# broken collar bone, surgery or no?



## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

so i broke my collar bone yesterday and i go to see the orthopedist tomorrow i hope. the brief explanation i got from the ER doc said that they will likely decide to leave it as is. 







to me it is way too offset and mis-aligned to heal properly the way it is.

my main concern is strength. i want the strongest possible solution so when i crash in the future i dont break it again. i was told that the strength of a surgical repair and just letting it heal are about the same.

any opinions or advice would be appreciated from those with experience.


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

I'm not a doctor, so take all this as second hand bs from an random guy on the Internet, but :

See a few doctors, if you can do it all in 1-2 days, and make sure they are shoulder docs, not general orthos. Make sure the doc does mostly adult sports injuries, not geriatric or pediatric stuff, that might affect their perspective. I saw two, and got completely different answers. One guy told me to wait and see, next guy told me mine will never fuse because it was distal (towards the outside), which means your AC is pulling down on the end and your trap is pulling up on the inner portion. I had to see a third to confirm that it would never fuse. Upon opening it up, there was actually four pieces in there which would have complicated self fusing. Mine was a little further distal than yours. Yours looks pretty clean and medial, and hopefully your AC ligaments are intact, I had some damage to my trapezoidal ligament.

With this kind of surgery, I don't think you want to wait around to see if it _ might _ fuse. I was told if you get a partial / misaligned fuse, it could be MUCH longer and might never be the same. With knee surgeries and such, ligaments, cartilage, etc, the wrong surgery could make it worse, but I don't think that's as true with this, except for the fact that you'll eventually want a followup to take it out, which will weaken the clavicle again for some time. If you need it, you wanna get it done ASAP and start healing.

Good luck man, the prognosis for this injury is very good, likely 100%. Follow instructions to exercise and when you get the go ahead, push through. I think the clavicle is sort of an evolutionary lizard tail, it breaks so other more important stuff like the capsul, scapula and rotators don't.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

good stuff thanks. the Doc i'm seeing is an upper body specialist. i also have contacts through family friends for second opinions which i plan on getting. all good points though. i'm definitely favoring surgery at this point. 

thanks


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## mtbbiker (Apr 8, 2004)

My brother just went through this & chose surgery. When they opened him up the X-rays didn't show just how bad the break was as it was broken in several more pieces. The doctor stated it most likely wouldn't have healed up properly without surgery. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

I am currently recovering from surgery (I have a thread in here too! Haha) for a break that actually looks very similar to yours. 

Sure, in a lot of people they’ll let that heal. But in active people that demand a lot from their body, and want full range of motion, faster recovery, etc… I would almost put money on surgery here. The distance of separation, combined with the overlap makes me think that. 

But I can tell you this… the surgery is not that bad, and I woke up feel SO much better than the few days before surgery. It felt so much better to have your shoulder stabilized than it did floating around. 

Just make sure the orthopedist understands your goals for your recovery before suggesting the various treatment options. And don’t stress the surgery. Yeah, it’s not fun. But it wasn’t nearly as painful as I had expected it to be.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

cool. thanks for the input. i have no fear of the surgery, been there before with my knee a couple times. dont care about the pain. i'm after the strongest repair possible with fastest possible recovery as second priority. 

again, good points thanks


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

just got a call from ortho, cant get an earlier appt than wed. at 11. pretty sure i'll be out of pain pills before then but whatever. Pita!

What kind of recovery times are common for this thing? i plan on being on a trainer next week, or asap. i realize i wont be able to ride in the woods for a while but i would like to continue my training as much as possible. 

timing really couldn't be worse for me. i just moved into a new apartment last week, i'm not even unpacked. and worse, i just won my first race ever last week. i was pumped for this season and in the best shape ive ever been in. i'm also job hunting, i was going to start looking for a job today. anyone know of a good job for a one armed guy?


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

I chronicled my recovery to 10 weeks below. I'd say it was 16w full recovery (till able to do whatever I wanted with it) and 4mos to 100% strength, using incline bench press as a measure. My military press still lags but not worried about it.

