Broken Collar Bone

I broke mine when I was 29 in a motorcycle accident. My break was almost
dead center but the two ends ended up very far apart. I wore a clavicle
harness for 7 months during which time the two piece formed a fibrous union.
It took 3 years for everything to pull together and calcify. It was kind of
weird feeling-- after it formed the union, while it was healing, the bone
was flexible at the union. I had to be careful lifting or exerting myself or
my collar bone would seem to bend.

Steve

"Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

2.5 years and my collar bone is healed about 50%. For most of that time,

it

Quoted message said:

had only healed 20%. My non-union is fairly rare, but it was the last 1"

of

Quoted message said:

bone, just like yours. From what I understand, collar bone non-unions are
less rare when you get out near the end like that. I had to use two
different electro-stimulation units to help bone growth.

' hope your recovery goes better than mine.

-Bob

5 Jun 2004 said:

You'll be surprised
that sneezes that are otherwise unsuppressible are easily suppressed
if you have a cracked rib. It's hard to believe but that's what I and
friends have experienced.

I always wondered how car and motorcycle racers, or airplane pilots for
that matter, can avoid sneezes.
Would you go further to say that they naturally repress any temptation?

Sergio
Pisa

Sergio Servadio said:

Quoted message said:

You'll be surprised that sneezes that are otherwise insuppressible
are easily suppressed if you have a cracked rib. It's hard to
believe but that's what I and friends have experienced.

Quoted message said:

I always wondered how car and motorcycle racers, or airplane pilots
for that matter, can avoid sneezes. Would you go further to say
that they naturally repress any temptation?

They don't. Sneezes are not so disturbing that they interfere
significantly with these processes. My point is that the induced pain
from just inhaling suddenly for a sneeze, suppresses it in a way
otherwise unimaginable. Try it it you doubt that. Of course you'll
need to crack a rib first.

Jobst Brandt
[email hidden]

Terry :

I wanted to follow up with you on this thread
since you mentioned you were a Doctor and ALSO
since you mentioned swimming.

I broke my collarbone (about 2/3 of the way toward the
shoulder from the sternum) May 6th (and a rib too) in
a bike crash. I had a follow-up X-Ray May 28th -
which showed no healing yet, but I had improved
flexibility, less swelling, and virtually
no pain. I participate in Triathlons , so all
three sports were important to me. After 8 days
from the accident - I started riding the indoor
bike. On 5/28 The Ortho allowed me to resume "easy"
running, as long as there was no pain. this has
progressed well...only problem being a pain in my
shoulder joint about 4-5 miles into my runs (I assume
it's from holding my arm up for so long - something
I hadn't done for 3 weeks).

Now I am contemplating swimming - and I saw your
post about your return to swimming. My next
appointment (and follow-up X-Ray) isn't until
June 21st - but I'm anxious to hit the
pool just to 'try it out', and swim REALLY easy. I
wonder if you have any thoughts on this issue you
could share.

Thanks

Dan Brown
[email hidden]

p.s. Could you email me off-list (I ususally don't lurk here)

[email hidden] (Terry) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

hard. I broke my left collar bone (broke the last inch or so right off.)

And wouldn't you know, just a few days earlier I had purchased my plane
ticket to Frankfurt (depart July 5 - return July 27). Now I don't know
The doctor said that there was nothing that should be done for the break
(other than immobilize my arm in a sling). The collar bone is the most
"mendable" bone in the body, and the two pieces of bone will find their
way back together and mend on their own.

