broken clavicle...surgery or not?

[willy81]

the last week I had a couple of reality tests, so to speak.
I hit, accidentally, my shoulder against a door and a chair.
Instantly I felt very worried that a new fracture could happen but everything was fine.
Still I don't feel comfortable to have a lot of contacts with this shoulder, probably it is because the muscles have not revived yet and I am very curious to know how many athletes get back to their contact sports after 2-3 months post-op. I am 16 weeks post-op and still very careful about contact.
what do you think?

 

[screwed]

male, 24, likes films, seeking pretty lady friend with fit and healthy right arm.....
hehe!




you can see the plate at one end, i can feel it but its not irritating. what isn't helping is the bruising i still have and the numbness under the cut line. all though i have been doing some exercises, i still have virtually no strength in my arm because of the problems in my hand. has anyone else had hand problems after surgary??

 

[bsbs1876]

Originally Posted by willy81 .

the last week I had a couple of reality tests, so to speak.
I hit, accidentally, my shoulder against a door and a chair.
Instantly I felt very worried that a new fracture could happen but everything was fine.
Still I don't feel comfortable to have a lot of contacts with this shoulder, probably it is because the muscles have not revived yet and I am very curious to know how many athletes get back to their contact sports after 2-3 months post-op. I am 16 weeks post-op and still very careful about contact.
what do you think?

Hi *****,

At 4 months post op I would go see your doctor if you are still feeling that uneasy. From the extensive internet research I have done on this procedure it would seem to me as though your case is unusual. You should be feeling pretty good by now and able to build strength up through resistance exercises.

Do you still have pain and weakness? Perhaps it is just the mental aspect that you are having trouble overcoming. I recall reading somewhere here that you weren't doing any PT. Give that a go at home if you have spare time.

B

 

[67Rally]

Originally Posted by bsbs1876 .


Hi *****,

At 4 months post op I would go see your doctor if you are still feeling that uneasy. From the extensive internet research I have done on this procedure it would seem to me as though your case is unusual. You should be feeling pretty good by now and able to build strength up through resistance exercises.

Do you still have pain and weakness? Perhaps it is just the mental aspect that you are having trouble overcoming. I recall reading somewhere here that you weren't doing any PT. Give that a go at home if you have spare time.

B

I concur with this.

I am on week 13 (i.e. 3 months post-op) and my PT and exercises are restoring the RoM and strength. I am doing modified push-ups now. Today, for the first time, I carried my laptop to the office in a back pack. A couple weeks ago, just putting the empty pack on caused a fair amount of pain/discomfort. I've had people bump into me...I've nicked my shoulder on a doorway...things that would've sent me into a pain-induced tailspin...yet it is feeling closer to normal as time passes.

Don't get me wrong - I can still feel the discomfort and some twinges with odd movements. Those will diminish with time.

Having been through a rotator cuff repair, I set my expectations considerably low. I know that it will take a solid year before I feel "normal" again. A broken clavicle and ruptured ligaments is no small injury.

 

[ezcompany]

Originally Posted by willy81 .

the last week I had a couple of reality tests, so to speak.
I hit, accidentally, my shoulder against a door and a chair.
Instantly I felt very worried that a new fracture could happen but everything was fine.
Still I don't feel comfortable to have a lot of contacts with this shoulder, probably it is because the muscles have not revived yet and I am very curious to know how many athletes get back to their contact sports after 2-3 months post-op. I am 16 weeks post-op and still very careful about contact.
what do you think?

*****,

Go to your doctor and possibly get an X-ray done just in-case. From what I remember you have a short plate put in, and I read those are usually easy to break. However, you're healing just fine and should not worry about the plate breaking. Just check up on your doctor and see what he say.

I'm about 2 1/2 months post op and I'm feeling great, with still room for improvement. I just started running again (light) and muscle rebuilding with light weights (5lbs with lots of reps).

 

[willy81]

thanks guys for your replies and support, my CB has formed a union and the process continues successfully, it is obvious from the last xrays,
I have no pain and the strength increases all the time, I can bench press 12kg easily and with no worries.
My concern is what will happen with contact sports I practice, I don't know if my cb is strong enough to withstand an impact, say in basketball.
I have no pain, I have full ROM and strength (static) increases all the time.
My doctor says to avoid impact for 9 months post op but here I am so puzzled how professional athletes can get back to their sports within 2-3 months.

 

[bsbs1876]

Originally Posted by willy81 .

thanks guys for your replies and support, my CB has formed a union and the process continues successfully, it is obvious from the last xrays,
I have no pain and the strength increases all the time, I can bench press 12kg easily and with no worries.
My concern is what will happen with contact sports I practice, I don't know if my cb is strong enough to withstand an impact, say in basketball.
I have no pain, I have full ROM and strength (static) increases all the time.
My doctor says to avoid impact for 9 months post op but here I am so puzzled how professional athletes can get back to their sports within 2-3 months.

It is a risk that they take because it is their profession. If you don't rely on playing sports for a living then you should probably take the advice and lay low for a while.

