broken clavicle...surgery or not?

[mbishop38]

I didn't wear the sling after the first week either. I mostly wore it so people wouldn't hug me hard or run into me. Muscle atrophy is not fun. Get a good physical therapist and do the home exercises dilligently and you will be back to new in no time at all.

 

[friedmikey]

Thanks for the advice guys. I am on a physical therapy program and trying to do as much as possible. I just started strength training yesterday (rubber bands). Oh my how hard it is to do the one where I raise my arm out in front of me! Had my surgery gone as planned (plate and pins), I also would have been out of the sling in a week. Unfortunately, it did not and I was stuck in the sling for six weeks while the ligaments and bone healed. Atropy was unavoidable. Anyway, my doc said not to be afraid to push it now, so that's what I'm going to do.

 

[DVad3r]

Whew thank god for this forum. I got hit by a car 2 weeks ago while biking and fractured my right clavicle in 3 places. They put me in a sling and opted against surgery (even though the break is very bad). I had pain in my shoulder first 2-3 days after accident and then it has stopped. I am going back thursday to get it x-rayed again to see how it is healing. I am 21, very active for last 3 years, and never broke a bone in my body until this unfortunate day.

I don't want the surgery because like mentioned in previous posts it is indeed a very complicated procedure with great risk for infection, and in canadian hospitals, the way they butcher ppl here, I am afraid.

I really want to heal up well because Iam only 21 and don't want to be disabled/weakened in that part of my body at such a young age. Has anyone here completely healed from this injury and feel 100 % again? I really want to go back to the gym again and do weights and not have limitations.

Also is there anything I can do at home for the next 8 weeks to help the process? Special diet, supplements, etc? So my bones heal faster?

This is a terrible injury, my whole life has come to a stop, can't do anything, I don't know how you ppl go back to work a few days after or prepare for hurricaines, mad respect. Me I have become a super couch potato catching up on every TV show for the past 2 years. Gaining weight too since I can't do anything.

Any advice/comments are appriciated.

-Peter

 

[gesssner]

hi peter..canada is fine man!!!..i got my surgey in cozumel in a little mexican island in the caribbean...and the chance of infection is verry verry little if you follow the elementary basics of keeping the wound clean...it's simple! after all my research and talking to people and all my biker budys all over the world i have seen now a lot of colloarbone fractures grown together without surgery..and i think maybe 90% of all looks like ****!!!
man if you dont have a simple fracture where the doc is aible to make a reposition of your collarbones and then you waering the eight sling for at least 4 weeks and moving verry carfully then you have a big chance that the ends of your bones never will join again...and become two dead ends....and then anyway you need a surgery!!! in your case although if it grows in some how together...it will be look like **** and your new "collarbone patchwork thing" will be almost a inch shorter....so that means you will be have a bit bended figure in the end...spiral have to adjust to the new situation etc etc etc..( you don't now what else will cause that!) that's the lucky case!!! and you waist so much time....surgery is one or max two days in a hospital and after two days you can start using your arm!!!...and after 2-3 weeks you allready starting with PT ...this infection thing i have heard here in this forum the first time..it is not a real reason for becoming a couch potato....go and look for a hospital where ther are doing sports cases!!
PS or wear your little skirt and eat chips and get really fat..then nowbody can see you sad looking bone fracture collage ....or be a real man and break the other side in a similar way then you will have a new - but at least even look!!

Whew thank god for this forum. I got hit by a car 2 weeks ago while biking and fractured my right clavicle in 3 places. They put me in a sling and opted against surgery (even though the break is very bad). I had pain in my shoulder first 2-3 days after accident and then it has stopped. I am going back thursday to get it x-rayed again to see how it is healing. I am 21, very active for last 3 years, and never broke a bone in my body until this unfortunate day.

I don't want the surgery because like mentioned in previous posts it is indeed a very complicated procedure with great risk for infection, and in canadian hospitals, the way they butcher ppl here, I am afraid.

I really want to heal up well because Iam only 21 and don't want to be disabled/weakened in that part of my body at such a young age. Has anyone here completely healed from this injury and feel 100 % again? I really want to go back to the gym again and do weights and not have limitations.

Also is there anything I can do at home for the next 8 weeks to help the process? Special diet, supplements, etc? So my bones heal faster?

This is a terrible injury, my whole life has come to a stop, can't do anything, I don't know how you ppl go back to work a few days after or prepare for hurricaines, mad respect. Me I have become a super couch potato catching up on every TV show for the past 2 years. Gaining weight too since I can't do anything.

Any advice/comments are appriciated.