Everyone is different but you can get an idea of the major milestones.

http://forums.mtbr.com/rider-down-injuries-recovery/broken-clavicle-what-did-you-do-927054-2.html


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

So what did doc say?


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

just got home. took new x-rays and they were no better but things had moved around a bit. thr bone is too fragmented, displaced and separated to heal properly on its own. surgery scheduled for monday. he plans on using a stainless steel strap across the bone with screws going down through. he may also use a piece of cadaver bone to fill a gap if necessary. sweet. 

recovery is 3-4 months. can't ride a bike outside for a while, but i can ride an indoor trainer after a couple weeks. 

the Dr. seems to have a good reputation and does these surgeries often. he said all the right things and matched up with what i i expected to hear after doing some online research. this is the result i was hoping for so i'm pleased.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Ide be on that trainer indoors as soon as I was able. I did it 3 days post op and it was awesome. Just don't put the bad arm on the bars. 

Sounds like good news. Keep active and don't let the negativity sink in after 2-3 weeks like I did. Walk, do the trainer, focus on an old abandoned hobby, and check in here for encouragement.


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## geekonabike (Jun 1, 2010)

I never go to the doc 4 a Cbone brake, I make a sling & start waiting. Usually back on MTB in 3 weeks, road bike after two.


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

geekonabike said:


> I never go to the doc 4 a Cbone brake, I make a sling & start waiting. Usually back on MTB in 3 weeks, road bike after two.


If you didn't go to the doc, how did you know it broke


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

pointerDixie214 said:


> Ide be on that trainer indoors as soon as I was able. I did it 3 days post op and it was awesome. Just don't put the bad arm on the bars.
> 
> Sounds like good news. Keep active and don't let the negativity sink in after 2-3 weeks like I did. Walk, do the trainer, focus on an old abandoned hobby, and check in here for encouragement.


thanks for your positive comments. i agree, i'm going to be on the trainer soon. i had a friend deliver it yesterday so i think i can get in a few days of riding before surgery, and i'll be ready to go post op.

i plan on keeping this thread updated as i go along. i'll include as many visuals as possible because i know everyone wants to see x-rays and such. i forgot to get a pic of the new x-rays. i'll get it on monday.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

geekonabike said:


> I never go to the doc 4 a Cbone brake, I make a sling & start waiting. Usually back on MTB in 3 weeks, road bike after two.


your clearly much tougher than i am.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

BENKD29 said:


> your clearly much tougher than i am.


Or he clearly didn't break his collarbone like you did. lol


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

so the work stand has been replaced with a borrowed trainer. did my first ride today. works well. you'll have to forgive the dorky upright bike, but it suits my needs perfectly.

i did 1.5 hours ~22 miles. its a pretty sweaty and boring experience (first timer) but it felt good to get a workout in. i set up a fan and my computer right in front of me so i can watch movies and have a little air flow.

collar bone feels pretty good. every day i have better range of motion and less pain. too bad that will all change monday. but if i start healing this quickly after the procedure i will be very happy. really i just want to get back to work and be able to ride outside. maybe i'll put the trainer out there...


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

So... How'd it go? I guess maybe you're still a little loopy from the anesthesia, but some of us want to know! Haha


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

yesterday was a long day! but i'm all patched up. 12 hours at the hospital, there were many delays, then the surgery took longer than expected.

so Doc said it was much worse than expected when he got in there. there were many "razor sharp" fragments that were turned around or totally out of place. he also discovered that the bone had split length-wise down the middle (which you can clearly see on the right side bone of pic #2 at bottom). ultimately he said it was a real good thing i opted to have it repaired as it would never have healed properly and it would have been permanently pushed over out of place and weak.

he had to wire things in place before adding the plate and screws then removed the wire. also "packed in" a fair amount of cadaver bone near the middle. all in all he was happy with the results, so i'm happy too.

