Clavicle Error - Broken Collarbone

I had a long awaited shoulder surgery today (think 4 years). Lots done, grinding away bone. reattaching ligaments etc. Trying to ride it out with no painkillers - shit smarts!

I feel kinda elated though purely from the vindication of them finding exactly the problems I self diagnosed, and treating them when I have been through multiple consultants, several MRI's, an Xray athrogram - which all said there was nothing wrong.

Now someone bust out a pun to distract me from the pain!

I broke my right clavicle the day before we broke up for Summer on a group ride. Hit the deck at about 25, cracked my S-Works previal almost clean in half and got this cool X ray

Did this in July and only just feeling confident riding in close proximity with a group again.
Clavicles suck, you have to sleep on your back which is the worse torture.
Just try and get on the turbo as soon as you can manage.

EDIT- I had a plate put into mine, I believe this was the right decision, it cut the healing time and gave me a better scar. Only down side is they didn't want to take it out, so if I (which is likely) come off again and land on my right side, I could have a worse break with the plate still in. I play water polo and I feel like I've recovered extremely well if you overlook the gnarly scar (staple marks and all) and the loss of feeling surrounding the immediate area of the right clavicle

I fucked my clavicle/shoulder in the summer of 06, after being sideswiped in Hampstead.

This isn't me but this is exactly the same injury I had, and still have. AC joint dislocation.

YouTube- Acromioclavicular joint dislocation

Still don't have 100% mobility in the shoulder, but for the most part it causes no problems. Doctor couldn't really do anything, advised me to leave it, the weight of my arm is supposed to eventually put it into place. Still waiting lol.

I did this snowboarding about 10 years ago. Same dia/prognosis.. Now I just have a big fuck off bump from the AC joint. No point in trying to put it back they say (and I have private). Would just pop back out..

i broke mine about 8 years ago - clean break which was treated with a sling but it didn't join up so now I have a lump where the end of the bone pokes up. It springs up and down which is a good party drink to make people go ewwwww

I decided not to get it pinned and although I'm aware of it sometimes it doesn't cause any real problems. I find the muscles behind the shoulderblade on that side get tired so I need to to rotate / click the joint to ease them, but that's as much to do with working at a screen all day for 15 years as it is the injury. When I could be bothered to go to the gym I found Body Pump classes helped - I assume it's the high rep + low weights

I remember now, after it was diagnosed as non-union I did see a private consultant about whether to get it pinned. He said since I have full movement he didn't recommend it because if the join is too strong (ie held together with metal) and I had a similar fall in future the impact would be forced into my shoulder which is a harder injury to heal. Between snowboarding and mountainboarding we decided there was a reasonable risk of more heavy falls in future so it would be better to leave it flexy (though as it turned out my next injury happened washing up)

Bump! Well now, 3 years on, and my shoulder area is causing me some pain. I find the pain kicks in if either i'm carrying a heavy bag for 1hr+, or wearing a heavy jacket, or just walking for extended periods, thereby putting weight on it. It's been acting up for the last 12mths or so, and has gotten worse in the last month or so. I've an appointment at the UCH tomorrow with a doctor and I wandered what he or she might suggest. Is surgery a viable option here? I really don't know if they can fix this type of partial ligament tear .. the pain does appear to be emanating from the muscles in my back [upper right side].

I'm nursing a post crash broken collar bone. After only a couple of days I'm feeling pretty miserable knowing I won't be riding or doing much else physical for weeks or maybe months. Very frustrating having only recently got my fitness back on a new bike after my ti serotta (still missing) was stolen.

My first post A&E follow-up appointment is due in a couple days when it be decided whether or not to operate.

Do any of you guys have experience of this and maybe what to ask/ask for at my appointment?

Other experiences - Clavicle Error

It's the first thread that is shown when you posted this new thread.

Yes mate plenty of experience here. Basically you will bevguven teo options. First one will be to leave it and you will heal over 8 weeks ish and probably have a lump etc second option will be a plate which will straighten it all up but take a little longer to heal. Either way you will need to be careful. Don't try to be a pro and crack on. If you need to train. Turbo is the option. Keeping it strapped close to you and bars raised. Take your time and don't do it again. Believe me it hurts if you. I crashed on a plated clavicle. Horrible.