-Peter

 

[nberk76]

Clavicle fractures are the classic cyclist injury. I just had the unfortunate luck of receiving one 3 weeks ago after a training crash. The question of surgery or not is complicated and depends on the specifics of the case. I opted to let it heal because the surgical course would require a staged procedure and would really not get me on the bike quicker, so now I am in a sling for 4-6 weeks.

Mine is on the end (distal) and in multiple fragments (comminuted) and in a Z (angulated). I was offered surgery and then got a second opinion that did not recommend it. The second opinion was from a sports med specialist. Check out the attachment for a pic of my bones!

Distal fractures have a 15% rate of not healing together (non-union), which is higher than normal fractures. Standard theory is that surgery should be preformed to prevent non-union. This is in many ways an example of circular logic becuase you are preforming surgery to prevent a potential problem, that if it does occur would simply require the same surgery to correct. You are exchanging a 15% chance of a need for surgery for a 100% likelyhood of getting surgery.

In addition, a distal clavicle fracture repair may require placing a plate across the acromial-clavicular joint (A-C joint) for fixation. This is because there essentially isn't enough good bone stock in the end fragments to securely screw the plate into otherwise. This plate will disrupt normal shoulder function and will need to be removed in 3 months or so. It also raises the likelyhood of development of arthritis in this joint at a later date.

Here's the solution to the couch problem.... A bike trainer. I was on in a few days and am currently riding every day with my injured arm in the sling. Not fun, but at least I am keep some semblance of form until I can get back on the open road.

The bottom line is that the answer is complicated and depends on the specifics of the fracture. I would opt for surgery for mid-shaft fractures becuase it would get me back quicker, but would not mess with the A-C joint if possible like my case would require and

 

[DVad3r]

I am getting x rayed again on thursday and we will see how things are going, will post update once I know. I am not concerned at all about my collar bone having a big bump. The doc said I am a big muscular guy so it won't be noticable on me as it would be on a skinny guy or woman. I just want it to heal and be 100 %, cosmetics are of no importance to me. Good advice on a sports doc though, going to try and find one to see if I can get another opinion. I am also going to ask if I can still do some cardio on the bike machines at the gym. Man typing with 1 hand sucks. And trust me, Canada is like one of the worst countries when it comes to healthcare related mistakes.

Also I should mention that time is not a factor for me and I have all the time in the world to chill and heal, I guess it's good to be living with your parents when stuff like this happens.

-Peter

hi peter..canada is fine man!!!..i got my surgey in cozumel in a little mexican island in the caribbean...and the chance of infection is verry verry little if you follow the elementary basics of keeping the wound clean...it's simple! after all my research and talking to people and all my biker budys all over the world i have seen now a lot of colloarbone fractures grown together without surgery..and i think maybe 90% of all looks like ****!!!

man if you dont have a simple fracture where the doc is aible to make a reposition of your collarbones and then you waering the eight sling for at least 4 weeks and moving verry carfully then you have a big chance that the ends of your bones never will join again...and become two dead ends....and then anyway you need a surgery!!! in your case although if it grows in some how together...it will be look like **** and your new "collarbone patchwork thing" will be almost a inch shorter....so that means you will be have a bit bended figure in the end...spiral have to adjust to the new situation etc etc etc..( you don't now what else will cause that!) that's the lucky case!!! and you waist so much time....surgery is one or max two days in a hospital and after two days you can start using your arm!!!...and after 2-3 weeks you allready starting with PT ...this infection thing i have heard here in this forum the first time..it is not a real reason for becoming a couch potato....go and look for a hospital where ther are doing sports cases!!
PS or wear your little skirt and eat chips and get really fat..then nowbody can see you sad looking bone fracture collage ....or be a real man and break the other side in a similar way then you will have a new - but at least even look!!

 

[gabiker]

I joined the fractured clavicle club about 3 months ago and I am having surgery 12/6. My accident was a road bike where the guy in front of me went down, I fly over him and landed on my right shoulder. I fractured my right clavicle in 2 places, fractured 3 ribs, cracked 3 more ribs and possibly tore my rotator cuff.

The reason I chose surgery is about an inch of the bone fell out and then the two ends slid together causing my right shoulder to be 2" less wide than my left as well as bowed out on the shoulder joint. I not only look a little like a freak, but it is starting to cause pains in my back and neck

This is a great site and it is nice to see so many people that have had successful surgery. I'll let everyone know how I make out.

 

[DVad3r]

UPDATE:

It has been 3 weeks now and I went back today to have another x ray. Good news, the doctor said my fracture is healing really well and I should not have need for any surgery at all. I am feeling much stronger in that area now and he even gave me some simple movement exercises that don't hurt when I do them.