like i said, yesterday sucked. i had a 2+ hour ride in a truck strait out of the hospital. big mistake! i didn't really have a choice though. i felt sick, couldn't eat, and in moderate pain. today is already way better. not much pain, though i'm probably still partially under the influence of the "block" which made my entire right arm totally numb. it was a pretty unnerving feeling not to be able to feel or move your entire arm but it's 95% back now. lasts 12-24 hrs.

the only pain i really feel so far is in the skin where the staples are. and its really not bad. lets hope the worst is over...

now on to the visuals. first x-ray is the day it happened. second was 4 days later. things moved a bit and you can see the split better. and third is the after pic.

feel free to ask questions if i left anything out. and thanks again for all the well wishes.


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

After you get your stitches off, start massaging that incision daily. You'll need to build up scar tissue on the inside, where the skin rests on the screws. Backpacks and camelbacks will hurt at first then get better. Carrying skis and similar items will hurt for a long time.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Procter said:


> After you get your stitches off, start massaging that incision daily. You'll need to build up scar tissue on the inside, where the skin rests on the screws. Backpacks and camelbacks will hurt at first then get better. Carrying skis and similar items will hurt for a long time.


good point thanks. i hadn't thought of that. hmm. i was about to buy a big waterproof backpack for hauling stuff around in. like for commuting or groceries etc. but now i might hold off. or maybe a big messenger bag would be better. that way there is no pressure on that shoulder.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Procter said:


> After you get your stitches off, start massaging that incision daily. You'll need to build up scar tissue on the inside, where the skin rests on the screws. Backpacks and camelbacks will hurt at first then get better. Carrying skis and similar items will hurt for a long time.


This is good advice, and it will also encourage the feeling over the scar to come back quicker due to stimulating it.

And the scar will burn in the sun faster than the rest of your body, so don't go shirtless for awhile, and then use sun BLOCK (not sun screen).

Glad you're on the other side. Keep us posted.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

so three days ago i rescued a woman in distress in a dark alley (aka carrying groceries home) and felt a "not good" feeling pain in my shoulder immediately afterwards. it was a new and sharp pain, kind of a burning pain, right near the top of my shoulder. it hurt more than even right after surgery. it felt wrong. 

so i called and described what happened and the Doc/nurse could not see me, this was friday morning before a holiday weekend, so they recommended i go to emergency. so i went and had a picture taken and everything seems to be still in place bone wise. 

I think i pulled something loose above the bone in the tissue. the pain has been hard to pinpoint. i had the ER doc check the staples and they seem to be in tact. I wonder if there is stitches in the tissue somewhere between the plate and the staples on the outside. 

i definitely pissed it off, I'm just disappointed because the surgeon did such a nice job, i was not in a lot of pain at all, and i wrecked it. not totally but i pulled something loose. 

now it hurts quite a bit to put an ice pack on the top of my shoulder. where it didn't before. it's much more sensitive to the touch. 

at this point i'm just continuing to take pain meds, more on that in a sec., and waiting for my follow up appt on wednesday. 

medication: so i started taking 800mg IBuprofen post op with the Percocet as per my discharge papers. i later called for a prescription refill and the nurse told me i should not be taking the IBuprofen because there are study's that say it inhibits bone regeneration. I've read that too recently. she said to buy some Tylenol. 

that was a bummer because between the Percocet and IBuprofen, the IBuprofen is more effective at relieving the pain, and it lasts 8hrs not 6. 

so i got to thinking about it and Tylenol, which i've never taken before, is acetaminophen like the Percocet. so i asked the pharmacist while i was at the drug store and he told me the max daily dose is 4000mg. but why would i substitute a good pain reliever with a normal dose of tylenol which i believe does almost nothing for pain relief? bad plan. so i'm just taking the percocet until it's gone, and using some left over Delaudid to help when needed. I'll save the tylenol for down the road when the pain is less.


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

I had similar setbacks but it always turned out to be fine, nothing broke loose. As far as tissue above the bone, that would be just skin, and it's hard to foresee that breaking loose or getting aggravated from lifting groceries. From carrying something on top, over the shoulder, maybe. But regardless it's probably fine if nothing was detectable on x-ray. 

