leg fracture (the site was actually the site of many of the 14 fractures in my lower leg) in a tibia that still has a pronounced bump. The bump is so significant that during one of the surgeries to right my leg, the existing bump was shaved off. Despite that, another grew back. My wife (very appearance conscious) has a very slight bump where she fractured her clavicle years ago. I think her's is barely noticeable. Hopefully your doctors discussed with you all the potential benefits and risks of surgery to repair a clavicle. If they haven't answered your questions, you should get them to answer what questions remain. I think it's doubly wise for you to make sure you get the optimal possible outcome given that as a woman, you'll be predisposed toward developing osteoporosis later in life. Orthopedic surgery can damage the periosteum of the affected bones, which according to doctor's I've had, can increase healing time and increase the risk for other sub-optimal developments. Let me reinforce, however, these were things told me prior to surgeries, based on my health, the nature of my injuries, and those "other factors" that I mentioned. I think it's worth repeating that you should make sure your doctors answer all of your questions. Even if you think a question is stupid, you should still ask. Good doctors are more than willing to answer their patients' questions. If you still aren't satisfied, seek a second or third opinion. Whatever decision you end up making, you need to be comfortable with it. Good luck, and let us know what you decide and how things go.Embot said:
Thank you so much for that response, It's definitely given me some things to think about and I think I will contact my doctors again. I've seen two, one during the first break and then my family doctor and they both said its not necessary but I really want to make sure I weigh out all the possibilities. thanks again
My wife's was a single, mid-shaft fracture she incurred in a fall from a horse. She wore a figure 8 splint for about 8 weeks, which was a fairly typical treatment in the '80's and is still in use today. Unfortunately, as you've likely discovered, fractured clavicles can be a real pain. It doesn't take much movement of about any sort to aggravate the site and cause some righteous pain. When mine was broken, I couldn't lay flat or in bed for close to two months....but I had other injuries at the same time. Given that I have a fairly extensive orthopedic history, I've developed a list of fracture furniture, i.e. what bits of furniture are best to rest on or sleep on with a given fracture. For busted collar bones, I found the reclining chair to be the best. For me, couches, like beds, were completely unworkable for a while. It sounds like you emerged from the car accident fairly well (I'm assuming you didn't have any other fractures or serious injuries). I don't know what in the accident caused your fracture, but it is common for the shoulder strap of a seatbelt to cause a broken clavicle. If you can you should post pics of your x-rays. It's always fun to see other people's x-ray images.Embot said:
It really is hard to lay flat, if I do get comfortable its for a very limited time, I also fractured my sternum so its hard to go from sitting to lying down or vice versa. I'll definitely try the reclining chair, I don't know why I haven't thought of that yet. I'm going back to my orthopedic doctor on Monday so I'll let you know what she says and see if I can get a copy of the xray to put on here!
Hi I broke mine, in the middle third, three weeks ago now. I was told to wait and see what happens and have a checkup scheduled at the end of this month (6 weeks from my accident). The first 2 weeks were very painful with little sleep at night (a few hours between painkillers). I feel allot better in my third week but the pain in more of a tired ache than a sharp pain. My doctor signed me off work for 4 weeks.
I have also experienced hot sweats at times like I was going to faint. This soon went away after drinking some cold water. Im not sure if this is due to the pain or trauma/anxiety?
I will keep you posted after my 6 week checkup.
I hope not to have an operation as I hate hospitals. I am 46 years old and have never broken a bone in my life so this forum has been very useful to me.
I have also experienced hot sweats at times like I was going to faint. This soon went away after drinking some cold water. Im not sure if this is due to the pain or trauma/anxiety?
I will keep you posted after my 6 week checkup.
I hope not to have an operation as I hate hospitals. I am 46 years old and have never broken a bone in my life so this forum has been very useful to me.
Well 2 months next week and my doc is talking bone graph now
because I have still have a none Union clavicule break not lookin forward
for more pain and suffering all together my arm is still useless 10 %
shoulder movement I have loss all hope I'm ever going to be the same
again but lay here praying I'm going to feel better breaking bones is depressing
and a bad experience for anyone who r very active but I'm hanging in there hope
to find some more info about bone graphing from my hip .
because I have still have a none Union clavicule break not lookin forward
for more pain and suffering all together my arm is still useless 10 %
shoulder movement I have loss all hope I'm ever going to be the same
again but lay here praying I'm going to feel better breaking bones is depressing
and a bad experience for anyone who r very active but I'm hanging in there hope
to find some more info about bone graphing from my hip .
this thread has been a great source of information. thanks to all who contributed.
i broke my clavicle 3 weeks ago and had surgery 3 days later, plate and screws.
i had my first follow up x ray yesterday. two and a half weeks post surgery.
4 or 5 pieces of bone held together. didn't look pretty
the surgeon said their was no sign of fusion/calcification yet. so forbade me from any PT
told me to wear the sling for another 3 weeks, then come back for a further follow up on April 16th
advised no lifting and only passive pendulum exercise
i was off meds after 1 day and have experienced very little pain, once the staples came out it is
a lot more comfortable. hard not to use an arm which has no pain and good ROM!
i'm fit, healthy 35 year old male, long history of weight training/crossfit etc...only vice was smoking which i stopped one 10 days post surgery after reading this forum.
my concern is that after 2,5 weeks there s no sign of calcification or fusion. in other people's experiences is
this usual or cause for worry?
thanks for sharing your experiences.
pete
i broke my clavicle 3 weeks ago and had surgery 3 days later, plate and screws.
i had my first follow up x ray yesterday. two and a half weeks post surgery.