He said it was a butterfly type break and the displacement is 2.5 cm. All in all he believes it will heal very well on me and I should be back to 100 % aside from having a bump which does not concern me at all.

I will update on my progress after the next xray in december but its going great so far, so those thinking about the surgery root as being best, I think I am one of the few here that will be good without it (crosses fingers).

On the flipside I got my insurance bike quote today for a nice new decked out Rocky Mountain hybird so can't wait till I am healed up for that.

 

[daymat]

One consiseration when considering delaying the decision to have surgery , when its been recomended by a surgeon, is the affect the delay will have on your shoulder . I waited over 6 weeks before going private , and the main challenge for me was not recovering from the op, but the rehabilitation of a shoulder than hadnt moved in 12 weeks !

 

[gabiker]

One consiseration when considering delaying the decision to have surgery , when its been recomended by a surgeon, is the affect the delay will have on your shoulder . I waited over 6 weeks before going private , and the main challenge for me was not recovering from the op, but the rehabilitation of a shoulder than hadnt moved in 12 weeks !

I am going through the same thing. I am having surgery on mine in 2 weeks and while he has me under he has to manipulate my shoulder, because I now have frozen shoulder from be immobile for so long. This is going to take a lot more rehab to get over than a clavicle ever would. I wish I had of forced the surgery the first day.

 

[Negina]

Hi friedmikey,

I'm Negina. Had surgery with plate a few days ago and it was going quite well. Now I seem to have made the wrong movement and the op site is more painful and prominent. Will see my doctor hopefully today. I wonder if feeling cracks and pain is normal post-op? Why did your surgery not go according to plan? What happened? Thanks for any input!

All, I do appreciate this great forum! Thanks !!!

Thanks for the advice guys. I am on a physical therapy program and trying to do as much as possible. I just started strength training yesterday (rubber bands). Oh my how hard it is to do the one where I raise my arm out in front of me! Had my surgery gone as planned (plate and pins), I also would have been out of the sling in a week. Unfortunately, it did not and I was stuck in the sling for six weeks while the ligaments and bone healed. Atropy was unavoidable. Anyway, my doc said not to be afraid to push it now, so that's what I'm going to do.

 

[stephaniec]

did you have the surgery and how did it turn out. i'm where you were when you posted this email. thanks for any info.... stephanie

I just wanted to thank everyone for all the great information you've shared. I broke my left clavicle four months ago and am about to have surgery on Wednesday since it's a non-union. It looks like I'm going to get an Acumed plate, so I really appreciated learning what others have experienced. I also have a few questions I'm hoping some of you may be able to answer.

Did anyone have a hip bone graft?
If so, how big is the incision?
How long did you feel pain in the area?
What things should I expect right after the surgery?
When it gets cold/hot, does your shoulder area with the plate feel more sensitive?

If there any females out there with similar experiences, I'd also like to know how you deal with the whole bra issue. I'm sorry if I'm getting too personal - I'm just really curious.

Thanks!

 

[friedmikey]

Hi friedmikey,

I'm Negina. Had surgery with plate a few days ago and it was going quite well. Now I seem to have made the wrong movement and the op site is more painful and prominent. Will see my doctor hopefully today. I wonder if feeling cracks and pain is normal post-op? Why did your surgery not go according to plan? What happened? Thanks for any input!

All, I do appreciate this great forum! Thanks !!!

Hi Negina,

I'd say pain is pretty much unavoidable in our situation. I don't know the degree of your pain though. It should be tolerable with the help of pain meds (vicodin, darvocet, percocet, etc.). Part of the increase in pain could be due to the local block used during surgery wearing off - usually the day following the surgery. I'm no doctor, but cracking does not sound normal. Shouldn't your shoulder be immobilized at the moment? Why the movements? Anyway, be on the safe side. Stop any movements you've been doing and if you haven't already, see your doc ASAP.

As for my surgery not going as planned, the severity of bone damage was worse than my doctor had expected. Rather than re-hash the story, I'll just give you a link to my post in this thread back in September, where I discuss it in detail:

http://www.cyclingforums.com/showpost.php?p=2264714&postcount=64

Oh, and I've been back on the bike for the last three weeks. I'm so effing excited, I just thought I'd share.

 

[Negina]

Hello fredmikey,

Thanks for getting back. I saw my doctor afterwards and he said the op site looked ok and the plate felt stable. I am due for another check up and xray end of next week and hope that they will show things to be ok again.

I am in a sling - I just slightly raised my arm involuntarily when I had removed the sling for washing. Otherwise, I am being careful and keep the sling on all the time.