As far as ibuprofen, I was told the same. But the medical opinion seems to be mixed on that, especially if your own doc prescribed it on your discharge. 

I tried to get off the oxycodone as quickly as possible due to the potential for addiction and the mental effects (I went back to my office job three days after surgery). I was on straight acetaminophen from then on, 2000mg /day was sufficient. I tried to stay way below the 4000mg max, with the reasoning that liver damage doesn't just start after some threshold.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Same as you and Proctor, I overdid it a couple times and it usually hurt like hell after like you describe. I found the Tylenol to be awesome from 48 hours post op on. And was told the same thing about ibuprofen. 

What I have learned is the Tylenol is the best OTC for bone pain, ibuprofen for muscle pain, and Aleve for joint pain. 

Try it. You may be pleasantly surprised.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

thanks, yeah i'm going to make the switch soon. especially since i now have a giant bottle of 500 pills. 

the bones feel good, i'm really surprised how much less this repair hurts, post op, than my two knee surgeries (meniscus) 15+ years ago. those were scoped but 10x more painful. although the pain immediately after the injury was the opposite. knee didn't hurt so bad, collarbone was excruciating. 

i feel like in another week or maybe less i may not need any medication, except when it hurts. i imagine when i start therapy or being more active i'll just take tylenol as needed. 

what kind of supplements or vitamins should i be taking? I take a multi vitamin, and a 500mg calcium citrate + D3. 

i've read that it's good to take vitamins K,C,B6,D, calcium, Zinc, magnesium, copper phosphorus, and silicon. 

i also read that defatted soy flour is one of the best for healing bones but don't know if i could buy it buy it locally or what i would use it in? maybe i could bake cookies. 

anything else?


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

All those things and a lot of fish. haha

If you like them, sardines and salted herring are some of the best for calcium and omega 3 and 6...


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

had my two week checkup yesterday. all is well. had another x-ray, and got my staples removed.

the only negative thing was removing the "tape" that held on the gauze. that stuff is pure evil. it was about 3" wide and three strips across covering my entire shoulder, just past where they shaved up to. ugh, i can't believe that even after being on there for 9 days that stuff was still so sticky. it felt like they were tearing my skin off when they were removing it.

other than that it was pretty uneventful. see you in 3 weeks for your next dose of radiation.

new pic of plate/screws with staples.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Good report. The radiograph is hilarious with the staples still in there. Lol


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## pharmaboy (Nov 11, 2005)

By the way - on your using it a few days after surgery. The local anaesthetic they out in during surgery lasts for around 3 days, so the change in discomfort could easily have just been that, but because it correlated with your acute pain on picking something up, it seems like the picking up of the groceries did it.

For others reading this in the future - a kilo is the weight limit - stick to it


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

^ agreed. it was too soon after surgery to carry that much weight the distance that i did, even though i only used my good arm. but what was i supposed to do? i gotta eat. anyway, too late now. now that all the bandages and padding are off i can tell more accurately where the pain is coming from, cause it's not gone. it's near the inner end of the plate (picture right above), and shallow. it is sensitive to the touch. i'm still pissed that i messed up an otherwise perfect repair job by my surgeon. 

speaking of nerve sensitivity, i do have a bit of a numb spot just below the scar. it's not terrible, but definitely odd feeling. hopefully it improves with time but frankly not overly concerned about it in comparison to all the other things i want to go right. 

my range of motion is coming back quickly. i feel like i'm making progress every day and able to use the arm for more and more things. i can get my fork to my face now and get a q-tip in my ear.  it's the little things in life...

i feel like i could ride my trainer soon, with one arm in the sling, couple more days and i'll give it a try. 

I'll get a scar pic posted in another day or two.


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## pharmaboy (Nov 11, 2005)

Benkd29, truly, it's very unlikely that you have messed anything up - it's totally normal for the wound and plates to hurt more after a few days . In both of my surgeries, the first few days were the best, then it got worse for a week, before it started to get better in the pain dept.

