broken clavicle...surgery or not?

[Cwego]

Hi Jazza

Thanks for the info - sorry it took me so long to reply!
Can you tell me, what happened after the plate was removed, did you have to do physio and all that again?!? Do you have to lay off lifting/racing until the holes where the screws were fill with bone again?

Many thanks

Cwego

 

[Cwego]

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?

Forgot to say, my doc never mentoned gatting the plate removed, but from what you've said I may approach him about it. It will be a year from the break in March.

Cheers!

 

[jazza]

no physio, just had to wait for the swelling to go down and not lift too much weight, i only had about 10 days off work and was back in the workshop on light duties for about another fortnight. got told by doc that untill the holes filled up only an impact would break it again, im glad my plate is gone!
i was back on a road motorbike after a fortnight

Hi Jazza

Thanks for the info - sorry it took me so long to reply!
Can you tell me, what happened after the plate was removed, did you have to do physio and all that again?!? Do you have to lay off lifting/racing until the holes where the screws were fill with bone again?

Many thanks

Cwego

 

[jlb]

Originally Posted by Craig B
Hello to all of you that have been as unfortunate as I,


I broke my collar bone about 6 weeks ago on a motocross bike. I am 42 years old and a very active individual. I was as well told to let it heel on it's own. However, It is broke in two places and is shaped like a Z with a 15mm piece that is vertical. I, as well as many of my friends, think it is wrong to let it heal in this manner. I have a very large bump (edge of the bone) where the bone from the neck area is sticking up in the skin. The doctor keeps telling me to let it heal like this that an operation is risky due to infection. I have had four doctor's opinions and 2 were against the operation and 2 stated it was an option. Since my normal Doctor has convinced me not to have the operation and the bone is healing I am concerned about such a late operation.

My wife is also not carzy about the operation. It is still very discomforting after 6 weeks and the bone under the skin continues to cause pain but it appears that the bones have begun to fuse back together. I would really like the operation. Any suggestions from those of you that have had a similiar break? I am really struggling with how bad this looks (bone protrudes approx 20mm more than the good collarbone.

Thanks
Craig
Michigan, USA
Just wondered how you got on Craig?

 

[meb]

Broke mine 1/21 (bike chain off while standing on pedal at top of stroke causing loss of balance), break near the sternum.

Should the shoulder be pulled forward or back whilst inthe sling?

What about lifting with the opposite arm?

 

[jb992]

I recently broke my collarbone and i was wondering if there are any supplements you can take to help the healing process quicken?

thx

 

[ollie allen]

Hi - I have found out today that after breaking left clavicle 9 months ago at hockey, and wearing the sling and discomfort for 6 weeks, then thinking all this time the break was joining together, and the large lump was normal - there has been a non union and that surgery is more than likely the only option. Great!

For those of you who have had the surgery, was a plate the only option offered?
What was the recovery time/ time off work etc. and back to 'normal''

thanks..

 

[WarrenG]

I recently broke my collarbone and i was wondering if there are any supplements you can take to help the healing process quicken?

thx

Maybe not, but I found a study that showed improved healing times with plenty of arginine and lysine. These are available in relatively large amounts in meats and yogurt. They're also inexpensive as a supplement. Vitamin D from milk and sunshine (yes, that's what your body needs to make it), and calcium and magnesium wouldn't hurt either.

 

[shorty]

Hi - I have found out today that after breaking left clavicle 9 months ago at hockey, and wearing the sling and discomfort for 6 weeks, then thinking all this time the break was joining together, and the large lump was normal - there has been a non union and that surgery is more than likely the only option. Great!

For those of you who have had the surgery, was a plate the only option offered?
What was the recovery time/ time off work etc. and back to 'normal''

thanks..

broke mine 3 weeks ago today........sent home in sling. a horrible week. back to hospital a week later for follow up x ray. i was given the option of surgery as the bones were overlapping by over 1 inch. they told me that it would heal as is -but that my shoulder would be "short" and "lump" pretty large.

i went for the surgery option..that was 2 weeks ago today. my pain was significantly reduced immediately. my range of movement went from 20% to 60 % immediatley.

Ti plate ...about 3 inches long only option offered - but i didnt ask for another. what do you want carbon ?!!

i was able to sit on a stationary bike at the gym 1 week later. i have done 3 gym sessions and 2 spin classes since.

now. 3 weeks post break and 2 weeks post surgery i have 80-90% range of movement. still cant/shouldnt use the arm for any thing that requires force but i can drive. pick up my 8 kg daughter and do spin classes. im pretty happy with the outcome so far.

