# Broken clavicle, what did you do?



## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

As of today it's been exactly 6 weeks since I broke my clavicle and I'm about to run up the walls from boredom. This past friday I was at the hospital to get new xrays and to see an orthopedist.

The pics didn't show any healing so I'm out for another 4 weeks. I voiced my opinion about getting it sorted surgically, but since it's already been 6 weeks; what's another 4 to see if it mends itself. The overlap is a little more than half an inch so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. (15mm)

The injury put an end to just about all my hobbies, outlets and work. So time is barely moving and I'm out of books to read.

*What did you do to keep in shape and/or pass time?
*

X-ray from 6 weeks ago:


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## thickfog (Oct 29, 2010)

I walked around the block, walked trails (be careful!) watched tv (never watch tv otherwise). Just kinda putzed around. I think I got depressed and never realized it then. I gained 20 something pounds too.


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## propguy (Oct 2, 2008)

Walked. Walked 5-6 miles a day at a rapid pace. Two years ago I had a bad crash and broke my collar bone, scapula, 4 ribs and a punctured lung. Surgery to repair the collar bone. I was off work for 2 months. Was back riding at about 3 months. Towards the end I was jogging. I really hate running/jogging but it kept the weight and boredom off.


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## Clbryant1981 (Aug 6, 2014)

I'm still nursing a broken ankle. Been in my boot cast for 7 weeks now. I've read a lot, watched too much tv, and the last 2 weeks been driving my lbs crazy and spending too much time in there. My wife and kids are ready to kill me if I don't get out of the house and doing something active soon. Wish I had a better answer.


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

thickfog said:


> I walked around the block, walked trails (be careful!) watched tv (never watch tv otherwise). Just kinda putzed around. I think I got depressed and never realized it then. I gained 20 something pounds too.


I haven't been able to walk much, the upper muscle in the back has been pure hell to deal with when walking. I can usually go 2-3 miles before they cramp up on me. Luckily I have decent metabolism still so I've actually lost fatty weight.

Week 2 and 3 were the worst, it just felt like it was never going to get any better so my mood wasn't very good.



propguy said:


> Walked. Walked 5-6 miles a day at a rapid pace. Two years ago I had a bad crash and broke my collar bone, scapula, 4 ribs and a punctured lung. Surgery to repair the collar bone. I was off work for 2 months. Was back riding at about 3 months. Towards the end I was jogging. I really hate running/jogging but it kept the weight and boredom off.


That's what I'm trying to do, I could probably ride my bike the way it feels right now as I can put some weight on the arm now. Though if I crashed there would be nothing to prevent my ribs being pushed into my chestcavity. (Clavicle is essentially a building strut)

Right now I'm off work til the 19th of september, so that's quite some time to kill. We get snow in mid to late october so the season is essentially kaputt.



Clbryant1981 said:


> I'm still nursing a broken ankle. Been in my boot cast for 7 weeks now. I've read a lot, watched too much tv, and the last 2 weeks been driving my lbs crazy and spending too much time in there. My wife and kids are ready to kill me if I don't get out of the house and doing something active soon. Wish I had a better answer.


Ouch! That sounds so much worse than what happened to me, atleast I was able to hobble on home and get a backpack with essentials before heading to the ER on my own. I don't really have any good LBStores around here so I mostly spelunk online.

This bike looks awesome for the price:
Canyon | Mountain Bikes | Spectral AL 7.0 EX

Considering ordering one just to have something to look forward to.


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## Whyzee429 (Sep 1, 2012)

I separated my shoulder and broke the opposite collarbone in the same crash. My X-rays were similar to yours. Since the separated shoulder hurt worse I started using my other arm more after about 4 weeks. Obviously, everyone's injuries heal differently and at different rates, but I think not keeping my arm in a sling as much helped.


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## -Todd- (Jun 13, 2011)

Surgery, is faster and likely a better repair, no issues with symmetry.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

100% displacement, > 1 cm shortening in a young, active person usually gets offered surgery in the US.


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## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

I joined MTBR. Figure if I can't bike at all, might as well talk, read, and learn about it. But yeah, I'm in the same boat as far as climbing the walls out of boredom. The doc says 6-8 more weeks before I can even ride a road bike.

Here's mine:









Fortunately, or un-, depending on how you look at it, there was no way that bone was healing without surgery. But at least I haven't waited 6 weeks to see if it would mend itself and got the ORIF surgery the following week for this repair:









Now, just to pass the time I sit in front of the computer a lot, draw, TV, and whatever I physically can organizing and cleaning my apartment. If I'm going absolutely stir crazy, I go to the gym and ride a stationary bike to keep my legs up, but that still sucks by comparison. There's a site called meetup.com where you may be able to find some board game nights or other group activities to get out the house. That's all I've got so far.


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

I've been lucky because I haven't had any pain from the break itself and I never lost any movement. But a little over two months in a CT showed that there were some healing issues due to muscle being trapped inbetween the bonepipes. I asked for the surgery and now I'm sitting in a hospital bed with plates and screws holding me together.

*Usually the treatment given here is conservative unless the break is very bad and/or painful. Universal healthcare doesn't default to the most expensive option right off the bat


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

Saladin, how are you holding up?
TV, walking and rubikscubes have been been a great timewaster for me. I also started doing origami with postits..


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## tahic (Jul 21, 2008)

I broke mine in 2 places, and 5 ribs, my shoulder and disclocated the ac joint, punctured lung as well. Eventually got a spin bike once I could lift my arm high enough to use it but I hate it. Hopefully can ride at 3mth mark which isn't far away it's really tedious.....


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

There's alot of x-ray pictures floating around, but few of the stitchwork you end up with, so here's a pic for all the potential googlers out there.

Seven screws, hurts alot less than I expected so I refused the painkillers.


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## propguy (Oct 2, 2008)

The worst part of my clavicle surgery is the light numbness I have around the sutured area. Some nerves never regrow. It's been 2 years, 5 months since my little spill.


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## -Todd- (Jun 13, 2011)

Staples on mine... Looked like Frankenstein for a few weeks.


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## Jljacobs406 (Oct 1, 2011)

I broke mine 2 weeks ago. I did a real number on it - broke it in 12 places. It took 2 hours of surgery, 8 screws, and steel plate to put it back together. Doc says that with all the hardware, it should hold up better next time. I'm sidelined for another 9 weeks, and already going crazy. I really miss riding, and am bummed out by the injury, the pain, and the slow recovery.