Any twinges that cause pain tend to be from soft tissue - so the closure, stitches etc rather than the hardware.

Of course, this will be different for different types of surgeries, but that experience for me was the same for an anterior plating and superior one, both with locking screws, but no ties.

Numbness is usually related to type of plate as to whether it is permanent or not - and whether they had to sever the nerve.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

I am with pharmaboy. I don't think you screwed anything up. As scar tissue builds up the pain from the plate will go away. 

The numbness is something my doc said to expect because it happens in about 95% of these surgeries. She said it will get smaller, but probably will never go fully away. Mine has shrank quite a bit, but it still feels funny to scrub it in the shower, or when my shirt brushes against it. Overall I ain't mad at it though. haha


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

so i did my first ride on the trainer today. about an hour and 17 miles. after being in peak form just before my crash i'm pretty surprised how quickly you can lose it. after three weeks of not riding my heart is out of shape, not to mention my legs and lungs.

really it wasn't that bad, but my heart was thumping. mostly riding with one arm except the few times i stood up.

things are going well. the pain is less, just taking tylenol, and my range of motion is coming back. reaching backwards and out to the side is ok, trying to reach forward and up still feels uncomfortable.

i got a surprise at the doctors office two days ago. I've lost 9 lbs in just under three weeks. not good, i am a pretty skinny guy to begin with. i was 205 just before surgery, now i'm 196. this whole time i've been trying to watch what i eat because all i do most days is hang around the house and eat all day. i thought i may have even gained a few pounds. I must have lost a lot of muscle mass. i figured a couple pounds in my arm and shoulder but where the hell did the rest go?

anyway, I'll be doing regular rides on the trainer now so i hope that will help. hope to be able to ride rail trail in another 7-10 days. i have a bike that is pretty upright so i think it's a good possibility.

and now for the visuals. first with the staples under the bandage, then with the staples removed, and last completely uncovered.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

last update, then i'll let the thread die.

4 weeks post OP.

everything is going well. went to see the Doc yesterday, everything looks good. range of motion gets better every day, and pain is less. he had me raise my bad arm, using the muscles in my good arm only, up as high as i could and i went all the way up. i was shocked, i didn't realize i could do that. under it's own power my bad arm only goes up about half way until there is an uncomfortable pressure type feeling. it's not a sharp pain. still, that was a surprise.

i do have a strange bruise that won't go away (see below) on my upper arm between the upper bicep and lower shoulder muscles. i couldn't figure why it's there, and why it won't go away? he said it's just the junk draining from the injury/surgery to the lowest point and quite common.









surprisingly he said i didn't need physical therapy, which i was looking forward to. because i'm young (34) and in good shape and the co-pays are expensive ish. i may call him back and request it anyway at lease to get me started on the right path. i don't really know stretching exercises, or strength exercises that are safe/appropriate. down the road i know how to get my strength back but i think it would be good to have a professional plan for the beginning.

i also asked about having the plate and screws removed. my concern is that when (not if) i crash again, and break it, will having those screws in there do way more damage than if they were not there. he said yes probably, but also said he doesn't do it unless someone really begs and pleads for it. the reason is because it's like starting all over post op. another 3 month recovery etc. and there are no guarantees that everything will come out smoothly. and that usually when people break a bone again it is where the screw holes were.

I'm thinking late Nov.-Dec. is a good time for surgery. if i decide to have them taken out it will be then.

the scar looks good but is still pretty sensitive. i have got a little of the feeling back just below the scar. instead of vague pressure i can feel tingling which is an improvement.

i have been riding almost every day on the trainer for two weeks, until a few days ago. i had to run a few errands and decided to ride. i know my shoulder is not strong enough to steer offroad, or even reach the bars and carry my upper body weight on my regular bikes, but i have an upright bike with a short cockpit and figured i could ride one handed mostly. (btw i hate hate hate that freaking trainer. riding indoors SUCKS and i could barely force myself to stay on it for an hour or so before giving up.) I ended up feeling good and did 23 miles and 733 ft of vertical.

my arm was a little soar, the muscles and tendons not the bone, so i rested for a day and iced it as per usual and decided it was ok. i've since done another "training ride" where i just went to a local park and rode up and down the same hill on a paved road till i was satisfied. ended up doing 1400 ft. i miss hills, a lot. it is sooo much better riding outside.

