Broken Clavicle - Your experiences

[DJR]

Got my hand as far as the keyboard (desktop) with no pain, but that's it, take the sling off for a hour or two but absolutely no sudden movements must be made (sloth mode). I think my age is against me at 54....it going to take a bit longer.

Sounds a bit like me

[Spoke101]

Ok I've broken 7 over the years. 5 being in the last 7 years 4 of which have been plated.

 

So here's the list:

 

• Went down the back steps in a walking ring as a baby.
• Pushed down a bank at school paying silly buggers.
• Drop-off collapsed under me on take-off.
• Caught a rock hiding in the grass with a pedal, OTB and T-boned another rock with my shoulder.
• Pulled a cleat out in a sprint, big OTB.
• Dog ran into the road, got brake checked and front wheel taken out.
• Last week I T-Boned a Bushbuck 100m from my gate going down the hill (I have bad luck when it comes to these things).

 

I'm back on the bike with no pain and have been off the med's since the 3rd day, as I find I do to much when on painkillers. Every break is different and there are positives and negatives for plating and letting it heal on its own. I have never broken a clavicle with the plate still in so cannot comment on that. I do have some discomfort when hiking with a large backpack but that is mainly to being a human bean pole with almost zero coverage.

[GAP]

Went for my six week check-up today, bone has knitted nice ( no surgery), just need to go for a few physio sessions. Will start riding on the road the weekend (start slowly and feel it out).

[DJR]

............... Will start riding on the road the weekend (start slowly and feel it out).

Last time I found that the arm got tired and sore very quickly. I got one of those truly ugly steep rising stems for the road bike to get a more upright position and take some weight off my arms. That helped a lot and I went back to my normal level stem about 3 months later when the muscles were mostly back up to strength. Yes, I know the bike looked like **** with that stem, but it worked so well, I managed to tolerate it despite my slight ocd.

[Robbie Stewart]

I dunno what's wrong with mine, as I still have not gone to see the doctor, and spent the morning drilling holes and fitting wooden crates to a wall...so far so good. I am still not able to lie on my side for probably more than say 10 minutes at a push. I suspect I have a hairline fracture, as I have around 90% - 95% range of motion, and am able to carry fairly heavy boxes weighing around ~20kg or so. Or it is a nasty bruise. My chest was even yellow on that side for a day or three.

It's been a week and a half, but I have not been back on the bike since my slide. That's more due to the nasty road rash which is finally starting to be less painful. Who knew a road rash will hurt like heck when trying to peel itself off a hairy leg...

[dirtypot]

I dunno what's wrong with mine, as I still have not gone to see the doctor, and spent the morning drilling holes and fitting wooden crates to a wall...so far so good. I am still not able to lie on my side for probably more than say 10 minutes at a push. I suspect I have a hairline fracture, as I have around 90% - 95% range of motion, and am able to carry fairly heavy boxes weighing around ~20kg or so. Or it is a nasty bruise. My chest was even yellow on that side for a day or three.

 

For reference to your points:

When I broke mine I couldn't lie on my side for about three months without having a lot of pain.  I also only had about 20% ROM for the first couple of weeks.  My bruising was legendary though - I normally don't bruise, but my whole shoulder, chest and hip were a dark shade of purple for six weeks! 

[DJR]

.................My bruising was legendary though - I normally don't bruise, but my whole shoulder, chest and hip were a dark shade of purple for six weeks! 

Please DO NOT post pictures  

[dirtypot]

Please DO NOT post pictures  

 

I'm confused by your comic sans.  Does it mean I shouldn't take it seriously and therefore should post pictures?

[Robbie Stewart]

For reference to your points:

When I broke mine I couldn't lie on my side for about three months without having a lot of pain.  I also only had about 20% ROM for the first couple of weeks.  My bruising was legendary though - I normally don't bruise, but my whole shoulder, chest and hip were a dark shade of purple for six weeks! 