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## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

Geez! That's a long screw! What's the other anchor point? Also what's that long strip on the right?

I'm doing as well as could be expected, Vegard. Thanks for asking.

Still bored out of my mind. I've found some inside activities to take some time. My apartment is ridiculously clean. I've watched all the TV I can stand to watch. I ordered some new toys for my camera (new magnifying lenses and remote shutter remotes) so I could do some photography and revive that hobby. Perhaps I'll tough out the sling wearing and take a walk/photo excursion around the lake this afternoon.

The biggest problem is finding something that actually expends some energy for a hyperactivity problem. Walking works for a short bit, but the muscles in my arm start to cramp after a short time in the sling. I'm only allowed to take it out if it's propped on a pillow or doing my rehab exercises. I've been on a stationary bike in my community gym a time or three, but I still don't know how to use the damn thing as far as setting up resistance programs and it's not really entertaining by any means. There's also a good site for other activity oriented meetups (meetup.com) I've started using to find things to get out of the house and work on social anxiety issues.

I had started to take it out of the sling a bit more since the pain had decreased, but my physical therapist wasn't happy about that. She and my surgeon have the degrees and experience; I dont, so I choose to listen to them regarding directions to optimize the healing.

I like the stitchwork photo idea, but mine was covered by steri-strips until they were removed. But it was some unusual stitching with only 3 long ones through the incision. They also recovered the scar after the removal with some less sticky ones that should come off after the next couple showers. I'll post an uncovered scar photo when I can, but here's what I've got:


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## Jljacobs406 (Oct 1, 2011)

The long one comes out in 6 weeks. My doc told me to do nothing physical until it comes out. I guess PT starts at that point. The xray was taken during surgery, so I assume the long filament thing was a surgical tool of some sort.


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## propguy (Oct 2, 2008)

Looks like they ran out of smaller screws and used a drywall screw!  Good luck and heal up fast!


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## Jljacobs406 (Oct 1, 2011)

Haha! thanks!


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## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

Jljacobs406 said:


> The long one comes out in 6 weeks. My doc told me to do nothing physical until it comes out. I guess PT starts at that point. The xray was taken during surgery, so I assume the long filament thing was a surgical tool of some sort.


So I'm guessing your clavicle is temporarily anchored to your scapula? That's the only practical point I could see in it. Having it drilled that deeply into soft tissue doesn't make sense.

Good luck with that 6 weeks. The physical pain subsides after just a few days, but the mental anguish of taking a normally active person and telling them they can't be active is torturous.

I have to wait at least 8 and my break was only 6 pieces as opposed to your 12, but it looks like most of your 12 pieces are much smaller fragments from the X-ray.


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## Jljacobs406 (Oct 1, 2011)

Yes, I think you are right - anchored to my scapula. Good luck to you too. Wondering how the first ride will feel. Let me know. I expect some butterflies the first couple of times.


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## CrzyTuning (Mar 31, 2012)

Walked. A lot. 

I had the same issue as you though. Mine wasn't healing after 6 weeks. So doctor told me it was gonna take an extra 2-3 weeks on top of the 14 weeks already scheduled. I drank as much milk as I could and took calcium & vitamin d supplements. The bone healed around week 14.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

Jljacobs406 said:


> Yes, I think you are right - anchored to my scapula.


That's a coracoclavicular screw- it's a screw from your clavicle to your coracoid, which is a bony prominence off your scapula. With this type of clavicle fracture, the ligaments that support your AC joint are also torn. In addition to fixing the fracture, you oftentimes need to also get fixation between the clavicle and coracoid in order to allow those ligaments to heal properly.


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

I'm 5 days in so far, stiches are waterproof, no sign of infection or other malicious stuff. Just really sore when trying to move my shoulder joint and in the muscles around my neck.


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## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

Vegard said:


> I'm 5 days in so far, stiches are waterproof, no sign of infection or other malicious stuff. Just really sore when trying to move my shoulder joint and in the muscles around my neck.


That'll probably take a couple or few weeks to get better depending on how much you move it. However, when I told my therapist she said very sternly that I shouldn't be using the arm at all while the bone mends itself. It could heal crooked, causing mobility loss, and they'd have to rebreak it to fix that.

Do you have any numbness around the area? There's a large portion of my shoulder down my chest a ways that I can't feel anything still. I guess the nerve damage was pretty extensive too. Also, I dunno if it's just extra sensitivity or stretched ligaments, but every movement my clavicle makes is highly noticeable and seems sort of loose in my shoulder.

Glad it's going well for ya.


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

I'm 8 days in now and the soreness is gone, I only wear the sling when I'm out walking, when just going around the house it isn't necessary.

There seems to be alot of opinions on when and how, some orthos advocate starting to use the arm as soon as possible after the break/surgery. I'm taking the middle road after talking to a few different ones, if it hurts or feels off I stop.

The area immediately below the incision is very numb, it doesn't really bother me as it's not really an area I touch alot. Would have been worse if it was any of the limbs.


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

Hey Folks,

I'm 10 weeks today since my break, distal fracture in 4 pieces with torn trapezoid ligament. Its plated. Just giving you guys some light at the end of the tunnel. You WILL be back on the bike:
Bike Ride Profile | Epicross with CF: Sweeny, old pedro, Montara mtn , hwy 1, purisimma, Kings, Canada near San Bruno | Times and Records | Strava


So.... I can do long pavement and fire-road rides without pain. The deltoid, lat, chest and rotators are very atrophied so I am not risking it on rock gardens yet. But according to the doc I am free to lift (high-rep only) now, so I can start building it back.

My recovery regimen:
I am sharing this because your doc probably won't give you a very specific schedule, since each person is different and they hate to be wrong or push somebody too far or give them news that is too optimistic. But I hope sharing it helps people who just broke it understand what they're in for. Personally, I wasn't aware of, or ready for, the muscle recovery that goes with an injury like this... I assumed that once the bone was healed, muscle would be fine and ready to work. As many of you are finding out, that's not true... there's just a lot of crap and swelling all over there, even if you didn't tear anything besides breaking your bone.