I broke mine 15mm from the end 3 years ago at the age of 45.I was off
my bike for 8 weeks and rode carefully with no pedal dancing for
another 8weeks. I would say that it is not clear that you would find
sleeping on the ground tolerable as soon as 5 july.
As for it healing so easily, I am a doctor, and seeing the perfect
alignment I had pulled it into at the scene of the crash while it was
still numb(ish) I expected no problem.Actually the x-ray 8weeks later
looked much worse due to bone resorption.The orthopaedic surgeons said
that at my age a fracture so near the end might never heal, and they
would have screwed it together.Indeed they were offering it at the
start. A young person will heal much quicker.I was not in a hurry and
did not fancy surgery for the sake of a few months discomfort.That was
not a bad decision except that it was 2years before I could swim more
than a mile without the fracture site loosening up with clicks and
rattles.It is fine now.
If you really want to go as planned I would say surgical fixation
right now is the best bet.The Aussie rider in the TdF a few years ago
had his fixed although young and not fractured so near the end,
presumably so that he could be sure of getting back into training
quickly ( and surely not only because he was so well insured?).
Talking of insurance, if it loosens up and gets really disabling in
germany could you just find something less macho to do? Your travel
insurance probably won't be much use.
Good luck, and when you do go, enjoy your trip.

Whichever you do it will fine eventually

TerryJ

DhBrown99 said:

Terry :

I wanted to follow up with you on this thread
since you mentioned you were a Doctor and ALSO
since you mentioned swimming.

I broke my collarbone (about 2/3 of the way toward the
shoulder from the sternum) May 6th (and a rib too) in
a bike crash. I had a follow-up X-Ray May 28th -
which showed no healing yet, but I had improved
flexibility, less swelling, and virtually
no pain. I participate in Triathlons , so all
three sports were important to me. After 8 days
from the accident - I started riding the indoor
bike. On 5/28 The Ortho allowed me to resume "easy"
running, as long as there was no pain. this has
progressed well...only problem being a pain in my
shoulder joint about 4-5 miles into my runs (I assume
it's from holding my arm up for so long - something
I hadn't done for 3 weeks).

Now I am contemplating swimming - and I saw your
post about your return to swimming. My next
appointment (and follow-up X-Ray) isn't until
June 21st - but I'm anxious to hit the
pool just to 'try it out', and swim REALLY easy. I
wonder if you have any thoughts on this issue you
could share.

Thanks

Dan Brown
[email hidden]

p.s. Could you email me off-list (I ususally don't lurk here)

I'd appreciate it if any information was shared here in the group.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Integrity is obvious.
The lack of it is common.
*****************************

Quoted message said:

That cracked rib
has really given me the most pain.)

Jepp, it is [censored], just got one on Mallorca riding on skinny tires.
Got caught in a race bike trap, a drainage with wide enough slots for my
front wheel to sink down between and come to an instant stop with me falling
over the bar. Fortunately, my speed was very low, we were going off the road
down to a beach. Miracelously my low count spoke wheel did not get untrue.
Presently, I can´t cough or laugh. Some positions really hurts bad. And,
drainages got a new scary dimension.

Quoted message said:

(How is Germany in early September? I know the alps can be impassible
by then. Maybe I should rethink and go somewhere like Crete at that

time.)

It really depends on the weather. I would say most of the Alps and Germany
are quite OK normal years, though it will be less fun as most Europeans have
returned to their jobs. Camping places etc will be rather quite.

We have been climbing in early September and it has been just fine. And, we
been at Furka in central Switzerland in Mid-July, and it was worse than the
Himalayan monsoon, a constant cold drizzle.

Per
http://lowdin.nu

Sergio Servadio said:

Quoted message said:

You'll be surprised that sneezes that are otherwise insuppressible
are easily suppressed if you have a cracked rib. It's hard to
believe but that's what I and friends have experienced.

Quoted message said:

I always wondered how car and motorcycle racers, or airplane pilots
for that matter, can avoid sneezes.

I have not been able to do that otherwise. It is the short circuit
reaction of the body, to my thinking, that cancels the need to sneeze,
the need to sneeze being of a lower order than the pain the action
causes. I have had no control over that response.

I don't find sneezing or blinking the eyes a serious interruption of
control while operating a vehicle. It would be different with a
sensitive, light touch, operation such as watch repair, where blowing
the whole project away is even possible.

Quoted message said:

Would you go further to say that they naturally repress any
temptation?

To what sort of "temptation" are you referring?

I'm talking about the need to sneeze and that isn't voluntary or from
temptation. It is auto-response of the body, and one that the body
can cancel as I said.

Jobst Brandt
[email hidden]