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Had a wreck and broke collarbone
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How long does it usually take to heal? It's a hairline fracture and the muscle bruising has finally subsided. I don't want to be stupid and rush but it's killing me not being able to ride.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [nbpi5] [ In reply to ]
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Unfortunately, there are a ton of broken collarbone threads if you want to do a search ;-)

I broke mine 2 years ago. I had to have a plate put in so I can't comment on how long it takes to get back on the bike for a hairline fracture. But it will be less time than you think albeit it might hurt for a long time.

I was able to hit the spin bike at the gym within a few days after my surgery. It took me a couple weeks to get set up on the trainer at home but that was 100% due to the fact it is quite difficult to repair a crash damaged bike one handed ;-). I did my first outdoor ride 5 weeks + 1 day post surgery and that was after dutifully waiting for my next scheduled doctors appointment to get clearance. If I had gone in the week before he probably would have given me the OK then.

One thing I will pass on. 3 weeks post surgery I thought it might be months until I could ride outside than 2 1/2 weeks later I did 50 miles. Your improvement will accelerate as time goes on.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [nbpi5] [ In reply to ]
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nbpi5 wrote:
How long does it usually take to heal? It's a hairline fracture and the muscle bruising has finally subsided. I don't want to be stupid and rush but it's killing me not being able to ride.

Enjoy the break. I broke mine and kept trying to do things, which was really stupid. I finally gave up and let it heal.

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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [STP] [ In reply to ]
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I did search but I didn't see any hairline fracture threads. There have been a lot of wrecks from what I saw.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [nbpi5] [ In reply to ]
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I broke my collarbone and 10 weeks later I set a IM PR.
My progression:
1) After 3 days- I was riding on my trainer. Doing heavy volume. (What other training was I doing?)
2) After 7 days- I was swimming 1 arm freestyle
3) After 9 days- I was running in sling, up hill on treadmill.
4) After 15 days- I was doing ironman volume- with 1 arm free, up hill treadmill and bike trainer training.
5) After 20 days the incline on the treadmill had gone down.
6) After 30 days I could run some miles outside without the sling.
7) After 45 days I started to swim a couple of strokes (lightly using the hurt arm).

8) After 60 days- things were mostly Ok. I could run, swim and bike. There was a little ache after long runs, and I still did not sprint or do butterfly in the pool.

But the fitness I had lost running and swimming- I had made up for with additional volume on the bike. And I really had not lost much swim/run fitness.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [nbpi5] [ In reply to ]
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Mine was a complete fracture, no surgery required. It took about 3 months to run and bike without discomfort. The swimming took alot longer. Probably 6 months before I could swim pain free.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [nbpi5] [ In reply to ]
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Hairline? Pfffft. ;)

Best advice would be to listen to your doctor. They've seen the x-rays. We have not, nor are we your doctors.

Typical progression for most of us is: nothing for two or three weeks, then indoor bike trainer, then light running in maybe 6-8 weeks. Riding outside in 8-10 weeks. Swimming takes a few months.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [Dilbert] [ In reply to ]
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I disagree with "the listen to your doctor advice".
This is a case were your doctors interests do not align with yours.
A 1/10,000 chance of getting sued for the doctor- is worth more to your doctor than your entire triathlon career.

This is one reason why so many fat and unhealthy people have doctors that forbid them from exercise. (From the doctors perspective there is little to gain).



I say listen to your body and use your brain.

Riding on a trainer, running up hill in a sling, or swimming with only one arm- is less stressful on your shoulder than a whole bunch of things that you will do accidentally.

Which is more stressful for a healing collar bone?
Running up hill on a treadmill.
Or walking quickly down a flight of stairs?

Riding on a trainer?
Or driving your car on a bumpy road?

How do you know?
Well- which hurts more?

Lots of pain is bad.
A dull ache probably means the bone is healing.
Last edited by: dirtymangos: May 5, 16 10:04
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [dirtymangos] [ In reply to ]
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Then he needs a new doctor? Whose advice he should listen to! When I crashed and fractured the clavicle my surgeon was a triathlete. Did the same race I was about to miss because of the crash.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [Dilbert] [ In reply to ]
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Professionals try hard to put your interests before their own.
But the economics of the situation should always be considered.