Note, this is not advice. Every injury is different. If you take it as advice, it should be taken ONLY for a plated fracture, unplated is completely different because you could re-break it very easily and fusion is not guaranteed. I got ok from my doc over the phone for all this and we increased it as I progressed. So with that, here's my recovery story:

- In week 1-2 I took it out of my sling daily and let it hang, and to shower. I did curls with no weight to get the bicep moving, holding the elbow with the other hand to support the clavicle. Sets of 50-100, 2x day. Doc ok'd all of that. Felt _extremely_ dull and dead inside the muscle. Bicep felt like it was completely devoid of strength.

- In week 3-4 I moved to veeeeeery lightly move the shoulder around and do dangling pendulums to try to stretch out some of the flexibility. I also went to the pool a couple times a week, and let my arms float up, and veeeeery lightly moved the arm back and forth (in 5ft water so I'm standing, arm is floating). Week 4 I also started some lateral raises and front raises, with no weight, to 45 degrees. Sets of 50. If I felt more sore the next day I knew I did too much. I was also cleared to ride stationary bike at the gym (Yay!!!). This hurt but getting the blood flowing in the body helps work out the crap in your injury area. This is also when I would do my arm raises and swing the arm around. In week 4 I started leg-press too, sets of 50, light weight so as not to clench up your whole body to finish the set, which would of course hurt the arm a lot.

- In week 5-6 I was able to move the arm around pretty easily as long as I didn't go above my head. I kept doing lateral raises and front raises, and also laid on my back and did chest flys (all without weight). Kept at the pool to. Also, I did 5 lb curls (sets of 50, working up) to build the bicep back, and laid on my back and did tricep extensions (5lbs, sets of 50, working up). Started using a light PT band to do random stretches and motions all around in different directions - in, out, up, down, rotator, fly, etc. Used a yoga band to do the stretch where you put your hand behind your back and raise it as high as you can up the back of your spine. Also, laid on my back and put both hands behind my head, letting them drop backwards - stretches out the chest, rotators and delts. Still could not really lift or carry anything (like groceries) with that arm at all, this caused pain in the bone area. It was still extremely sensitive and if I bumped it I swore I had re-broken it, but it was fine and this is just part of healing. Increased my leg-press weight and increased my stationary bike time.

- Week 7-9 I did lateral raises and front raises with 2lbs, then increased to 5lbs. Curls and tricep extension up to 8lbs now, and, increase PT band work. By this time I could lift my arm over my head with minimal pain. Around week 7, I could pick up about 20lbs (like my infant son, and groceries) without pain. Also, week 7 I was cleared to *ride pavement* (strictly no crashing allowed  ) so I started with some light seated rides and climbs. Towards week 8 I started to stretch out the rides and do bigger climbs and even standing climbs with light torquing on the bars.

In my week 9 doc appt he said I was doing fantastic and I did not need formal physical therapy. He gave me the go-ahead for high-rep lifting, as much as I can take. No heavy lifting because the bone will be solidifying - he said we'll xray again in 2mos but no heavy Military press, Bench Press and absolutely no Deadlift till that time.

Anyways, there is light at the end of the tunnel, keep in close communication with your doc, and try to push the pace a little under his supervision. Hope that helps.

p.s. I too have numbness around the skin. Numbness in the skin around the area is completely normal for those that _had it opened up_ - this is from ripping away the skin from where it normally rests on the muscles and bone, that breaks nerves and they will take months, potentially years to grow back - I had another surgery where the I could still feel a dead spot in my skin for a couple years.


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## mudncrud (May 6, 2010)

distal fracture, broke the last inch or so off plus pulled a large chip of bone off that the lower two ligaments attach. Went about three and a half weeks without surgery and was just getting to the point where I was not real uncomfortable but had very limited motion still do to pain.

Had Surgery 5 days ago plate, screws and two buttons. Pain is becoming fairly manageable. Initial motion seems ok. Will update in two weeks for a comparison.


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## 70sSanO (Nov 20, 2013)

A week ago Saturday I broke mine in a similar way with 22mm of overlap. Last Monday I went in for surgery and they screwed together the 4 or 5 pieces. I'll be off the bike for 3 months.

I was probably fortunate to be able to get the surgery because I'll be 63 in December and it was not my dominant arm. They were talking about possibly letting it heal on its own. I basically asked them if I didn't have surgery what is going to happen next time, because... there will be a next time. At that point they scheduled the surgery and here I am.

I'll have to face the same inactivity. I'm going to see if there are any indoor trainers where I can program a ride and have it adjust the resistance to the terrain. Even if it is road biking. Hopefully it'll let me follow the route like a GPS. Worst case is using an indoor trainer without any programming capability.

John


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## WillTheGreat (Aug 26, 2010)

I had a distal clavicle fracture last year, and also tore my coracoclavicular ligament. Notice in the x-ray how much my shoulder was displaced! I had a clavicle hook plate installed (quite painful post-op), it is a fairly invasive procedure with no nerve block. After about 12 hours the oxycodone was able to subdue the pain, though. The surgery was much more painful than the original injury!

I started riding on the trainer as soon as I had my stitches removed. 18 days with no exercise and riding the sofa was really hard on me. It really helped my mood to just get some exercise. I set the trainer up in front of the TV and watched a lot of Netflix while spinning. This really helped salvage my season because I didn't let my legs get out of shape. Once my shoulder strength returned I was able to enjoy riding trails and still keep up with friends.

My recovery schedule was approximately:
March 2 : Accident happened - Began wearing sling
March 11: Surgery
March 21: Stitches removed, began riding trainer
April 3 : Stop wearing sling, begin PT
May 3 : Surgeon allowed me to ride on the road
June 5 : Surgeon allowed me to ride trails again
Dec 9 : Plate removed from shoulder

I started slow on the trails, but by August I had gotten most of my strength/skill/confidence back.

Pre-op Xray








Post-op Xray


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

Sixteen days after surgery:

I can walk around without the sling and experience no pain or discomfort, 80% movement has returned thanks to my own excercise program. This was to be expected (by me) though as I managed to get full range of motion prior to the surgery; even with the non-union.

Only thing stopping me from getting it all back currently is the docs suggestion to not lift my arm/elbow above my shoulderjoint for another month or so.

I should be able to fatbike on snow by the end of november as long as I take it slow and avoid moments of adrenalin rushing through my veins.










Edit:

Six weeks in now, got full movement in my arm thanks to my own little training program. Bonegrowth is shown in the most recent x-ray, but I got to stay away from heavy lifts for another 4-6 weeks.


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

As of monday this week I was back doing everything I normally do, even managed to pull off 50 pushups.