I had a plate put on mine 10 days ago after a crash on 15/10. They did say I could leave it to heal, but it was is such a state (broke right near the far end) it would have been much worse without the surgery. As my plate inhibits my movement a bit I'll be having it out again in 3-6 months when the bone's fully mended. If they recommend surgery I'd take the advice. I was much more comfortable after the surgery than before, even nursing a big fresh scar.

I've had the strength to rebuild a frame over the past few days and I'll be going to work on Monday. It's mostly stiffness and aching, just know your limits and keep some ibuprofen on hand.

My uncle's done both of his though, and hasn't had a plate in either. He claimed to be back on the bike after three weeks, but I don't believe him.

Fractured my collar bone in two places years ago. Took about a month and a half to heal, but then I fractured it again as I rushed into things when I thought it was fully healed!

I broke mine and was told to wait to see if it healed....it didn't so wasted about a month in recovery time because of the delay. I would recommend challenging the decision if they say to wait if it heels. When professionals break their collarbone they always, as far as I've seen, have the operation asap.

I broke mine and was told to wait to see if it healed.

Basically I had to be careful, keep it protected (in rush hour on the tube etc)

I was in a bad state and flinched at anything and anyone that came near me fearful that I was going to put it out again.

After a couple of days of mincing around I went and got my shoulder taped by a guy who treats Pro rugby players and felt a million dollars afterwards, a lot more comfortable and "secure" and pretty much forgot about the injury.

Two weeks later I was back on my turbo with the bars raised higher so I didn't have to stretch into them as much.

I only took painkillers at night to give me a good nights sleep.

6 weeks I was riding again, 8 weeks I was in a 100km sportive.

Thanks for the advice/encouragement. There doesn't seem to be a consensus on how these things - although pro riders seem to take the op option asap. I'm no pro, but I would like to get back in the pool or gym aswell as on the bike before I waste away or get lardy!

Having the shoulder taped is appealing, but painful to have done surely (just putting under arm deoderant on is torture for me) .Washing with tape in place might be tricky too?

Just wish this hadn't happened.

To be honest the "broken bone" pain went after about a week.

Although the soft tissues were very tender and painful (I hit the deck at about 30 mph according to my garmin)

Taping was pain free, it's non absorbent so even after a shower it was fairly dry. The taping was more for support rather than to keep it still, my shoulder just felt floppy so taping helped stop that feeling. I could still move my arm and was encouraged to do so (active recovery). Stuff like hair washing and using deodorant were very painful but again encouraged.

The main thing I was told is keep it moving SLOWLY otherwise keeping it still in a sling just heals the bone but then you need physio to get everything moving again and up to strength so basically a longer recovery time.

My recovery exercises looked a bit like a one armed version of the birdie song dance but they worked.

Drug wise I took neurofen plus for the pain and swelling and a nightol to send me to sleep. Needless to say I slept pain free and like a log which I am sure contributed to my recovery.

There doesn't seem to be a consensus on how these things
Recent literature all suggests that plate fixation leads to maximal functional outcome.

Clinically, the decision is based on complexity of the fracture - multiple fractures / compound fractures / fractures with significant deviation, are all contraindicated for plate fixation.

However, your local NHS Trust will have its own policies, driven as much by budget as by clinical best practise.

If you are swimming, you want the plate.

If it is not offered, and you want it, you will need to insist on it and raise a stink to get it, as you will be fobbed off by everyone from the orthos down to the receptionists.

Drug wise I took neurofen plus
Which could interfere with the bone healing process...

I fear NHS funding issues might favour the cheaper option - my being able to do pull ups, lift weights, swim or cycle isn't their priority I suppose.

That said if you'd seen the que of people I was behind behind at the Royal Free presenting with literally day old minor sore throats and the like (some also clutching passports) I see the strain they're under.

Will have to press my case!

Try your best to get a plate put in. Shortens recovery time and I'm pleased with mine.

I cannot see how the fact that people are clutching their passports contributes to the NHS funding crisis. Does it perhaps make their collarbones heal slower?

So called 'health tourism' has been in the press in the last days/weeks, but while it probably isn't the problem the government or the Daily Mail would have us believe, the two patients in front of me were visitors expecting to be treated in an emergency department, with cold symptoms that had developed the day before (I clearly heard the conversation with the obviously exasperated staff) while I waited inline sweating having just ridden to the hospital from my crash site. It just struck me they may have been wasting A&E's time & money?

Any way, very off track, more interested in broken bone recovery stories!