I guess my expectations of the recovery period were perhaps too rosy because I felt great during the first 4-5 days post-surgery.

Still, the pain is gradually subsiding and I don't have to take a lot of painkillers. So, I hope I am firmly on the road to recovery now.

Thanks again for the input! Glad to hear you are on the bike again!

Hi Stephanie, things have been getting steadily better since I had the increase in pain. So far, the doctor says things are going well. No reason to worry it seems. I will let you know how it progresses .... How are you doing?

 

[DVad3r]

UPDATE:

Got another xray today, its almost been 6 weeks since the accident. Doctor says I am healing fine, said I don't have to wear the sling at all times anymore, he also gave me a list of exercises for motion etc to do. I must say I am feeling alot better and that my bone seems to be solidifying.

I ask him to show me the xrays of how it all looks, and this is the part that scared me, my xray looks like a total disaster! I am no expert, but it looked like it is still broken really badly. I asked him where the new bone was forming and he showed me a little cloudy spot and said this was new bone tissue. Again I am no expert but he says I will be alright. Regardless seeing that xray has scared the **** out of me again so I am going to get a second opinion.

A few questions:

1. Do all breaks look terrible/worse then they really are on the x rays?

2. WHat happens to the excess bone that has been dispositioned? Does it die off eventually and is replaced by the new bone or does it just stay there?

Thanks

 

[Negina]

Hello All,

I have a small update: had an xray and the plate appears to have moved at the outer end (become unhitched) - so it's not really holding anything there anymore.

Still, the 2 ends of the bone are now next to each other and the doctor says it should all heal by itself from now onwards. Have another xray in 2 weeks - hope it shows more progress! (Before the surgery, the 2 ends were very far from each other - quite hopeless)

He wants to remove the plate shortly after healing and I am in favour since it's sticking out quite a bit at the moment.

Lesson: even a modest involuntary upward movement of the arm is better avoided. (But if it happens to you, don't panic - things may still work out ok and no need to think the worst..)

Will keep you updated - best of luck to everyone!

 

[Cwego]

Hi all

I had my left clavicle plated in April, all's went pretty well. Back riding motocross etc, but lately theres been a lot of pain at the top and towards the back of my shoulder and i can't sleep on my left side. I think it may be sleeping on it that caused the pain in the first place!

Has anyone else had this?

Thanks

 

[Negina]

Hi All,

I had another X-ray today and the doctor was not confident that the bone would heal in the end.

Last time we talked, he hoped the bone would heal by itself since the 2 ends are quite close together (even after the plate was compromised).

Still, I suppose the X-ray doesn't show a lot of evolution. He suggested I have another operation, remove the current plate and see how the bone is doing. If it is holding by itself, then leave it. If not, plate it again...

I asked what would happen if we left it alone and the doctor said it might still heal - it is not an easy decision to make.

I will get a second opinion in early January and then make a decision. It won't be too late to operate again if truly necessary.

At this moment, I am just not convinced enough to just jump straight again into surgery... I am a brave old girl but I am not a surgery addict ;-) And I don't want to be doing it without being fully convinced.

I will let you know what happens next... I don't know if this story helps - I hope it will when it's finally over...

Thanks all very much for sharing your adventures!

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a great New Year!

Negina

 

[jazza]

Hi all

I had my left clavicle plated in April, all's went pretty well. Back riding motocross etc, but lately theres been a lot of pain at the top and towards the back of my shoulder and i can't sleep on my left side. I think it may be sleeping on it that caused the pain in the first place!

Has anyone else had this?

Thanks

i found that sleeping on it did make it very uncomfortable but got used to it over time and the pain did ease, if you are still riding has your doctor recommended removing the plate after about a year? i had my plate and seven screws out a few years after they were put in and my shoulder feels alot better without it, gave me the willies to think i might have another high impact accident and shatter the shoulder to more peices than when i bkoke it the first time because of all the screws.

 

[jazza]

Hi Guys

I've just been told today that I will need surgery on my broken collar bone. It was snapped in half when I was hit by a motorcyclist six months ago (I was a pedestrian).

Just wondered how you guys have found everything since. How much healing time was involved after the surgery?

I'm debating whether to have the surgery here in London or to wait until I get home to Perth so I am trying to find out more about the after surgery recovery.

Look forward to hearing from you or anyone else!

Thanks
Peta

i see in one of your replies you have had your surgery, did you have it in london or wait until you got back to perth? i had mine put in at a london hospital and taken out at a brisbane hospital. were you hit by a motorbike courier in london?