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

I played a game of rugby a couple of weeks after breaking mine (I was 16)

Sent from my Kin[G]_Pad ™


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## Epic_Dude (May 31, 2010)

This is a really great thread for anyone, like myself, who recently broke their collarbone.


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## CogHog (Jul 11, 2014)

So just broke my right collar bone yesterday in what the doc called a Z break with full displacement. 

I just had surgery to have it platted with 8 screws and now looking at a 12 week recovery according to the doc. 

Anyway came across this thread and am looking for a little encouragement. I'm 36 but enjoy riding hard and fast but this has really shaken me. 

How is everyone doing post injury and are you riding as hard as you used to? I consider myself a pretty responsible person and the drop I wrecked on I've hit tons of times no problems just really biffed this one and paid for it. 

Anyway I've got two kiddos and a lot of responsibilities, like most do, but am getting some pretty good pushback from my wife and fam to dial it back a bit. Of course I plan to be more cautious but I feel like I already was and sometimes stuff like this just happens. 

I can't just putt around a trail and log miles for miles, I've gotta push it at least a little, that's just how I'm wired otherwise I'd rather not ride at all. 

Anyways just kinda thinking out loud and looking for a little reassurance I guess from you guys that have already been in my shoes. 

Thanks!


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

I broke my clavicle (plus some other stuff) being run off the road on my motorcycle back in 09. It wasnt plated, just sling'ed and protected. I't took a few months before I could ride road MC again, a little longer for dirt biking, and honestly MTB was the last thing I got back to doing. It took a long time because of no ORIF.
I got a lot of push-back from my wife too. Because 'Happy Wife-Happy Life, I eased up and began working on learning to ride for fun, and tech skills like manuals and slow speed wheels skills while I reminded my self that I should be thankful I'm out riding my bike. Like, at all.

I took it a little easier for a good while. Eventually, I eased back into drops and steeps; back to and beyond the level that I was previously. I was riding some really stupid stuff. Pushing the envelope. Then last year my buddy crashed and broke his wrist, which came with an undiagnosed head-injury and a brain bleed, which turned into brain surgery. Then about 3 weeks ago the plate in his wrist finally shredded and ruptured his Flexor Pollicis Longus tendon, requiring another surgery, and 3 more months off the bike. 

It scared the pi$$ out of me, because he's got some great bike handling skills. If it can happen to him, it can happen to me. He's a very capable rider.
Now I regularly ride alone because he can't go. 
In the end, I found new ways to 'push myself' on a bicycle. A few months ago I bought a HT and started seeing what I could do on an single speed. How smooth I can carry a line, or fast I can rail a corner, how far I can go before my legs blow up. How many geared riders I can pass. 

There's more to biking than drops and 'gnar'. 

That's my experience, it's probably worth the price you paid for it.


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## CogHog (Jul 11, 2014)

Thanks man that's what I was looking for. This has really shaken my confidence because I was feeling really good on the bike and it was a drop that's usually cake but ended up giving me the worst crash I've ever had. On top of that I watched my brother fracture his C7, broke his collarbone, bruise his ribs, and tear ligaments in his shoulder on a ride 6 months ago so my whole train of thinking is kind of like WTF. 

It's kinda fresh right now and the emotions a bit raw. I hit my head pretty good too but thankfully my helmet protected my noggin on that but it's destroyed as a result. 

My wife is a nurse anesthetist and I've heard horror stories of perfectly healthy people dying from complications of surgery so I was pretty damn nervous this morning especially kissing my little ones bye to go get opened up. It was a pretty raw moment and kinda gave me pause. 

On one hand I love riding fast and hitting gnar and I wanna get better at it. But then again I can still have fun at a slower pace to mitigate risks. Just having a bit of a mental struggle and this is kind of a "dear diary" moment. 

Nothing means more to me than my fam and that means making smart choices for them but then again I've never been a believer in living a scared life and won't raise my kids that way. 

Just searching for balance I guess in how to proceed from here which will just take time and a little more soul searching I guess. I've always been a thrill seeker and always will be and I can't just shut off. My wife knows this and knows what she signed up for but she's also a mom/wife and doesn't want me to get hurt, potentially seriously, unnecessarily.

Oh hell I dunno I'm gonna have a beer and think about it later, I've got 3 months after all. 

Other comments are more than welcome of course though as I'd be interested in others experiences and progress after a serious injury. 

Thanks again!


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Didn't quite break mine... just separated. 

Shoulder doesn't work like it use to, but I've taken a couple of tumbles on it since (slow speed stuff) and it didn't flinch. 
I am more weary now, particularly w/ steeps, drops and jumps - I'm still more daring than my riding budz but have definitely lost my edge. 
I'm definitely thankful I can still ride after many stories of late about riders going down (for good!)
I tend to go with the flow now... 
If I'm in the zone and feeling good I'll hit drops and jumps. 
If I'm tired and/or a little off, I'll roll em or chicken route.

-----------------------------------------------------------
#1 resolution... Ride it like I stole it!!


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I fractured the bejesus out of my clavicle about a decade ago when I came up short on a double jump. I had surgery to repair the fracture then another surgery a year later to remove the hardware. I also went to PT to deal with vertigo that ensued from smashing my head against the ground. My bike needed new wheels and handlebars, I needed a new helmet and glasses, and I couldn't ride for several months. I couldn't drive very well either since both of our cars were manual transmissions and my right arm was incapacitated so I resorted to walking and running for exercise. It turns out that running makes a person lose weight and get in shape in a big hurry.

Flash forward to today and my clavicle is at full strength and my shoulder has full mobility. I'm 25# lighter and riding stronger than I was when I wrecked even being 10 years older. I tend to keep the jumping a bit more mellow though. Hang in there man, you'll get through it.


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## dana109 (Jul 15, 2008)

broke my collarbone 8 days ago on a fairly easy trail that i've ridden 100 times before. i just lost concentration in the corner on the descent and couldn't get back on my line. I still don't know how to happened. I just went out alone for a short 45 min rip on some trails close to my house before a bbq with my brother and some friends. Thank god for adrenaline. I carried my bike to the nearest road called my wife, then told her it was worse than i thought and i had to hang up and call ambulance and then collapsed on the grass by the road.

They aren't doing surgery. it feels like it will never heal 8 days out. 

How long did you guys take off work. my doctor wants me to take 6 weeks off. I can't take another 5 weeks of sitting on my ass. i'm bored out of my mind.