The doctor (even a triathlete) doctor gains little to nothing if you return to triathlon early, heal property and do great.
The doctor looses nothing if his overly conservative advice causes you to miss a year (or even a lifetime) of training.

But even good advice might become "imprudent" in front of an idiot judge or a bunch of ignorant jurists. And this could cost your doctor his career or his life savings.

Ask questions, use your brain and listen to your body.

My broken collar bone did not set my training back at all.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [dirtymangos] [ In reply to ]
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dirtymangos wrote:
I broke my collarbone and 10 weeks later I set a IM PR.

That's exactly what I'm planning. I broke my collarbone last Sunday and want to break my PR in Austria 26th of June.
(Sadly I have to do a DNS in Lanzarote in 2 weeks.)
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [dirtymangos] [ In reply to ]
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Were you on the trainer on a tri bike or road bike?
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [nbpi5] [ In reply to ]
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As pointed out many times, asking for a typical time is useless because no two breaks are the same. I would think a hairline wouldn't require much time to heal. "Killing me.."? Doubt it. Hopefully you have other interests. The bike will wait.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [dirtymangos] [ In reply to ]
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There are two parts to getting back on the bike outside (it is probably different for the run and swim)

One is whether riding outside will make things worse or delay healing. (Outside is different than inside. I can't see how riding a trainer or exercise bike as long as you are not jacking your arm around in the process would be an issue as soon as you can mount a bike.)

The second issue is safety. For me, I had some shoulder injury beyond the break and it was a solid 5 weeks before I could grip the bars with two hands. It was not safe for me to ride outside before then even if it had not been an issue for my broken bone. And on that note, while I did go full in on riding once I got back at it. It was another 6 weeks or so before I could bunny hop potholes and seriously mix it up in very fast group situation without feeling a little bit lacking in prior skills.

So, ride/don't ride is more than just a yes or no question and your bone fracture may not be the only thing in play.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [nbpi5] [ In reply to ]
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Try to get the surgery if you can get it covered by insurance. The recovery time and prognosis is so much better.

Don't know the link but if you search collarbone, there's a dedicated thread to this that I found incredibly helpful during my recovery 3 years ago.

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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [nbpi5] [ In reply to ]
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I crashed 2 years ago. It wasn't pretty.
Broken collarbone, broken ribs, hip,pointer. The full deal.

I had the plate surgery to repair the collarbone. That whole deal plus the ribs, took me 4 months away from everything.

thats just me.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [Louamerica] [ In reply to ]
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Louamerica wrote:
I crashed 2 years ago. It wasn't pretty.
Broken collarbone, broken ribs, hip,pointer. The full deal.

I had the plate surgery to repair the collarbone. That whole deal plus the ribs, took me 4 months away from everything.

thats just me.

4 months for all of that isn't bad. By the way...how painful are ribs! Broke 2 recently. Ouch

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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [PM City] [ In reply to ]
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PM City wrote:
Louamerica wrote:
I crashed 2 years ago. It wasn't pretty.
Broken collarbone, broken ribs, hip,pointer. The full deal.

I had the plate surgery to repair the collarbone. That whole deal plus the ribs, took me 4 months away from everything.

thats just me.

4 months for all of that isn't bad. By the way...how painful are ribs! Broke 2 recently. Ouch

OMG.. Nothing was happiness. Sneezing ? Coughing ? Just trying to get out of bed ? Sitting down ? Going #2 ? Getting up from that ?
I broke 6 up front, cracked everything in the back. I know they are the same ribs, but it was a blunt force trauma. I landed point blank on a large boulder. My helmet saved my life.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [longtrousers] [ In reply to ]
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longtrousers wrote:
dirtymangos wrote:
I broke my collarbone and 10 weeks later I set a IM PR.

That's exactly what I'm planning. I broke my collarbone last Sunday and want to break my PR in Austria 26th of June.
(Sadly I have to do a DNS in Lanzarote in 2 weeks.)