4 or 5 pieces of bone held together. didn't look pretty
the surgeon said their was no sign of fusion/calcification yet. so forbade me from any PT
told me to wear the sling for another 3 weeks, then come back for a further follow up on April 16th
advised no lifting and only passive pendulum exercise
i was off meds after 1 day and have experienced very little pain, once the staples came out it is
a lot more comfortable. hard not to use an arm which has no pain and good ROM!
i'm fit, healthy 35 year old male, long history of weight training/crossfit etc...only vice was smoking which i stopped one 10 days post surgery after reading this forum.
my concern is that after 2,5 weeks there s no sign of calcification or fusion. in other people's experiences is
this usual or cause for worry?
thanks for sharing your experiences.
pete
Whether or not there's need for concern or worry is entirely dependent on the nature of your fracture, its history, and your medical history in general. Certainly it's possible to have a non-union even after surgical correction of a fracture. I have a fibula that a person could see through for several years. It had significant voids between "healed" segments. I'd suggest you call your doctor and ask him. Doctors have explained to me that surgical repair of a fracture can and quite often does damage the periosteum of the affected bone a bit (damage to the periosteum can reduce blood flow to the affected site and slow healing), as well as damaging "progenitor" sites which are essential for bone healing. Note that is one possible complication. If the bone cutter has you coming back on April 16th, that he or she is keeping a close eye on the healing process. If you call your doc, you should also ask if there's anything you can do to--like consume more calcium rich foods, take Vitamin D (these are just possibilities, not suggestions)--help the healing process along.Peter Devenney said:
Does anyone have experience with getting surgery years later? I decided to let my fracture heal naturally but it is really bothering me a lot about 3 years later. I'm scheduled for a follow up with my surgeon but I figured I'd post here for some insight in the meantime.
Couldn't find any other pics or stories about breaking the metal plate and clavicle so here is mine...
and this is what I have in at the moment... ( 2 plates now, cos there was also a plate before the one above)
couldn't find a pic of the previous plate, but it was a shorter plate and the screws came loose (I could move the screws up and down) - it was pretty gross.
and this is what I have in at the moment... ( 2 plates now, cos there was also a plate before the one above)
couldn't find a pic of the previous plate, but it was a shorter plate and the screws came loose (I could move the screws up and down) - it was pretty gross.
Thanks for the reply, bon_gabs.
So here is a bit of background on what went on with me. In 2009 I went to see a surgeon in Canada where I live and he said surgery is not necessary. I broke the bone right in half in the middle by flipping my 4 wheeler. I figured OK listen to the doc and began living my life the best I could with an out-of-whack shoulder. I went 3 years like this playing golf, hockey, running, working out all the other things I enjoy doing but was always very uncomfortable and at times had significant pain in the shoulder area. Just this year it became it's worse so I went back to see the surgeon who got new x rays and took a look. This was just yesterday. He took a look and said out loud "what was I thinking back in 2009? do you want this straightened?". I said yes and he gave me pre admission slips for surgery. So I guess I will be going in to get the bone rebroken and properly aligned with a plate. Should I be concerned about this situation of mine? Why didn't the doctor recommend surgery initially? Is it possible my shoulder will be worse after surgery? I can live with it right now but it's realllllly annoying and painful at times - particularly at the back underneath my shoulder blade. The surgeon states that my shoulder is pushed back now because of the "malunion" and surgery will push my shoulder back out in its normal position to restore symmetry. I am a 25 year old healthy male and figure I can deal with a few months of downtime to restore my shoulder and have a more comfortable future. I plan to be very active for the rest of my life and think this is the best thing to do. I will see if I can get some Xrays up on here but in the meantime if anyone can shed some light on what's going on for me and maybe reassure me this is the right thing to do I would really appreciate it! Thanks.
How the hell is anyone here going to reassure you? No one here is qualified to interpret your xrays or to make medical conclusions on your medical history......or provide anything of that sort. That's what you have a doctor for. Why aren't you asking your doctor these questions?bsbs1876 said:
[quote name="bsbs1876" url="] You're mad at your dad, not at me. [/quote] What are you talking about? Again the question: why aren't you asking your doctor(s) these questions? No one here can reassure you because no one here can predict your outcome. Your doctor is the one trained and qualified to make the best possible assessment of what your outcome might be. What is it that you think anonymous strangers can tell you, and why do you think its wise to ask anonymous strangers how you'll fare?
I understand what you're talking about and all of it is true. You're just being surly for no reason. After thoroughly reading all 48 pages of this thread most of my questions have been answered. Each fracture and situation is indeed completely different. My question wasn't worded properly. The information I was seeking was just on a general basis as far as the operation itself and maybe some more success stories from others who have had the procedure done 3 years down the road like I will be. I am in touch with my surgeon through email who ensures me "we will get it all taken care of". This community is a great place to hear from people all over the world who have experienced this injury and the surgery that it sometimes entails. Thanks for your 2 cents as well though, alienator.
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