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## CogHog (Jul 11, 2014)

Thanks everybody for the responses. I'm doing a bit better gaining some mobility each day and getting less painful as well. Still in a sling and got the staples out this past Friday. Gonna be a long road to recovery but I'm determined to get back on the trails as soon as possible. As far as time off from work I'm really lucky in the fact I'm doing the stay at home dad routine at the moment so work isn't an issue. That said it isn't easy managing a 2 year old and 4 year old with one arm and changing diapers has been quite a challenge as well as loading them into and out of their car seats but I'm figuring it out. My doc originally said it'd take 12 weeks to get back on my mountain bike but I'm hoping I can cut that down to 10 weeks with light exercise and therapy. We'll see.


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## Whyzee429 (Sep 1, 2012)

Dana....
Every injury is slightly different. I broke mine pretty good during a Mx race, but the bones weren't overlapping to the point where I HAD to have surgury, so I didn't. I returned to work the next day (sheet metal shop), got on the road bike 2 weeks later, and the mtb 3 weeks after that. Doctors also have different protocols that they follow. My particular doctor has a sports medicine clinic and he attributed the faster than typical healing to staying active. By the same token, a buddy of mine had a similar looking break and his doctor said don't move it for 6 weeks...now he's having a handful of mobility issues


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dana109 (Jul 15, 2008)

mine is worse than that. i can't imagine working yet. i can't even hold a glass of water in my left hand. Ya my dr also said no moving for 6 weeks, which seems crazy. i'm scared of mobility issues too when i was kid my mom needed surgery to fix her frozen shoulder that happened from keeping her shoulder immobile for weeks after she fell off her roadbike. That makes me nervous. but there is just no possible way i can move my arm above 45 degrees right now on day 12


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## Whyzee429 (Sep 1, 2012)

dana109 said:


> mine is worse than that. i can't imagine working yet. i can't even hold a glass of water in my left hand. Ya my dr also said no moving for 6 weeks, which seems crazy. i'm scared of mobility issues too when i was kid my mom needed surgery to fix her frozen shoulder that happened from keeping her shoulder immobile for weeks after she fell off her roadbike. That makes me nervous. but there is just no possible way i can move my arm above 45 degrees right now on day 12


What a bummer! That certainly doesn't mean it won't heal perfectly fine though. People always suggest getting second opinions and I'd have to agree. So often people forget that docs are people as well and they don't always know what's best. A primary care doc might take a more cautious approach to healing, whereas a specialist might take a more aggressive approach.









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

dana109 said:


> broke my collarbone 8 days ago on a fairly easy trail that i've ridden 100 times before. i just lost concentration in the corner on the descent and couldn't get back on my line. I still don't know how to happened. I just went out alone for a short 45 min rip on some trails close to my house before a bbq with my brother and some friends. Thank god for adrenaline. I carried my bike to the nearest road called my wife, then told her it was worse than i thought and i had to hang up and call ambulance and then collapsed on the grass by the road.
> 
> They aren't doing surgery. it feels like it will never heal 8 days out.
> 
> How long did you guys take off work. my doctor wants me to take 6 weeks off. I can't take another 5 weeks of sitting on my ass. i'm bored out of my mind.


I fortunately didn't miss any work. I was able to pin my elbow against my side and work from the wrist.

Is there a medical reason they're not doing surgery, or was it a matter of giving you a choice of either/or? I tell you, just reducing my fracture (putting everything back in place) made my shoulder and arm feel way better. Until surgery my muscles were spasming from being in an abnormal place. In hindsight, I'd say if I were faced with the injury and choice again I'd opt for surgery in a heartbeat. If your surgeon just won't do the surgery maybe get a second opinion?


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## dana109 (Jul 15, 2008)

so i saw a surgeon and he just said they don't operate on this type of break. 

how did get to work? I can't lift my arm high enough to drive.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I traded cars with a friend who had an auto transmission so I only needed one hand to steer, text, and sip my latte.


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## CogHog (Jul 11, 2014)

I agree on surgery. I'm not sure what your fracture is like but mine was snapped in half and overlapping. They said I could try to let it heal without surgery but there was a good chance it wouldn't heal properly given the severity of the break and the displacement. 

I opted for surgery but walked around with it displaced for a day beforehand which was very painful. As soon as I had surgery I immediately felt put back together and better. Of course it's still painful and my mobility is still really limited but my skeleton doesn't feel all twisted up from bones being out of place and such. 

I'm a long way away from being 100% two weeks out but def better than before. 

Like I said not sure of your fracture but if it's close to mine I'd push for surgery to have it put back in place.


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## fdes (Apr 16, 2014)

What did you guys do to regain your range of motion?

Broke my collarbone about 7 weeks ago, and am finally out of the sling. Iam shocked at how little range of motion I have. Feels like I am stretching a big rubber band whenever I reach for anything. Feels awful to feel the plate sliding under the skin and muscle.


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

Stretch every day, your pt should give stretches. It'll come.


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## Speeder500 (Oct 9, 2012)

fdes said:


> What did you guys do to regain your range of motion?
> 
> Broke my collarbone about 7 weeks ago, and am finally out of the sling. Iam shocked at how little range of motion I have. Feels like I am stretching a big rubber band whenever I reach for anything. Feels awful to feel the plate sliding under the skin and muscle.


I couldn't raise my arm up more than a nazi salute. My shoulder was totally frozen. It really worried me.

What I did to unfreeze everything was grabbed a bar, like a pull up bar, and slowly put weight on my shoulder. I could feel everything unfreezing as I stretched it out.

When I finally could take it I just hung on the bar and let it all stretch out. What you are basically doing is breaking up scar tissue and adhesions that formed when you had your arm in a sling.

It didn't hurt all that much, so I don't know if I would do it if I had bad pain. So just grab something and slowly fall to the floor stretching out that shoulder.

You have to do this multiple times a day because your shoulder will freeze up again. After a week or so it will not freeze up anymore.


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## fdes (Apr 16, 2014)

Thanks guys, doctor didn't send me for pt, just told me to use it in everyday use. I've started stretching it on my own twice a day. Making some progress, but not at the speed that I would like. Will try the chinup bar idea, also downloaded a list of recommended pt stretches for broken collarbones. The one with the hand behind the back is a *****!


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## Speeder500 (Oct 9, 2012)

PT is a big waste in my opinion. I assume you were fit before you broke it. Basically it is all about stretching that arm out to exactly to the points you could have stretched it before. It is really a simple concept, your body has put scar tissue or adhesion everywhere and that has to be broken up, the only way to do it is constantly force that arm to how far it should go to break them.

