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Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not?
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Was out on a training ride Friday week ago and crashed heavily after the front wheel slid out landing heavily on my right shoulder. Needless to say the x-rays confirmed a broken clavicle. Saw the specialist end of last week who said it's displaced 1.7cm (x-ray attached) and he'd be happy to leave it to heal on it's own, or if I have any concerns then to get it operated on. Not exactly a clear cut response from a specialist. As for a second opinion he said some of the other shoulder specialist tend to probably treat this more aggressively and would probably go with surgery, but they also have bigger mortgages then me!

So hasn't really left me knowing what I should do. Has anyone had any similar experiences with the amount displaced and whether they had surgery or not? Keen to hear some thoughts, I'm 38 now so not exactly breaking any more records but not keen to slow down and be limited by anything later.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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In general... if it will heal (correctly) on it's own, I'd leave it alone.

I broke mine ~10 years ago and it was in multiple pieces, leaving not much choice but surgery. The good with surgery - it goes back with a plate, so it's solid and you can resume activity pretty fast (more to do with pain and the incision wound than the clavicle itself) the bad of course, is you have a plate in your shoulder either forever or until you have it removed... also you are having surgery and at the end of the day no surgery is risk free.

YMMV of course

My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [Morelock] [ In reply to ]
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I would like to leave it to heal naturally but just got doubts in my mind incase it doesn't heal properly or gives me issues later and I'd regret not getting the surgery done. Have you any issues with having the plate in? Has it stopped you from doing anything?
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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I'd speak and quiz the shit out of the doctor on what he expects if you let it heal naturally... a second opinion is always a good thing as well.

I was lucky, they expected rehab to get range of motion back, but I had full rom as soon as the staples came out.

The big issues with the plate are adjusting to it in the beginning (when sleeping it feels like someone is stepping on you until you get used to it) - issues 10 years later are pretty minor, some stiff/soreness in the cold, some fabrics and the seatbelt in the car can rub it and irritate it. In general it's just skin, metal so anything abrasive (bibs, tight cut off tops) can irritate it. I've crashed on mine a few times since and now it sticks up a little more than it used to :D (everything held together though!)

*pretty random, but I used to love riding rollercoasters... any of them with the over the top securing are out of the question now :(

My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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Sample of 1, and I'm an engineer not a doc. But I am an engineer !

My best buddy did his, prob circa 14 years ago. About your age at the time.
Similarly gapped from memory, tho his was displaced is '2 planes' (ie not just a straight perfectly aligned 2 bones with a direct gap between - his was gapped with an offset so after healing the bone would have a left then right S shape joggle in it).

Both 1st hospital when it happened and a then a 2nd back home (so 1x ER and 1x different specialist) said to let it heal onots own.

6-8 months later at the final sign off by the top man that department... decided the healing was shiite.aftwr all and shoulder not aligned etc.
Had to have it re-broken and reset + plated.and screwed together. As it was so long after the initial break he had to have a bone graft to get it to heal again.
Pissed away over a year before he was right from end to end.

Heal well, what ever you do.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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Let it heal on it's own. Not a big deal, and it avoids the plate they often put in.
Last edited by: NealH: Oct 13, 19 14:33
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [Morelock] [ In reply to ]
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I’ve had both break, first was broken in line and took a bit to heal but eventually regained full rom and you’d never know it broke. Second one happened in April of this year and was a “Z” fracture and was pushing up the skin, dr said I could let it heal but I’d have a huge protrusion so opted for surgery. Once the plate was in I had almost no pain the next day and two days later I basically ditched the sling and slowly over the next week started moving it. I’d say after three weeks I had full rom and started doing light weights workouts (had been doing band resistance rom exercises after the first week).