Plate fixation isn't the only option. I was given three options when I broke mine earlier this year.
1) Clavicle brace - not actually good for me as my clavicle was displaced ie not straight. Upside is no surgery. Downside is that fucking brace doing your head in for weeks on end, possibility of non-union and probable lumpy collarbone (although this gets less lumpy as years wear on).
2) Plate fixation - you can get back on the bike super fast, but the healing process is a bit slow and most people want the plate removed later on due to irritation, requiring a second operation. Of course, you end up with a surgical scar.
3) Pin/"k wire" fixation (the one I had) - initial operation is similar to plate fixation, except a couple of shish kebab skewers are used to hold the bones in alignment. Takes 8 weeks on average for the bone to fuse together, then you can have a local anaesthetic operation to have the pins removed (10 minute op). You end up with a surgical scar, but the bone heals perfectly straight.

These are the pins I had yanked out. Ignore the perspective - I just wanted to scare the fuck out of people on my facebook page. They're actually about 10cm long. Fucking sharp though.

I had a plate installed in France, didn't work out the best...

If you can get it pinned, which sounds like option 3 above, that is the best. In the UK, it is very rare that they operate on broken collar bones, most likely they will put you in a sling and send you packing. May sound like the least appealing option, but it's the quickest recovery option and the way it will heal strongest.

I've said this to a couple of people lately that have been getting injured, be thankful it's now. When I broke mine it was a day before summer began last year and I was sat on my sofa for 7 weeks of it. Actually started riding again pre-maturely, did a fixed tour through France after having a scan and a registrar telling me it was healed, when I came back and saw the consultant he said it was nowhere near healed...

Had the bent plate removed after 10 months, left part of a screw in there they couldn't find, I get shooting pains through the bone often but hoping this will pass as I work on strengthening and stretching, which is still a work in progress a year and a half later....

From my experience I would say, if possible, only speak to the consultant/doctor in charge. I spoke to 2 consultants (first was not well clued up) and 4 registrars. Each of the registrars told me different things, which when I spoke to their consultant he said were all wrong, pretty scary really the level of ignorance of some young doctors.

This was me in June. Broken in three places with lots of floating bone.

I was seen where the accident happened in Wales, I was then transferred to QE Woolwich. I then self referred to St Thomas's because I wasn't happy with Woolwich.

Similar tale to above.
All the docs and registrars said that it would need to be pinned and plated.
Until I got to senior consultant level, who outlined it thus;

• Pin and plate will be the most aesthetically pleasing solution, but it will only be 60% strength.
  or
  
• Leave it be. Let's the body deal with it. There will be a cricket ball (in my case) of calloused bone visible on my decolletage but it will be upto 90% strength.
  
  

It's hard to tell because I had a LOT of other fractures from the same accident, but I reckon my collarbone was comfortable and stable after 8 or 9 weeks.

Left clavicle. 100% clean break here. 2 weeks off work, then back to walking around construction sites (very gingerly) before it was effectively back to normal and ridable after 8 weeks total.

Just strapped up and left to heal. In hindsight i should have pushed for a plat as its now shorter one side than the other, not much but noticable. Took ages to be confident with it.

I can now tell you a week in advance if there is going to be heavy rain from the ache.

Turbod after a month but didnt put that much weight on. As for swimming, rotation of the shoulder where the bone broke is limited a little and only equal to the other after massage.

Good luck, and if you can go for the plate.

Apart from Lardy's comment above, I'm actually more worried about my recovery/recovery time and the way forward than I was before posting :(

I didn't see my xrays (after forgetting to remind the doc who promised to show me at A&E so I don't know how bad or where my break is - all I can say is my shoulder is yellow and swollen.

I walked a slow 10 miles today & 6 yesterday with my arm secure in a very good sling. I don't feel too bad, except arm movement is very painful with a sensation like bone rubbing/clicking. I usually ride say 3 times per week & train with weights or swim about the same. I guess I just have to resign myself that riding might be as good one day, but upper body strength might not be for a longer time or maybe ever?

So called 'health tourism' has been in the press in the last days/weeks,

Fucking media is fucking jokes.

I flew to Poland to get my teeth checked instead of waiting for shit over here. Couple of fillings and ticket for less than the cost of the fillings privately. I'm a health tourist!

I also went there to drink the cheap beer. Now I'm a confused tourist!