Scar tissue is not as elastic as your normal tissues so it has to be loosened up. 

What is also interesting is that even months after my surgery and I had good range I noticed a little pain in my shoulder that would radiate out to the arm when moving my arm in certain positions. I still did not stretch it out completely and had to really stretch it as far as it would go to break up that last bit of scar tissue.

What also helped is to weight lift, doing stuff like bench press, heavy curls, and pull ups really stretches everything out nicely. Let the weight really pull your shoulder back.

Another tip is once you have your arm really stretched back to move your bicep like doing curls and rotate the arm a little this will hit different areas to break up the scar tissue. You may feel a slight pain run down your arm but it goes away. 

You want to work to the point you start feeling a little pain and then proceed to the next point after you stopped feeling pain at that prior point.


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## fdes (Apr 16, 2014)

Speeder500 said:


> PT is a big waste in my opinion. I assume you were fit before you broke it. Basically it is all about stretching that arm out to exactly to the points you could have stretched it before. It is really a simple concept, your body has put scar tissue or adhesion everywhere and that has to be broken up, the only way to do it is constantly force that arm to how far it should go to break them.
> 
> Scar tissue is not as elastic as your normal tissues so it has to be loosened up.
> 
> ...


Range of motion seems to be improving every day, at about 70% after a week. Looking forward to lifting weights again, but am still two months out.

I admit I'm a lttle weary of stretching too much, worried about popping the collarbone again. Hoping that I get cleared to ride at the next visit in 1.5 months, my bike looks lonely in my garage!


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## Pilsner1 (Mar 17, 2011)

Massage therapy helps too, it will break up scar tissue and stretch the soft tissue. I found this sped up recovery.


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## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

Speeder500 said:


> PT is a big waste in my opinion. I assume you were fit before you broke it. Basically it is all about stretching that arm out to exactly to the points you could have stretched it before. It is really a simple concept, your body has put scar tissue or adhesion everywhere and that has to be broken up, the only way to do it is constantly force that arm to how far it should go to break them.
> 
> Scar tissue is not as elastic as your normal tissues so it has to be loosened up.
> 
> ...


True and not true... depending on what PT is being given to you really depends on how effective it can be. The purpose of PT is to PROPERLY get range of motion back in the given extremity. Going about it on your own without proper guidance would be like having someone take your bike apart, mix all the parts together, start putting it back together and then go "here you go have fun" as they hand you tools and the box of parts and walk away. There are certain exercises that should be done in a specific order depending on lots of variables (e.g. how bad the break was, where the break was, what sort of recovery the person is having, etc.) and that is where LICENSED PT comes into play.

If you break was a simple, clean fracture that really only required minimal hardware then I can see the DR not prescribing PT afterwards as you should heal normally if you pay attention and DO what he tells you to. But lots of people don't, think the are doing better than they really are on the drugs, etc.

Speeders last comment (bolded) is a perfect example of what is proper BUT everyone's level of pain is different so this can be good or bad. This is where a PT evaluation of the Range of Motion comes into play and can tell you where you really should be stopping and where you can WORK yourself towards.

Anyways, take your time and work at it SLOWLY. Results will come but you have to be patient and not push yourself too hard. By pushing yourself harder than you should you will run into issues that can and will have extensively lasting negative effects. 
Caveat, I have 3yrs of biokinesiology and PT school under my belt, my brother is an Occupational Therapist (PT) and has been for close to 25yrs. He recently had one of the nurses in his hospital break her clavicle mtbing and after only 3 months of healing (after having the plate put in) she decided she knew better than the doctor when she was having other work done and told him to remove the plate. He warned her that she was not ready and needed more healing time but she wanted it out for a reason I cannot remember. What ended up happening is she was fine for another couple of months but one day, on the job, she went to grab a file folder and did something incorrect. She heard and felt a loud pop come her clavicle and had issues. Xrays that afternoon showed that the clavicle had separated at the break again and she was in surgery the next day getting more hardware put in.



Pilsner1 said:


> Massage therapy helps too, it will break up scar tissue and stretch the soft tissue. I found this sped up recovery.


Yes it does, this will help break up a lot of the lactic acid that is holding in the muscle fibers too due to the scar tissue. Which will help with the healing process. Also, alternating heat and ice will help with keeping blood flow to the area which increases healing. Then there are always supplements you can look into and whatnot but that I am not as familiar with. And I was never aware that Ibuprofen had such a bad affect on bone healing. Something to do with inhibiting the platelet cohesion or something to that sort but from my understanding there are some Drs that believe it and some that don't.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2016)

Speeder500 said:


> PT is a big waste in my opinion. I assume you were fit before you broke it. Basically it is all about stretching that arm out to exactly to the points you could have stretched it before. It is really a simple concept, your body has put scar tissue or adhesion everywhere and that has to be broken up, the only way to do it is constantly force that arm to how far it should go to break them.
> 
> Scar tissue is not as elastic as your normal tissues so it has to be loosened up.
> 
> ...


Lemme see if i get this vibe right! your of the belief PT is a waste....but yet all your above weight lifting, stretching and preaching about scar tissue and how to loosen it takes you where exactly??? A DIY PT guru without any such schooling, without any education on the physio subject matter!!

total rubbish :nono: :bluefrown:


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

nvphatty said:


> Lemme see if i get this vibe right! your of the belief PT is a waste....but yet all your above weight lifting, stretching and preaching about scar tissue and how to loosen it takes you where exactly??? A DIY PT guru without any such schooling, without any education on the physio subject matter!!
> 
> total rubbish :nono: :bluefrown:


^ agreed.

PT if worth doing for sure. it's a complicated joint/area, lots of moving parts. I've had other surgeries and done PT for a variety of other injuries and I'm very glad i went to a PT for this one.

everyone's break is different, everyones body is different. the symptoms, ROM, recovery time, etc. will be different for everyone. as such the rehab should be tailored to the individual based on all of it. there is no "one size fits all".

my flexibility never came back. it's ok, but not very good really.


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2016)

*OneSpeed* said:


> ^ agreed.
> 
> PT if worth doing for sure. it's a complicated joint/area, lots of moving parts. I've had other surgeries and done PT for a variety of other injuries and I'm very glad i went to a PT for this one.
> 
> ...


i'd rep ya to the noggin but it won't let me..:bluefrown:


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

thickfog said:


> I gained 20 something pounds too.