I’d pick which ever option let’s you recovery as fully as possible. I’ve had a lot of injuries over the years and I know they’ll add up when I’m older so if I can get them fixed properly to minimize their effects on me as I age that’s the way to go.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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I am going to be contrary to others and say "get the surgery".
I had a similar fracture almost 20 years ago.
Doc said it would heal just fine.
It did heal- But now almost 20 years later I can tell that the architecture of my AC joint is jacked- The fracture didn't heal quite as straight as it should. For a few years I did not notice- Now I do.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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Mine was a double displacement; surgery 13 years ago and it hasn't limited me in doing anything since.



"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [NealH] [ In reply to ]
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NealH wrote:
Let it heal on it's own. Not a big deal, and it avoids the plate they often put in.

Meaning a figure 8 brace? That’s what I had to wear when I broke mine. Not sure how much it was displaced though.

https://www.strava.com/...tes/zachary_mckinney
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [Tifosi01] [ In reply to ]
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with surgery you risk infection, but you are likely going to make a full recover faster.

without surgery, you risk poor union, thus altering shoulder and neck mobility, and even if the union is proper, it is still longer for a full recover.

b.s. exercise science
doctorate physical therapy
diploma osteopractic
certifications: spinal manipulation, dry needling, orthopedic certified specialist

p.s.- my buddy just crashed at imchoo and had a 2.5cm displaced fracture. his ortho said no surgery... i saw the image and was like... wtf no way. sent it to two of my ortho buddies, and my 2 cousins (ortho, and er chief), and all 4 were like ummm, wtf? he had surgery this past friday.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [ahhchon] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah definitely leaning down the surgical option. Not the most patient person going around and don't want to run the risk of a delayed union. Plus got 2 little girls at home so the sooner I can pick up my little one the better.

Have made an appointment with another specialist for tomorrow to get a second opinion and go from there.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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Risks and benefits both ways. Which is better for you, IDK. You need to find someone who will explain the situation as clearly as possible and then you can collectively decide.

I’ve personally broken both of my shoulders-neither required surgery. First proximal break on the right side-gave it some time and it healed up just fine. Second was distal third (furthest away from the body), on the left side, with multiple rib fractures and a T1compression fracture. This shoulder fracture is the kind that almost always needs surgery. I pushed it close together (reduced it, painfully) each day after the accident and the f/u ct scan a week later was close enough. No surgery again. Not the smartest thing in the world to do.

Big defect left with a large callus and chronic pain/weakness and a lifetime of shoulder woes on both sides. Right decisions? Who knows.

I didn’t have to incur the risks of the operation and all that entails though.

The right decision is whatever you decide.
Last edited by: dtoce: Oct 13, 19 16:04
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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I had a 2cm displacement many years ago. Was displaced forward and upward. And bad splintering.

I’ll spare you all the details, but I’d recommend surgery. Then you’ll be sure everything is aligned properly and the recovery is fairly simple. No lingering issues for me. I still have the plate and screws in 10 years later.

Team Zoot - Great Lakes
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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I recommend two surgeries. One to put the clavicle in it's place with a metal plate, and another in about a year to remove the plate.
You will heal better, heck you can start on the home trainer ( with out hands on handlebars) a few days after surgery because the bone is well held together.
My experience: I broke my collar bone in 2010, the doctors couldn't align both ends properly so they decided to opt for surgery. I'm glad they did. I was rapidly on the home trainer and it didn't hurt as much as before, with the clavicle brace. A friend physiotherapist suggested to have the plate removed, because the doctors usually leave it in place if the patient doesn't mind. After more than a year the bone forms calcification around the plate and it's not easy to remove it, movements are not as complete with this "structure" in the body.
Unfortunaltely, I had a bad fall in a criterium the spring after. The next morning my shoulder was hurting a lot ( I still had the metal plate on), and the clavicle looked like it had a deviation. I decided to have it "X" rayed. The collar bone broke right where the screws were, and the plate bent on the impact. I had to keep the plate another 9 months before having it removed. NOw my right clavicle is shaped like an "n" while the left one is straight.