 

[oste]

I would be interested to hear if any one else has sustained a non-union type of bone knit?
Sorry bout the long email but it is a 2 year story...
I broke my right collarbone at 33yo in a cycling fall in 2004 while in the north of Thailand. The fractured bone knitted at a bone tag in the break and I continued to wear the sling for 6 weeks. The Doctors tell me the fracture in my clavicle is joined by callous/fibrous bone material that has not calcified. Once the bone knitted my right collarbone has hinged and pivoted, the fractured bone is still separate in the x-rays (1 cm) and slightly over lapping at the join, maybe .5 -1cm. I also managed to break/crack the new forming bone in the first month without realizing until a subsequent x-ray in 2004.
While registered on a public health waiting list I would cross my fingers and work with food and exercise towards helping calcium form in the callous. It didn’t well not enough, which I am told is unusual and my doctor cant offer any examples of this type of union or how it will age. If I pause and think about it, it is a little painful most of the time even though my shoulder as a whole is quite strong. I earn a living working manually and have a full range of movement. I do feel pain in the fracture when lifting weight directly in front of me with arms out stretched. Fortunately, after 2 years I can now sleep on my right side.
My physiotherapist believes I have adapted well will a full range of movement and believes the operation may be beneficial in the long term.
My number has come up! After two consultations viewing my recent x-rays I have enough excess bone around that will allow me to skip the hip graft operation. Good news I believe.
Now, after seeing a replacement doctor I am considering giving the operation a miss. The doctor assigned to me is not confident the benefits will out weigh the risks. I am taking a month to think about it, get a second opinion and do a bit of research - the reason I am here…
Would appreciate hearing about any similar cases?

Good luck and good health

Steve

 

[oste]

Hi Mate,
I am in Melbourne, my story is on page 8 of the broken clavicle...surgery or not? forum. Could you pass on the details of these doctors in Sydney please?

A few years ago me and my dad were mountain biking and while on a black diamond he took a jump needless to say he broke his clavicle. He had researched out this injury and came up with the name of a clavicle expert, one of many located in australia who was part of a team of doctors for their rugby league in australia, my dad contacted him, sent over his xrays and had a full evaluation of his injury and led him down the path of no surgery, while every doctor around us was pushing for the surgery. Needless to say, my dad came back with a full recovery but it did take quiet along time to have the ability to reach over his head and throw a baseball and what not, let alone riding a bike. The doctors around us said he would have to forget reaching over his head and playing sports, especially biking for some reason or another. But now he is in his 50's an he is still joining me on my road bike rides and mountain bike rides and we awlays re-visit that black dimond and he still has the hairs on his neck stand up. But anyways If it could help you out in any way, I will try to get the name and email of that australian doctor who would definitly be more then happy to help you out, him and his team evaluated my dad for free and even set up a phone meeting with him and the other doctors to discuss his situation.

 

[macca99]

Hi Guys,

I have broken my collar bone a total of four times now. I have had three different screws through the bone marrow and two different bone grafts to help in the healing process. All of the breaks are a result of rugby. In my experience you need a good orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in shoulders and who has performed many of these operations before. I would recommend a screw over a plate (current screw I have in my collar bone is 12.5cm) because screws can be stronger, don’t irritate the skin like some plates can and a screw can stay in for life. This being said I did manage to bend a 12cm titanium screw and in doing so broke the bone again (this I am told is somewhat of a medical anomaly and there are only a few cases like it). My original surgery was done in Melbourne but all other surgery in Sydney. If you’re looking for a good surgeon in Sydney you can’t go past the guys at Sydney Orthopaedic http://www.sydneyortho.com.au.

 

[Elfie]

Hi There Guys! How's it goin for ya'll ?

I'm Elfie here, turning 21 this year. Just Like to share a part of my story.

Broken Collarbone - Jan 15th 2006. (Motorbike Accident)
Outcome, Possible Non-union Joint so i Had Plate & Screw Implant Done & a Hip Bone Graft on - FEB 28th 2006.

I got an infection on the both end sides of my 5 - 5 1/2 inch stitch. (This was probably due to my long term acne & heads problem i had (due to sensitive skin) .. I was already warned on that before my operation.
This lead to a days' surgery to remove some stiches which exposed a 4cm wide and 4cm deep hole which i could even see alittle of my plate and bone. (all this had to be done for proper healing due to the infection.)

The Hip area healed really well and fast. No problems on that, Thankgod.

It was a difficult time for me. I was really depressed but always kept on fighting and eventually with lots of wound care, cleaning, rest & plenty of antiboitics i got it healed in 2 months time. Yes... it was long... But i'm happy it finally healed.

Today, is July 6 (4-5 months already since my Op i presume? )

I'm feeling really good... i have about 99% mobility... And life is starting to look better once again.

I need some help from you guys, U see... I'm very active, I love jogging & gym.. But the truth is, After JAN 15, i've not done any of those. Bcos i fear i might cause some problems with the plate and my bone.