I had surgery, was gentle road biking in 3wks, fully back in 7, went on the Slow Carb Diet and actually lost 10lbs.


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## dana109 (Jul 15, 2008)

update - I never had surgery. My summer sucked. It took about 7 weeks before i regained motion. took almost 12 weeks before i could mountain bike. Just had to wait. it sucked. but i'm riding again.


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## thumbprinter (Aug 29, 2009)

i broke mine 6/15/15, had surgery (plate+9 screws) 11 days later, then had the plate removed on 6/17/16. recovery from the first surgery was brutal - the most painful month of my life (not to mention getting strung out on opiods). i was back on the mtb after about 8 weeks or so, road biking for a couple weeks before that. recovery from the second surgery was not nearly as bad. only had to take narcotics for a few days and got my full range of motion and strength back very quickly. i was still off the mtb for the same amount of time but i did lots of riding on the trainer and plenty of hiking too. at this point its still tight and hurty but getting gradually better all the time. i suspect it will be a long process. 

they let me keep the plate - i use it as a keychain.

i'm super glad i had the plate removed - it was really uncomfortable and bothered me all the time. they only used 9 screws on a 10-hole plate so the end of it was poking out of my chest….


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## alexdi (Jun 25, 2016)

PT is absolutely worth it. I'm bumping this thread just to say that. 

I broke my collarbone in the middle of March and had surgery a week later. Despite sleeping with my arm out of the sling and doing sling-assisted movement, my ROM was nonexistent two weeks after surgery. Three weeks after, the week I started PT on a MWF schedule amd stopped using the sling, it was at 20%. 

As of PT session #6 earlier this week, I could hold my arm in front of me at 90 degrees and move it laterally until it was perpendicular to my side. Every session yields noticeable improvements.

I'm a month and a day out from surgery now. ROM is good, though my should still feels stiff and weird. Sensation within three inches of the surgical site is around 20%. The plate is obvious when I move my arm, but not painful. My PT says she'll start breaking up scar tissue around the surgical site when my doctor approves it and she thinks I can stand it. 

For anyone who just had a plate put in, I highly recommend doing all the assisted/stabilized ROM movements you can stand after the first week that don't strain your stiches. The plate will keep things in place. The longer your arm is immobile, the longer it'll take to come back.


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

I didn't go to a PT, wasn't going to pay for info I could get for free from articles and youtube. I picked out the best exercises and got back to normal rather quickly after the operation. The only thing a PT could have offered me would be a lighter wallet.

2-ish years later I'm benching 300lbs and dumbbell overheadpressing 180lbs so I'm pretty sure I got out of it with no ill effects.


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## RavenDavey (Oct 3, 2015)

Good info on this page...

Broke mine on 6/15 and had surgery on 6/21. Hope I don't miss too much of the summer for riding.


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## Lithified (Apr 14, 2007)

Man some of you radiograms and stories are gnarly dudes! I broke mine 6/16. AC joint is fine, no surgery. I'm coming back, even if this sling is killing me!!! Wow my shoulder muscles are in full anarchy. Started PT this week. Second sesh on Friday. Yeeeeow that first morning after the first session. Felt like my shoulder was under a truck.

Spending some time with my boy Lopes reading through Mastering Mtb Skills. Summer study? 

Heal up all!!! Hope you guys are planning some fall fitness goals. I'm going to be a fat soon when the wheels start spinning again!


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

You guys hang in there. I ended up doing so much walking after smashing my collar bone that I ended up running - which was a good thing. At first, though, I couldn't bounce it around very much without it hurting. It got better pretty fast, though.

One thing - I've never been into lifting weights, but after I got full range of motion back and started riding again and thought I was all back to normal, I tried doing push-ups. I couldn't even do 1. I had not exercised the shoulder properly in that direction (I'm fine now). So make sure you do some proper PT, even if you just follow from a book or a video.

-F


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## Lithified (Apr 14, 2007)

How many of you guys quit PT before the 6wk mark? I'm at 3wks from the break, had no surgery, bone did not completely separate, was nowhere near needing surgery, according to my doc. I trust these guys, good team who has done some work on me in the past.

All that said I am now 90% out of the sling and stretching/exercising every day, clearance for road bike on trainer (full road bike maybe later this month), and putting more and more weight on it every day. Anyways, thinking about stopping the PT. It's feeling really good and I know to take it easy.


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## joeychitwood (Jul 10, 2017)

I fell skiing on January 20th and fractured my right clavicle into numerous pieces. I also fractured my proximal humerus, three left ribs and four right ribs. My clavicle was too shattered to repair surgically. I wore the figure of eight splint for weeks. Started working on range of motion initially. After about two months, I was able to start moving my right shoulder against resistance. Over time, I started lifting weights and doing ROM exercises.

I could only sleep on my back for over two months. Once the ribs healed enough to lay on my sides, I was able to rest better. I have prominent asymmetry of the right shoulder. I have pain with forward extension of the right arm and while reaching across my body. I've been able to ride my bike without difficulty, but I'm extremely careful, because I do not want to go through this again. I've had numerous surgeries and injuries over the years, but this was by far the most painful.


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## cdn-dave (Jan 6, 2007)

Get well soon guys!

I had my crash two days ago (Sat, Aug 19), managed to ride home, have a shower, and have my wife take me to the hospital. A z-break I guess, with the middle bit floating around somewhere (plus a broken thumb). The doc was hesitant to go straight to surgery, but because of the break and amount of overlap, it is an option.
We agreed to try the brace first and see how it heals - can still operate within a week if it doesn't look good.
I was sceptical from the get-go after seeing the x-ray:










So only two days in and waiting for the doc to call me back to indeed talk about surgery...

Guess I won't be racing on Saturday


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## cdn-dave (Jan 6, 2007)

Update - had surgery on Monday (2 days after the accident), and went home Tuesday. 1 plate, 5 screws, feeling surprisingly good. Bit of stomach problem Thursday but better today (Friday). Expecting to go back to work (desk jockey) on Monday - definitely happy with the progress!







Have a great weekend guys


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## katsup (Jun 28, 2016)

Broke my clavicle while commuting very slowing (just started from a stop sign). I walked the bike last block home. Was given the option of surgery, but chose not to. I stopped pain meds after about a week and quit the sling after 2.5wks. I'm in week 6 and feeling great, but staying off the bike. I do have some pain if I do too much, so I am being careful. My x-ray is not nearly as bad as some, I just couldn't believe I broke something on such a basic fall.