I've also started running, twice so far just in the last couple days, at first i wasn't sure if the impact and bouncing motion would be too jarring for my bones. it was borderline a few days ago but now it's ok.

so I will continue to ride on paved roads for now in safe areas mostly away from traffic. my biggest fear is crashing or tripping and crunching my still soft bones. I'm not interested in pushing it on downhills or anything, just take it easy for now and hammer the uphills, which i like anyway.

if everything goes to plan it should be pretty strait forward from here. thanks again to everyone who offered advice in the beginning. it was much appreciated. hopefully some of the info here will help someone else some day.

happy riding -Ben


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Good stuff! I had a yellowish bruise around there for about 7 weeks post op. No PT needed here. I am now 10 weeks post op and feel 100%. Cleared to ride etc... 

I have no plans to remove the hardware. Risks of complications from that are higher than the risk of it messing things up. My surgeon even told me that my right clavicle will be stronger than the other one with the plate. 

Keep up the training, that'll help.


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## Epic_Dude (May 31, 2010)

Good stuff BENKD29! I'm also an avid MTB rider who broke my collarbone on 5/15, surgery on 5/22. I'm following your recovery closely. Which state do you live in? I'm in Georgia.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

pointerDixie214 said:


> Good stuff! I had a yellowish bruise around there for about 7 weeks post op. No PT needed here. I am now 10 weeks post op and feel 100%. Cleared to ride etc...
> 
> I have no plans to remove the hardware. Risks of complications from that are higher than the risk of it messing things up. My surgeon even told me that my right clavicle will be stronger than the other one with the plate.
> 
> Keep up the training, that'll help.


nice, i'm hoping in about 2 weeks i'll be able to ride trails. my plan is to just ride normally except on the downhills where i'll have to go slow to ensure i don't crash. i think it's highly unlikely i'll crash going uphill so i'll still hammer those pretty hard.

I'm still considering having the hardware removed. i have time to think about it and do a bit of research. i'm just worried about how often i crash and that it didn't really take much in my opinion to break it. i can't even imagine what it would look like if i did the same thing with a plate and screws in there. not good. and now it will not be as strong so it could happen easier. I'm not going to lose sleep over it either way, just something to think about.



Epic_Dude said:


> Good stuff BENKD29! I'm also an avid MTB rider who broke my collarbone on 5/15, surgery on 5/22. I'm following your recovery closely. Which state do you live in? I'm in Georgia.


huh, bad week for collarbones. did you also execute a non-traditional dismount?

I'm in Rochester, NY.


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## Epic_Dude (May 31, 2010)

BENKD29 said:


> nice, i'm hoping in about 2 weeks i'll be able to ride trails. my plan is to just ride normally except on the downhills where i'll have to go slow to ensure i don't crash. i think it's highly unlikely i'll crash going uphill so i'll still hammer those pretty hard.
> 
> I'm still considering having the hardware removed. i have time to think about it and do a bit of research. i'm just worried about how often i crash and that it didn't really take much in my opinion to break it. i can't even imagine what it would look like if i did the same thing with a plate and screws in there. not good. and now it will not be as strong so it could happen easier. I'm not going to lose sleep over it either way, just something to think about.
> 
> ...


I was thrown off the bike onto my right shoulder on a downhill section. Not exactly over the bars like many who get a collarbone injury.

The worst part about my story is I am still recovering from a Tib-Fib break that required a plate and nine screws in my leg. That injury happened back in December (not mountain biking), by March I was back on the trails and was starting to get back into shape when I broke my collarbone.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

jeez, talk about getting kicked while your down. sorry to hear that. though i would imagine this recovery will prove easy by comparison to the leg break.