Maybe that's why Lance Armstrong was doping... Couldn't handle this surgery, haha.

 

[lets see em]

hey its been just over 12 weeks since surgery was wondering if any of you guys could do a normal push up after this much time before i got hurt i could do 50 push ups in one go now i can barley do one :S is sucks was wondering how long tell you guys could do a bunch of push ups

 

[willy81]

I would not risk it, pushup is a high strain exercise for the cb,
you will gain nothing and you risk everything just in case it will not hold


I will try push ups and chest dips after 9 months when my xrays show a full union.

bsbs1876,
yeah I thought so, professional athletes have their contracts running and they don't want to stay away for long.

 

[screwed]

Originally Posted by lets see em .

hey its been just over 12 weeks since surgery was wondering if any of you guys could do a normal push up after this much time before i got hurt i could do 50 push ups in one go now i can barley do one :S is sucks was wondering how long tell you guys could do a bunch of push ups

i would give it around 6 month before you get back to the more demanding exercises. probably best to wait until your doc/physio says you can start it.
did you have any problems with your hand post opp?

 

[screwed]

Originally Posted by ezcompany .

Naw at all, I used to weight 185-190lbs and I'm 6'0'' but now weight about 170-175lbs. I had the same concern as you before the surgery but as time and days go by it's not so bad. You can actually barely is it. Once I get back into training again, it should be un-noticeable.

how long after the opp did you take the picture?

 

[ezcompany]

Originally Posted by screwed .

how long after the opp did you take the picture?

I think it's about 3 weeks when I took that pictures. I'll try to snap a picture again for the current scar.

Today started lifting 5 lbs dumbbells, just doing straight motion up parallel to the ground not pass shoulder level. It feel pretty good, no pain at all. As for as push ups, that workout might have to wait for another 3 months where the CB is strong like the rest of the bones if not stronger.

And for pro-athletes the recovery are a lot fast due to the steroids they take, including all the trainers/doctors looking out for them each day.

I started drinking liquid chlorophyll to increase my white blood cells and improve blood circulation, just to name a few of its benefits. You guys should look it up and read up on it.

here's a link http://www.energiseforlife.com/wordpress/2009/02/11/health-benefits-of-liquid-chlorophyll/

 

[bsbs1876]

Originally Posted by ezcompany .

I think it's about 3 weeks when I took that pictures. I'll try to snap a picture again for the current scar.

Today started lifting 5 lbs dumbbells, just doing straight motion up parallel to the ground not pass shoulder level. It feel pretty good, no pain at all. As for as push ups, that workout might have to wait for another 3 months where the CB is strong like the rest of the bones if not stronger.

And for pro-athletes the recovery are a lot fast due to the steroids they take, including all the trainers/doctors looking out for them each day.

I started drinking liquid chlorophyll to increase my white blood cells and improve blood circulation, just to name a few of its benefits. You guys should look it up and read up on it.

here's a link http://www.energiseforlife.com/wordpress/2009/02/11/health-benefits-of-liquid-chlorophyll/

That thing looks really good for 3 weeks! You heal well, man.

Either of you guys ask your doctors why they chose staples? My surgeon said he would do an inside stitch that would dissolve to minimize the scar. I saw a picture of one of his patients from a few years ago and you honestly can't even see the thing. Don't get me wrong though. Your scars look badass.

B

 

[screwed]

Originally Posted by ezcompany .

I think it's about 3 weeks when I took that pictures. I'll try to snap a picture again for the current scar.

Today started lifting 5 lbs dumbbells, just doing straight motion up parallel to the ground not pass shoulder level. It feel pretty good, no pain at all. As for as push ups, that workout might have to wait for another 3 months where the CB is strong like the rest of the bones if not stronger.

And for pro-athletes the recovery are a lot fast due to the steroids they take, including all the trainers/doctors looking out for them each day.

I started drinking liquid chlorophyll to increase my white blood cells and improve blood circulation, just to name a few of its benefits. You guys should look it up and read up on it.

here's a link http://www.energiseforlife.com/wordpress/2009/02/11/health-benefits-of-liquid-chlorophyll/

cool thanx for that. you heal really well! ill go and check that site out now.

 

[screwed]

Originally Posted by bsbs1876 .

That thing looks really good for 3 weeks! You heal well, man.

Either of you guys ask your doctors why they chose staples? My surgeon said he would do an inside stitch that would dissolve to minimize the scar. I saw a picture of one of his patients from a few years ago and you honestly can't even see the thing. Don't get me wrong though. Your scars look badass.

B

haha! yeah they do look pretty mean looking. ezcompany's is alot neater then mine too.
i didnt even think about the stitches to be honest, just because i dont mind about a scar.
did you have any hand problems post opp?
any one seen a film called life cycles?

 

[screwed]

i think you guys mite like this....