My dog has been on a lot of walks and the TV is being used a lot.


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## Hey_Watch_This (Feb 3, 2018)

Broke my clavicle in a few places on Saturday and didn't really know what to expect. This thread was a little disappointing because I was hoping for a quick recovery (6-8 weeks total). That doesn't seem to be a reasonable expectation but at least I know what's ahead of me, so thanks to everyone for sharing your stories.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

^ bummer. It takes time. Get started doing PT as soon as your Doc says you can.


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## Hey_Watch_This (Feb 3, 2018)

*OneSpeed* said:


> ^ bummer. It takes time. Get started doing PT as soon as your Doc says you can.


Saw the doc today. Z-type fracture with the middle section broken into several small pieces. Going to have surgery tomorrow. We discussed PT briely and I plan to bring it up again at the next appointment.


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## katsup (Jun 28, 2016)

Surgery is definitely the quickest way to recovery. I chose to let it heal and it has been ~7 months. I get a little sore if I stress it or sleep wrong, but it goes away quickly. I haven't ridden singletrack yet, but have been on 4hr road rides with my Vaya and 2hr fire road/gravel rides with my XC bike. They told me 6-8wk recovery, but I guess I am old (35), so it is taking longer.

I have full movement, just waiting for the soreness to stop before going back to singletrack.

Good luck with your surgery.


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## Hey_Watch_This (Feb 3, 2018)

katsup said:


> Good luck with your surgery.


Thanks man. Surgery went well. Doctor said it was broken worse than he thought, but everything should be good now.

I'm 41, so healing probably wont be as quick as I would like.


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## BossLog (Jan 28, 2015)

[QUOTE

I'm 41, so healing probably wont be as quick as I would like.[/QUOTE]

Broke mine into 5 pieces at 45yo. Took 6months before X-ray showed sufficient bone bridge for my doc to green light fall prone activity. Unfortunately leaning on handlebars sucked for at least 3 months. Road bike was worse that MTB. Mellow trail rides by 4 months.

Can't stress enough how much my PT helped work out all the junk and weakness in the surrounding neck, shoulder and torso tissues and joints which get way out of whack. Went through a couple PTs who were just green and going by text book until I got a good one. Get a good one.


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## fdes (Apr 16, 2014)

I was 44 when I broke mine in 5 pieces. Had surgery, was in a sling for 6 weeks, and was riding again 3 months after the crash. I didn't have PT, but I should have pushed for it, took me a while to get full range of movement. Oddly the only pace I still get pain is my arm, I have to constantly stretch out my left arm, I assume it was due to being in the sling so long.


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## sammieandkrisbey (Apr 16, 2014)

Mine was a severe break.....had surgery about two weeks after and was on trainer a week after surgery.


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## Hey_Watch_This (Feb 3, 2018)

Saw the PA today. Everything looks OK. She said it was broken into 6 pieces. She gave me a few exercises to do but was very adamant that I not lift anything heavy. She said that could cause the screws to loosen. Obviously, that would be bad. Did anyone else receive a similar warning? Anyone ever hear of screws coming loose?


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## katsup (Jun 28, 2016)

Hey_Watch_This said:


> Anyone ever hear of screws coming loose?


On an episode of Naked and Afraid, which aired 18 March 2018, the woman had a large log fall on her repaired clavicle and it knocked a screw loose. They showed an x-ray of it at the end. That was the first I heard of it.

I let mine heal and just received the "all done" at my last visit. It took 7 months. I planned to be conservative for a few more months, but no more Dr visits needed.


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## BossLog (Jan 28, 2015)

Until a solid bone bridge froms your screws are threaded into the relative mush of the intramedullary canal. It will take months for your shattered clavicle to become a solid cantilever. Until then loads can definitely cause the screws to move around in that intramedullary tissue and cause damage and delay healing. 

The PA is probably referring to this, not screws backing out or anything. Do the redundant PT rubber band exercises to ensure your shoulder moves correctly when you’re ready to take on more.


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## Vegard (Jul 16, 2009)

Hey_Watch_This said:


> Saw the PA today. Everything looks OK. She said it was broken into 6 pieces. She gave me a few exercises to do but was very adamant that I not lift anything heavy. She said that could cause the screws to loosen. Obviously, that would be bad. Did anyone else receive a similar warning? Anyone ever hear of screws coming loose?
> 
> View attachment 1190904


It's true, I felt the plate move at one point when I was out of my sling and walking. Doc later noted that the plate had moved slightly. Takes some time for the bone to set around the screws.


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## Dr Gigi (Nov 3, 2016)

Broke my left clavicle in November of last year, had surgery a week later on 11/22, day before Thanksgiving. My orthopedist said it was a top 10 most difficult collar bone he's had to put back together. I ended up with a long plate with 11 screws. I had assumed the healing was going well, as I got my ROM back within 3 weeks post surgery, never needed PT, and have really not had any pain whatsoever. I had been surfing and riding mellow trails since about 2.5 months out of surgery. Well, I recently got an xray 4 months out of surgery, and it showed very little new bone growth, to my disappointment. The doc said it's going to be a long recovery with how bad the break was and my slow healing, so he recommended a bone stimulator. After hearing how much they were, I did a quick search on ebay and picked up a used one for $120. I figure it can't hurt, and for that price its worth trying. So I have been using it the past couple weeks for 3 hours a day. Fingers crossed my next xray in 6 weeks will show more progress...


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## Hey_Watch_This (Feb 3, 2018)

I was filming during my crash, and posted the video to YouTube last night. It's a pretty lame crash considering the damage that was done. In fact, I'm sure that I've hit much harder during other crashes.


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## JRutter (Oct 24, 2016)

Good info in this thread. I'm 6 weeks out from breaking my clavicle and distal radius, and having surgery on both. The wrist has been worse as far as stiffness and pain. The collarbone is feeling pretty good and they said no restrictions on movement, just no lifting until we see bone healing - hopefully at my next followup at week 10.
















I just turned 50 and also got serious pushback from my wife on riding going forward. Our out of pocket costs will be close to $10K for this and my business has been impacted. I'm going to go the route of getting some coaching to make more "normal" trails more fun. Risk to reward is just too high at this point in my life to go back to jumping. At least that's how it feels today.


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