Louis :-)
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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Had a hard crash this Friday while going 29mph in the tt, broken collarbone in 5 pieces. Got the surgery done yesterday and feeling good right now and practically no pain (I’m still on heavy meds), let’s see how’s the transition to normal painkillers. I can move my shoulder and could probably make it without the sling, but doc told me to wear the sling when not lying in bed or sitting in a position where I can support my arm at least for a few days since we don’t want to over stress the plate. After being in the fitness of my life I will miss 70.3 cabos but hoping to be back running for my first full marathon December 8.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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I can only comment on mine which was 4.5 cm and the (teaching) hospital i was in for a week said “it’ll be fine.” Went to the ortho specialist who asked “why didn’t they fix this?”

So 1.7 to me does not sound like a lot.

However my break was the site of a non union from a break when I was 18, was not really bone. So getting the plate to match the fucked up geometry required some hammering of the plate (I’m told, I was out). So a non union isn’t great either (always had a bump there )
Last edited by: ChrisM: Oct 13, 19 17:06
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [bootsie_cat] [ In reply to ]
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bootsie_cat wrote:
I am going to be contrary to others and say "get the surgery".
I had a similar fracture almost 20 years ago.
Doc said it would heal just fine.
It did heal- But now almost 20 years later I can tell that the architecture of my AC joint is jacked- The fracture didn't heal quite as straight as it should. For a few years I did not notice- Now I do.

Good point made here. A related point I'd consider OP is you'll heal faster now from surgery than you could ever remotely heal 20 years from now (if at all) if and when other ailments (and possible treatments) come up from not having the surgery done. It's also true things are never the same after surgery, so you have to decide how much of "not the same" you want to deal with now and later.

Good luck.

Matt Leu, M.S. Kinesiology
San Pedro Fit Works, Los Angeles, CA
Endurance Athlete and Coach
Consistency/time=results
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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As a general truism, each person and break is different and best to get several opinions of clavicle specialists for your own break.

That said, today vs. 10 years ago, surgery is more often the answer. The principal reason is the evolution of the fixing plates and the success that comes using them is much higher today.

My son broke his on 7/27 at IM Santa Rosa 70.3. 2cm displacement. We saw Dr. Modaber in Santa Monica the next day and he had surgery two days after the crash. We consulted with several orthos and they all agreed.

Surgery was uneventful and two nights after it he had a rough night but after that was on Advil for a week and then pain was manageable.

He was targeting IM Barcelona (10/6) but switched to IMAZ (11/24). On trainer/Zwift riding up to 5 hours the second week. More upright and limited pressure on break side.

Running week 3, holding arm against chest. Awkward but doable. On a treadie.

Full on running outside week 4 on. Zwift for next month and better shape than in July. Swimming starting week 8 and now after 2 weeks hitting good 100 yard splits 1:16 or so. Generally in better shape then before break. Hoping to KQ in Arizona.

Dr. was concerned about geometry of naturally healed shoulder. He’ll get full mobility and functionality this way. He may elect for second surgery a few years down road to remove plates. It doesn’t bother him now but it could when he climbs with a loaded backpack. He is a high altitude mountaineer.

Clearly right decision for him. Doc indicated surgery right call 75%+ of the time....

Again, your situation might be different.

Good luck. Sorry about the crash. (If it’s any consolation, it’s better than a grade 3 separation, which I had to endure). Heal well!

Randy Christofferson(http://www.rcmioga.blogspot.com

Insert Doubt. Erase Hope. Crush Dreams.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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I had this, almost same displacement... It is pain free quite fast (5 or 6 weeks) so you can swim/weight bear on it, but it still clicked a few months after.

Clacicle is the crumplezone of your arm, its designed to break first so your arms (and nerves and vessels around them) stay safe. So while it clicks it can do that.

And definately dont immobilise shoulder while waiting (sling etc) .... Frozen shoulder happens fast and takes a lot of pain and time to remobilise.