 

Based on your reference, then I am assuming that my instinct to forego seeing a doctor was not such a bad idea after all.

 

I was able to pick my daughter up from the floor again within 3 days, so I am just going to not push it too hard, and see how it plays out.

 

 

[Flatdog7]

Stop it, you scaring the crap outa me with all this seemingly routine bone breaking. Its bad enough I snapped my writs falling off my bike, which was falling off a bridge at the time. I don't wanna know other things break too.

[GAP]

Last time I found that the arm got tired and sore very quickly. I got one of those truly ugly steep rising stems for the road bike to get a more upright position and take some weight off my arms. That helped a lot and I went back to my normal level stem about 3 months later when the muscles were mostly back up to strength. Yes, I know the bike looked like **** with that stem, but it worked so well, I managed to tolerate it despite my slight ocd.

Going to use the Mounty instead of the road bike to ride on the road, I think it's going to be a bit more comfortable and ya will stay off the trails for quite some time, will keep in mind the steep rising stem that seems to be a good plan.

Edited April 3, 2019 by GAP

[DJR]

Going to use the Mounty instead of the road bike to ride on the road, I think it's going to be a bit more comfortable and ya will stay off the trails for quite some time, will keep in mind the steep rising stem that seems to be a good plan.

Yes, I that was my experience also. The full suspension took away a lot of those sharp bumps that hurt the shoulder and my old Trance was a lot more upright, meaning less force on the arms.  

[DJR]

I'm confused by your comic sans.  Does it mean I shouldn't take it seriously and therefore should post pictures?

Feel free, just kidding. I'll start by showing the  titanium upgrade kit I had installed. Just be warned that soon someone will post a picture of a bloody piece of bone sticking through the skin and freak the sensitive ones out.

[odessap]

The next question is: when to get the titanium clavicle plate removed?

 

After months of aggravation with the plate in, I asked my surgeon to remove it.  Xrays showed that the bones had knitted, and I felt strong like Mother Russia.  He agreed to remove it at 6 months.

 

Immediately after surgery it felt amazing.  I was so happy, and couldn't wait to remove the post op plaster to see my own beautiful clavicle in its right place.

 

I had zero pain, and even walked on the treadmill 5 days after surgery to get my step count in.

 

6 days after surgery I started a muscular pain at the back of my shoulder.

 

At 7 days the post op plaster was irritating my skin so much that I removed it, revealing a lump under the skin.  Fluid I thought.  And saw a physio for the shoulder muscle pain and did exercises to get the arm moving again.

 

12 days after op was first check up with surgeon, revealing the worst news I'd had since a family member died.  The son-of-a-bitch clavicle was broken again.  The lump was not fluid. It was the one side of my bone saying 'Howzit'.

 

Why? The bone hadn't melded properly.  Mother Russia had fallen.  I didn't bump it, and even if I had kept still for two weeks it probably would have broken again anyway.

 

Next week I go and start the process again with a new titanium plate.

The alternative being a forever lump and an uncertain boney future.

 

So do get the plate.  Don't take your plate out too soon.  Take calcium supplements.  Have a hospital plan.

 

Discovery have been an amazing provider and I am grateful for their no-fuss approach to surgeries.  Although I wish they had been more fussy about the plate removal..!

 

 

Edited May 16, 2019 by odessap

[Ozzie NL]

I did fall on my plate and to be honest, ironically because of the plate the second break was less severe. The plate just bent where the bone broke, but kept it all together, and I was back on the trainer 4 days later with a new shinier and slightly smaller plate.

I can’t get my plate taken out on the first break a pice of bone got pulled off by a tendon, towards the middle of the bone and the bone never bridged properly.

My Ortho, a cyclist himself, reckons he has only removed about 5 of the 2000 or so clavicle plates he has put in.

Ortho Dr Human?

[Patchelicious]

Ortho Dr Human?

Dr Macdonald