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## Epic_Dude (May 31, 2010)

BENKD29 said:


> jeez, talk about getting kicked while your down. sorry to hear that. though i would imagine this recovery will prove easy by comparison to the leg break.


So far so good. Last weekend I got out and did a lot of yard work, physical therapy twice a week. The collarbone seems to be healing fine, next checkup is on July 9th (6 weeks after surgery), should be the last X-ray.

The leg was pretty bad. When I slipped and fell on some steps, my right foot rotated about 100 degrees around to the right. Broke the medial off on the tibia, and had a spiral fracture of the fibula. Fibula was shattered and they added a plate and screws, similar to what's in my collarbone now.

Leg break happened on December 5th of last year, was put into a soft cast then a hard cast. Surgery not until December 23rd due to needing the swelling to decrease. 1 week in a soft cast after surgery, 3 weeks in a hard cast after that. Once the hard cast was removed I started PT, however, no weight bearing for another three weeks. At this point I had been on crutches for about 7 weeks. Then I slowly started to walk again, transitioned to one crutch, then to no crutches. Another 6 weeks of PT and I was walking with a limp. Still have a limp when I get up in the morning, so still stiff 6 months after surgery.

I need to get back on a bike! We'll see in another couple weeks if they clear me to start riding again.


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## jasoncruise89 (Aug 9, 2015)

I broke my clavicle a bit like that 7weeks ago when I went back to the hospital they said their going to leave it another 6 weeks to see if it will fuse , I seen the x ray from day 1 and 6week mark you can clearly see its moved apart a cm or 2 should I have to wait this long ?


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## Epic_Dude (May 31, 2010)

I wouldn't think you should need to wait 13 weeks for the clavicle to heal. If they had plated it from the start, you would basically be healed by now. I would not want the pain of having a break not heal for long of time, seems like the doctors are torturing you. Do you live in the US or another country?


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## dledinger (Nov 29, 2014)

They take forever to heal without surgery, but that was the status quo for a long time. If you can get it fixed properly then go for it. It's worth it.


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## jasoncruise89 (Aug 9, 2015)

Ireland Dublin , the most annoying thing is not being as active as usual and the bone sticks out very noticeably. The pain isn't too bad though


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

that's a long time to be in a sling. the longer you go without being able to use your arm, the more your muscles deteriorate and the longer it is going to take to get back to full strength. 

if it hasn't fused in 7 weeks, it seems likely that it's either not going to, or take a very long time. 

i would recommend you get a second opinion asap. 

if you are going to have it repaired, don't wait. it just delays your recovery.


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

jasoncruise89 said:


> I broke my clavicle a bit like that 7weeks ago when I went back to the hospital they said their going to leave it another 6 weeks to see if it will fuse , I seen the x ray from day 1 and 6week mark you can clearly see its moved apart a cm or 2 should I have to wait this long ?


Agree with others, your healing should be much further along by now. I don't know how it works in Ireland but in the states, usually hospital is for initial diagnosis, which is then referred to an orthopedic specialist (specifically a shoulder specialist) who works out of their own clinic.

After my break, I saw a general ortho (knee / shoulder / hip etc) who did mostly kids elderly, and was not a sports /adult expert, nor a shoulder expert. He thought it would fuse and wanted to wait, but two other doctors told me the same day he was wrong and it would not fuse due it being on the outer third. The trapezius pulls the inner part up and the AC pulls the fragment down. Each break is different and there's so kinds of special cases like that. For kids, the original docs advice might have been fine since their bones heal faster. With the elderly it might have been the best advice too since surgery is risky and they won't be carrying much. But not for an adult athlete.

It sounds like you are dealing with one of those generalists. Find a shoulder guy who does sports injuries.


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## jasoncruise89 (Aug 9, 2015)

Yeah now you mention it each of the doctors I've seen didn't seem to have a clue , every time I asked a question about the break they would leave the room and come back with the answer.