Is it ok if i start back pushups, chinups, benchpress & dumbells? I need some positive feedbacks. I'm planning to do so in the starting of august. August 2nd is my bifdae so on August 1st! i'm gonna give myself an early present and head down to the gym.

I am also looking forward to remove my plate in abt 9 months time to a year or 2 which also depends alot on when my studies will end. I'd like to get some pointers on those who have had theirs removed? Anyone willing to share ?

Plz do reply. Hope to hear from all of you'll soon. My best wishes to you'll and speedy recovery to everyone. Take Care.

Remember, LIVE TO RIDE! But always RIDE WITH LIFE!

 

[BillBB]

Hi There Guys! How's it goin for ya'll ?

I'm Elfie here, turning 21 this year. Just Like to share a part of my story.

Broken Collarbone - Jan 15th 2006. (Motorbike Accident)
Outcome, Possible Non-union Joint so i Had Plate & Screw Implant Done & a Hip Bone Graft on - FEB 28th 2006.

I got an infection on the both end sides of my 5 - 5 1/2 inch stitch. (This was probably due to my long term acne & heads problem i had (due to sensitive skin) .. I was already warned on that before my operation.
This lead to a days' surgery to remove some stiches which exposed a 4cm wide and 4cm deep hole which i could even see alittle of my plate and bone. (all this had to be done for proper healing due to the infection.)

The Hip area healed really well and fast. No problems on that, Thankgod.

It was a difficult time for me. I was really depressed but always kept on fighting and eventually with lots of wound care, cleaning, rest & plenty of antiboitics i got it healed in 2 months time. Yes... it was long... But i'm happy it finally healed.

Today, is July 6 (4-5 months already since my Op i presume? )

I'm feeling really good... i have about 99% mobility... And life is starting to look better once again.

I need some help from you guys, U see... I'm very active, I love jogging & gym.. But the truth is, After JAN 15, i've not done any of those. Bcos i fear i might cause some problems with the plate and my bone.

Is it ok if i start back pushups, chinups, benchpress & dumbells? I need some positive feedbacks. I'm planning to do so in the starting of august. August 2nd is my bifdae so on August 1st! i'm gonna give myself an early present and head down to the gym.

I am also looking forward to remove my plate in abt 9 months time to a year or 2 which also depends alot on when my studies will end. I'd like to get some pointers on those who have had theirs removed? Anyone willing to share ?

Plz do reply. Hope to hear from all of you'll soon. My best wishes to you'll and speedy recovery to everyone. Take Care.

Remember, LIVE TO RIDE! But always RIDE WITH LIFE!

Hi, Elfie-
I broke my collarbone on Oct 26 2005. I had a 2.5 cm displacement and the bones were close but were not touching. The Dr. recommended that I not have surgery. The recoup was long and very, very painful. But after the eighth week I started feeling noticeably better. I started doing some bench presses with ridiculously low weight. I slowly progressed to more weight, making sure I didn't feel pain or discomfort. At the four month mark I decided to try to hang to see if I could do it. Not only was I able to hang, but much to my surprise, I did 4 pull-ups (fully extended)! Not that do pull-ups in my upper body routines, but with this injury I viewed doing pull-ups as the ultimate proof (to myself) that I was going to be ok. I then started doing pull- ups twice a week until I got up to ten, then stopped. Now I'm back to my normal two time a week upper body routine, which is 20 bicep curls w/ 25 lbs, 20 bench presses w/ 100 lbs. and 30 push-ups. This is very light stuff (I'm a cyclist

), but that is what I was doing before the accident, so I guess I'm back to normal. I also started running again somewhere between the third and the fourth month. Again, I started jogging very slowly, and played it by ear. By the fourth or fifth month I was back to my usual once a week 2.5 mile run

.
I would recommend to you to first get your Drs. ok to start doing weights and running. Once you get your Dr's go ahead, then start working out w/ baby weights and keep progressing in small increments (as long as there is no pain or discomfort). Use the same approach with running. I really believe that weight training and the pull-ups added stress to my healing collarbone, so it probably helped it to heal stronger, But this preceding sentence is just my personal opinion
I'm 49 yrs old

, so you should have no problems.
You'll do great. Keep a positive attitude and you will be back to normal in no time ! Keep us posted

 

[ozone]

I broke my collarbone in a biking accident in May 2005. The bone was overlapped by about 2 cm and there were a couple of small pieces broken off. The doc said it would heal fine without surgery, but gave me the option. I declined surgery. The bone was pretty well healed in 8 weeks, but didn't feel real strong for a few additional months. My biggest problem was that I lost shoulder mobility (down to ~30%) and needed 3 months of physical therapy. It was a long and painful process: 2 hours of shoulder stretching exercises daily for 3 months. I still think I made the right decision for me, as the risks of surgery are not trivial. But if surgery allowed mobility at an earlier date, it might have saved me the painful PT. I'm 50, btw, and the shoulder problems were caused by swelling and scar tissue inside the shoulder joint, not by the initial injury.