I feel obliged to give a feedback: 2 years ago I did 10.10 and 10 days ago I did 10.26, so I did not break my PR.
But at least I finished without any pains.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [TriBiker] [ In reply to ]
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Potato or potahto --- "We are each an experiment of one" Dr. George Sheehan runner extraordinaire

My crash at age 59 resulted in 2 audible cracking noises upon landing. C6 and right clavicle. Ortho for clavicle fracture said 6 weeks but gave the good to go at 5 weeks but easy does it. C6 was an 8 week period of 24/7 neck collar with NO jogging, running, biking, lifting, twisting.......just try to sleep the best you can after doing nothing more strenuous than walking. 8 weeks came and office visit for viewing x-rays by my neurosurgeon with me excited about getting the OK to mount bike and take off collar. Some mumbling from neurosurgeon and ANOTHER 8 WEEKS OF 24/7 COLLAR due to C5-C6-C7 compression and slippage with possible cord trouble. Turns out I also had a LTN, long thoracic nerve injury, that still has not healed resulting in upper body lack of strength and mobility-----SWIMMING ISSUES, aerobar issues. Was able to swim IMFL 2013 but things declined leading into IMFL 2014. Training just wasn't going well and standing on Panama City Beach looking at the Gulf that November 2014 IMFL morning brought concerns for my well-being. I was happy they canceled the swim due to wicked conditions because I would not have done well. ALSO, little did I know at that time that aggressive prostate cancer had become a part of my life.
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [OlderTryGuy] [ In reply to ]
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OlderTryGuy wrote:
Potato or potahto --- "We are each an experiment of one" Dr. George Sheehan runner extraordinaire

My crash at age 59 resulted in 2 audible cracking noises upon landing. C6 and right clavicle. Ortho for clavicle fracture said 6 weeks but gave the good to go at 5 weeks but easy does it. C6 was an 8 week period of 24/7 neck collar with NO jogging, running, biking, lifting, twisting.......just try to sleep the best you can after doing nothing more strenuous than walking. 8 weeks came and office visit for viewing x-rays by my neurosurgeon with me excited about getting the OK to mount bike and take off collar. Some mumbling from neurosurgeon and ANOTHER 8 WEEKS OF 24/7 COLLAR due to C5-C6-C7 compression and slippage with possible cord trouble. Turns out I also had a LTN, long thoracic nerve injury, that still has not healed resulting in upper body lack of strength and mobility-----SWIMMING ISSUES, aerobar issues. Was able to swim IMFL 2013 but things declined leading into IMFL 2014. Training just wasn't going well and standing on Panama City Beach looking at the Gulf that November 2014 IMFL morning brought concerns for my well-being. I was happy they canceled the swim due to wicked conditions because I would not have done well. ALSO, little did I know at that time that aggressive prostate cancer had become a part of my life.

Sorry to hear that. Hope you're doing better now?
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Re: Had a wreck and broke collarbone [longtrousers] [ In reply to ]
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longtrousers wrote:
OlderTryGuy wrote:
Potato or potahto --- "We are each an experiment of one" Dr. George Sheehan runner extraordinaire

My crash at age 59 resulted in 2 audible cracking noises upon landing. C6 and right clavicle. Ortho for clavicle fracture said 6 weeks but gave the good to go at 5 weeks but easy does it. C6 was an 8 week period of 24/7 neck collar with NO jogging, running, biking, lifting, twisting.......just try to sleep the best you can after doing nothing more strenuous than walking. 8 weeks came and office visit for viewing x-rays by my neurosurgeon with me excited about getting the OK to mount bike and take off collar. Some mumbling from neurosurgeon and ANOTHER 8 WEEKS OF 24/7 COLLAR due to C5-C6-C7 compression and slippage with possible cord trouble. Turns out I also had a LTN, long thoracic nerve injury, that still has not healed resulting in upper body lack of strength and mobility-----SWIMMING ISSUES, aerobar issues. Was able to swim IMFL 2013 but things declined leading into IMFL 2014. Training just wasn't going well and standing on Panama City Beach looking at the Gulf that November 2014 IMFL morning brought concerns for my well-being. I was happy they canceled the swim due to wicked conditions because I would not have done well. ALSO, little did I know at that time that aggressive prostate cancer had become a part of my life.


Sorry to hear that. Hope you're doing better now?

Thanks for the thoughts. Doing pretty good since I will not let things pull me down......especially in the water.... ;0)
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