 

[Savannah S]

Hi I’m a newbie on the forum.
My 13 year old daughter who rides bicycles as well as horses fell off her horse 11 days ago. Crashed a jump really badly. She was severely concussed and sustained a type 2B 100% displaced mid third clavicle fracture. Ortho advised sling and rest. An x-ray after a week revealed no improvement in bone alignment. In fact the miss-alignment had worsened and her shoulder on that side looks considerably shorter than the opposing. Ortho then said to keep sling on and come back in another four weeks. My concerns are as follows:

1. - No attempt was made to make a closed reduction to realign the ends of the clavicle.
2. - With the large degree of bone separation and angle of the bones there appears to be a strong likelihood of soft tissue interposition impairing natural alignment.
3. - Reading informs me that bone fusion is most likely to take pace if it is going to at 14 days. If this be the case then my beautiful daughter will likely be deformed for life or end up with non union if the bone ends calcify preventing union.

Are my concerns real or am I misjudging the Ortho’s opinion?
John Waterson

 

[willy81]

Originally Posted by Savannah S .

Hi I’m a newbie on the forum.
My 13 year old daughter who rides bicycles as well as horses fell off her horse 11 days ago. Crashed a jump really badly. She was severely concussed and sustained a type 2B 100% displaced mid third clavicle fracture. Ortho advised sling and rest. An x-ray after a week revealed no improvement in bone alignment. In fact the miss-alignment had worsened and her shoulder on that side looks considerably shorter than the opposing. Ortho then said to keep sling on and come back in another four weeks. My concerns are as follows:

1. - No attempt was made to make a closed reduction to realign the ends of the clavicle.
2. - With the large degree of bone separation and angle of the bones there appears to be a strong likelihood of soft tissue interposition impairing natural alignment.
3. - Reading informs me that bone fusion is most likely to take pace if it is going to at 14 days. If this be the case then my beautiful daughter will likely be deformed for life or end up with non union if the bone ends calcify preventing union.

Are my concerns real or am I misjudging the Ortho’s opinion?
John Waterson

John,
I am really sorry for your beautiful daughter but people who practice sports usually have accidents.

I will tell you the truth as I experienced it after my collar bone accident.
A fractured Collar bone will never be aligned as before without a surgery.
If your daughter does not have the surgery the fractured cb will be shorter her trunk will be deformed and she will not be symmetrical again.
Apart from the aesthetic part she will have functional problems because the trapezoid muscles of her back will be affected and she will have a permanent pain there.

If she has the surgery, as many of us in this forum, her body will be perfectly symmetrical as before.
The operation is not difficult and experienced doctors consider it as a routine surgery.
I had the surgery about 17 weeks ago (in fact less than 24 hours after my accident) and now feel great, no pain, the strength is coming back every day ans this is what happens to all of us who had the surgery.

 

[willy81]

Originally Posted by screwed .

i think you guys mite like this....

no I don't like it because the cyclist's left arm is a few meters away from him/her.

 

[screwed]

Originally Posted by Savannah S .

Hi I’m a newbie on the forum.
My 13 year old daughter who rides bicycles as well as horses fell off her horse 11 days ago. Crashed a jump really badly. She was severely concussed and sustained a type 2B 100% displaced mid third clavicle fracture. Ortho advised sling and rest. An x-ray after a week revealed no improvement in bone alignment. In fact the miss-alignment had worsened and her shoulder on that side looks considerably shorter than the opposing. Ortho then said to keep sling on and come back in another four weeks. My concerns are as follows:

1. - No attempt was made to make a closed reduction to realign the ends of the clavicle.
2. - With the large degree of bone separation and angle of the bones there appears to be a strong likelihood of soft tissue interposition impairing natural alignment.
3. - Reading informs me that bone fusion is most likely to take pace if it is going to at 14 days. If this be the case then my beautiful daughter will likely be deformed for life or end up with non union if the bone ends calcify preventing union.

Are my concerns real or am I misjudging the Ortho’s opinion?
John Waterson

hi john, sorry to hear he news about your daughter.
this sounds like surgery is the best way buy far. everyone i have spoken to (online and offline) have said its the best thing to do, and by the way you have described her break it wont heal properly if you leave it.
get a second opinion as well.
i broke mine in 3 places, each part pointing in a different direction, 1 week later had the opp (because they had to wait for the swelling to go down) 7 weeks ago today since i had the opp and I'm feeling pretty good.
things to think about if you choose to have the surgary: it will be soar for a bit and feel awkward for some time, it will take a quite a while before she gets back on a horse, but even longer if you leave it. stress balls will help. she might not have much of an appetite so give her what ever food she can have (helped me alot, not just for eat something and keeping my wait up, but i didn't react well to some of the medicines they gave me meaning i was sick a few times, throwing up something is way better then throwing up nothing) get her to move around the house and out in the garden too.
and you got to remember, at the age of 13 kids seem to be made from some kind of titanium based rubbery carbon fiber made at the magic factory, i broke my left collar bone at 15 and got over that pretty quickly.
i found out that you might be able to choose between staple stitches and normal ones. the staples will leave more of a scar then the normal type.
i hope this is a little helpfull. we all wish your daughter the best.
kindest regards