# Not sure what to do...broken clavicle and torn TFCC ~9 mo ago



## 20civic07 (Jul 12, 2008)

broken clavicles suck, there's no doubt about it. i have a pretty big bump on where my clavicle is, and my shoulder/clavicle has chronic pain associated with it. i never really noticed the pain when my arm was in the sling, but once i started moving the arm again it started to hurt. now, when i fell, i also tore my TFCC in my right wrist and I had already gotten surgery for that AND shaving a small protrusion on my clavicle. The bone was forming somewhat of a edge on the skin and would hurt to have a shirt on.

i had my surgery in december of last year, to fix my wrist and shave off the clavicle edge sticking out but i still experience pain in my wrist and shoulder.

my wrist never hurt just sitting there before, but now it does (after the surgery) but it doesn't hurt as much as before when i am supinating and pronating. my clavicle bump hurts when i have a back pack on or a passenger side seat belt on (right side clavicle). I've been to 3 clavicle doctors and every one tells me that to shave off the distal end of the clavicle a little. none of the doctors say that i should have my clavicle re-broken to re-plate it so the bump goes away. they said that if it wasn't part of something like a career (like a model or actor) then i shouldn't worry about it. WTF? I love to mtb and road race (w/ a car) and to mtb i usually carry a pack around but it hurts now, and road racing requires a safety harness that straps in over the clavicle. The doctors say that the risk of the bone re-healing isn't worth it for me to have it re-broken ~5% of it not mending.

for my wrist, i saw 2 doctors, 1 of which "repaired" my torn TFCC, and another recommends recessing the ulna, cutting it in half and cutting a couple mm off of it and plating it back. 

I don't know what to do, none of the doctors I saw will re-break the clavicle to get rid of the bump and potentially my chronic shoulder pain, but i also don't want to recess my ulna because I am afraid that it wont get rid of the TFCC pain. 

so far i have been very unimpressed with the level of medical attention with doctors here. one recommends breaking the ulna to recess it, but the other doesnt recommend breaking my clavicle because there is a chance for my clavicle not healing???

what do you guys think i should do? get someone who will re-break the clavicle? shorten the distal end of the clavicle? get the surgery on the ulna for the wrist, yet again? please place yourself in my position, instead of saying "do what the doctors tell you" because i've undergone the TFCC repair and it didnt work, my torn TFCC was initially misdiagnosed as a sprained wrist because the doctor didn't seem like my injury was that big of deal (i was all torn up, blood gushing from my hands, road rash on my arm, back, knee. on top of everything, it took about 3 hours JUST to get medical attention after signing into the hospital.

should i wait to see if my original TFCC repair heals? the doctor originally told me 3 months, then the PA told me 6 months to a year to fully recover for the TFCC.


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## 20civic07 (Jul 12, 2008)

anyone?


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## Dave101 (Jul 19, 2009)

*I'm in a similar situation*

How are you doing? I had my collarbone broke in a car wreck 2 years ago. The stupid doctors in the ER didn't repair it and sent me home with a figure 8 brace. I was referred to an Orthopedic doctor and surgeon and they gave me the same bull***t about the collarbone healing on its own and about the risk of surgery. I took their advice, I mean these doctors have experience and education what do I know! Wrong choice I now have a mal-union,
the bone did not heal straight and my left shoulder is a noticeable 2 inches short than my right and there is constant pain in my shoulder, back and neck. I'm still searching for options on surgery to repair my mal-union, I've seen alot of info on Dr. Carl Basamania doing these type of repairs.
Its been a few weeks since your post let me know how your situation has evolved! To anyone reading this post if your clavicle breaks get it repaired don't listen to that bulls**t the doctors give you about a figure 8 brace and risk of surgery!


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