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## jasoncruise89 (Aug 9, 2015)

My profile pic shows the xray I had done the one on the left is august 4 the other Is July 22, after this xray they sent me to physiotherapy I can't do certain movements like lift the arm over the head , the physio is for the shoulder so it doesn't get stiff but all the pain is right at the point where it broke around the skin and inside


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

I'm no doctor, but i play one on the internet. that thing needs a plate and screws! again i recommend going to talk to a doctor who knows what they're doing. it's already been too long. get it fixed, you won't regret it. 

i was riding my bike again after only 3-4 weeks if i remember correctly. and able to lift my arm over my head, though assisted by my other arm. by 6 weeks i was riding rough trails again, nearly at full speed. 

you should be way ahead of where you are.


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## pharmaboy (Nov 11, 2005)

R


jasoncruise89 said:


> My profile pic shows the xray I had done the one on the left is august 4 the other Is July 22, after this xray they sent me to physiotherapy I can't do certain movements like lift the arm over the head , the physio is for the shoulder so it doesn't get stiff but all the pain is right at the point where it broke around the skin and inside


Jason, you are in a different health system where surgical procedures are done when required as opposed to when the patient thinks they are required ( the US). Here in Australia, as a mid clavicle fracture, you would also not be surgically repaired - the evidence is there is no long term benefit for intervention. The evidence as I remember it is that a small percentage of such fractures will not heal at 12 weeks and of those not healed at 12, a decent proportion will remain as a non union, thus they will consider surgery on your case at a set period of time if it's still a non-union.

The orthopaedic trainee will know those exact numbers and when it stacks up for you, but chances are that you are seeing a junior doctor in most fracture clinics of public hospitals which is why they have to ask someone and leave the room - either the surgeon is in the other room or at least the advanced trainee ( who has been a dr for around 8 years minimum , and a surgeon for 3 or 4).

You can get around this by taking your X-rays and going to see a private surgeon in his rooms who will discuss the outcomes etc, but this will cost. I am guessing you don't have private health insurance which makes a private procedure if required difficult - if you do, then that is certainly an option.

that seperation is not indicated for a plate, but if it's becomes a defined non Union it will be.

Also keep in mind, that as a % of GDP America has the highest cost health system in the world and rates in the middle of the pack for outcomes, so their penchant for surgically repairing everything isn't necessarily best.


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## wideawakejake (Jan 18, 2015)

i see this is a long older post, but i also have experiance with this injury. i broke my right collar bone endoing my 426 dirtbike into the ground. sheared the collarbone in half, clean break. First Ortho Dr i saw would not tell me one way or the other if i should repair it with surgery, or let it heal on its own. Here in the US , some Dr's let the fear of possible malpractice guide their prognosis and treatment. i than went to a Sports medicine Ortho specialist , and he said since the two ends of bone are laying in contact with eachother, to let it heal on its own. my collarbone fused together and was back in action in two months. you can see a bump below my trap but thats it. I swear i remember him saying the fused bone will heal stronger than before the break, but im not sure. my buddy just broke his in quite a few places endoing his mtb. He needed surgery, a plate and screws and was out for 3.5 months. You should really try and see a sports Ortho, esspecially one that works with local professional sports teams. good luck with the healing , hope it all goes well.


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## Epic_Dude (May 31, 2010)

Your buddy was out for 3 1/2 months after surgery on his collarbone? That's odd, I was out of work for two weeks total, was back to mountain biking within 7-8 weeks after surgery.


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## wideawakejake (Jan 18, 2015)

yes he was . but he is also a firefighter , so ussually our back to work dates are longer out, esspecially with surgeries. its really easy for us to mess things up again at work of it isnt healed yet. his was a pretty nasty break also on a shoulder he had rotator cuff surgery on the previous year. I was only out a month and a half with mine, but i did not require surgery. I get a clicking noise when i lift my arm above the shoulder ever since, but thats it.


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