 

[duhhuh]

I had a car wreck January 5, 1978. I broke my right collar bone and also C4 and C7. My doctor was a pretty well known surgeon in the area and advised against surgery for me. The risk of infection, rejection of the pin, and several other ugly sounding side-effects, convinced me to go the conservative route and I am glad that I did. I was back to work in three months, doing heavy construction work and have been fine since. Biggest problem I have is a totally unrelated herniated disc at L4-L5 and badly bulged L5-S1. I have a small lump where the bones overlap, but no ill effects. I can't say what is right for you, but for me, the conservative route was the best.

 

[musher]

I recently broke my collarbone and i was wondering if there are any supplements you can take to help the healing process quicken?

thx

Hi, i broke mine 5 weeks a go, 4 brakes 1 brake with the bone overlapping .Rebroken 4 weeks later : supplements working well for me recom. by a friend Doc. "lots of Calcium citrate with Mag. & zinc ,Potassium, Glutamine". I did't have a surgery, But if you are a Pro.it's a fastest way to get back racing. Afriend broke is collarbone the same weekend than me ,for the 4 th time, is dad (a surgeon ) told him to go for the surgery ,but againe he is a Pro .he use to ride for Health Net and know he is in france riding for Confidi, "Tyler Fa. " ,he did't loose much fitness but had to stay out of the sprints for few weeks. Good luck .

 

[Elfie]

Thanks Billbb, A little info goes a long way. Im glad to know your doing well.

I'll strive for that goal of fitness once again. The best thing to do now would be asking my doctor abt it before i start gym. From the last 3 replies i guess none had done the surgery..

Really looking forward to some replies from those who have had the surgery and strived on for their fitness after a few months. Keep the replies coming guys!

Will definately update on my well-being over time. Kudos!

 

[Dustin07]

Boy Howdy Folks!

I found this thread while searching "broken collarbone" and "metal plate."

I'm 23, so in that 'in between stage' where I hit harder than I used to, but still heal somewhat quick I think.

On wednesday the 5th I broke mine racing BMX, first race back in 8 years. Two days later (I did go to the ER that night and got a sling) an Orthopedic PA said I'll likley get a plate or pin, but put me in a figure 8 for this last weekend (4 days inbetween visits) to see if it helps to align the bone. He xrayed it after putting it on and it didn't look any better than it did in the ER, IMO.

However, I meet with an Ortho Dr. tomorrow to decide on the next step. the PA told me the plate was a great way to go because it aids in healing straighter, and without the lump. He said the scarring lump could cause irritation when I'm backpacking.

After reading this thread, I'm hoping the dr. decides on a plate tomorrow! (or pin, but a plate would make a cooler tattoo, IMO) I'll keep y'all posted.

and btw, Just want to say my wife has been great, really taking super care of me while I've been slightly handicapped.

 

[Dustin07]

Boy Howdy Folks!

I found this thread while searching "broken collarbone" and "metal plate."

I'm 23, so in that 'in between stage' where I hit harder than I used to, but still heal somewhat quick I think.

On wednesday the 5th I broke mine racing BMX, first race back in 8 years. Two days later (I did go to the ER that night and got a sling) an Orthopedic PA said I'll likley get a plate or pin, but put me in a figure 8 for this last weekend (4 days inbetween visits) to see if it helps to align the bone. He xrayed it after putting it on and it didn't look any better than it did in the ER, IMO.

However, I meet with an Ortho Dr. tomorrow to decide on the next step. the PA told me the plate was a great way to go because it aids in healing straighter, and without the lump. He said the scarring lump could cause irritation when I'm backpacking.

After reading this thread, I'm hoping the dr. decides on a plate tomorrow! (or pin, but a plate would make a cooler tattoo, IMO) I'll keep y'all posted.

and btw, Just want to say my wife has been great, really taking super care of me while I've been slightly handicapped.

well, for those still following this thread, I thought I'd share my journey thus far. Today I met with a real Orthopedic dr. for the first time. First thing he said was that he's very conservative and tries to avoid surgeries, but wanted to xray me first before discussing it just to see if the brace has made progress.

for the most part, it hadn't. still had about a 1 inch gap. So he left it to me make the decision. I wasn't to happy about that, hoping I could count on the doctor to give me an enthusiastic solution. I told him I'd prefer the metal plate over au natural because it was my understanding I'd be out of the brace within a week, opposed to 8 weeks, and that it would heal straighter. Also that this way I could begin light exercise within a week, not having to worry about sweating all over an uncomfortable brace. He agreed.

The only thing he's concerned about is infection... So I guess I'm glad HE's doing the surgery, I know he'll stress cleanliness.

If I don't reply back with an update shortly after the installation (happening thursday the 13th) then I died.


lol.