Only take painkillers for aches that stop you sleepi g and use pain to guide how much to move and yrst in all directiins after the inflamnation period is over (initial 48 to 78hrs)
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [lacticturkey] [ In reply to ]
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I have a plate in my shoulder from a bike crash in early 2016. It's mildly annoying.. I can feel some numbness still, apparently from when the nerves were cut. Raising my hands over my head is slightly weird--like I can feel the metal plate touching one of the muscles in my shoulder. There is a slight clicking when I swim as well, but that could have been there before. I dunno.. I'm torn. I have a scar, but my friend who didn't get surgery, has a bulge sticking up where his clavicle healed funny. Three years later, I still feel around on my shoulder and touch the plate and bolts in there out of habit. If someone hits it, like when my kit threw a hot wheel car and hit the plate, it hurts pretty bad. haha.

I'm impressed you are on here typing. I was miserable until I had my surgery. Had to sleep sitting up and was taking percoset to numb it up. It sucked.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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46yo here, had clavicle surgery last winter after a crash. Mine was probably about 2cm displaced right in the middle, but I also had 2 pieces of bone splintered off to the sides, so surgery was the call. I couldn't move my arm at all pre-surgery without it locking up/grinding (even very slight movements). Day after surgery, full range of motion. The numb sensation you get from the cut nerves takes some getting used to (seat belt and even pressure from wearing a shirt made it feel creepy/crawly, but that's gone now), but mine has improved quite a bit. The plate itself doesn't bother me, but it does protrude a bit from my skin (I don't have a ton of muscle on my shoulders so it's pretty visible), which is a bit gross (when I move my shoulder it looks like there's a worm wriggling to get out from underneath my skin :-)
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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When I broke mine, it was in 6 pieces and the surgery/plate was an easy decision. I was back on the trainer within a few days and back on the road a few weeks later.

I knew all along I would have a follow-up surgery to remove it, as I must didn't like the idea of having all the hardware in me for the rest of my life. Waited about 1-1/2 years to let the bone heal, and the removal was an hour long surgery with a very easy recovery. And I got to keep all the hardware! :-)

Friends with simpler breaks like yours all regretted not getting the surgery. Longer recovery and then years later dealing with shoulder issues due to misalignments, etc...
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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Mine was shattered...so I didn't really have a choice. Over an inch seems like a whole lot, are there other fragments, because if there's other pieces floating about then get the plate and screws. This is a routine surgery for most orthopedic surgeons. Mine apparently did several of these a week...

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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When I broke my collarbone in February, my attending physician said that it might heal on its own. I lost most of this season waiting for what did NOT happen. When I swam, the distance between the two broken halves felt like it was increasing. In July, I finally got a plate and screws to repair it.

Now, I swim without pain and can comfortably get into aero position again. There is still residual numbness, but it's slowly going away. IMO, get the surgery if you plan on being athletic.

DFL > DNF > DNS
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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As a kid, I broke my collarbone, which was displaced by about 2cm. The doctor didn't recommend surgery, my parents listened, and the bone healed shorter. It's bothered me my whole life. It affects any movement that requires range-of-motion e.g. throwing, push ups, stretching, swinging a racket, etc. It affects the way I sleep. I wish I had surgery.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [jt123] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah saw a second specialist on Tuesday and have decided to get the plate done. This guy says he places it more anterior so causes people less issues with rubbing and irritation. Reckons he only needs to use a smaller incision compared to others and comes highly regarded so prefer to have the proper shoulder length back even though the pain has reduced quite a bit already.

Booked for surgery Friday which will be 2 weeks post break but as luck would have it, have come down with fevers today so unless this passes quickly surgery will get cancelled and start to push it out to 3 weeks before op which isn't ideal either.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [Carolina-Mike] [ In reply to ]
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Carolina-Mike wrote:
When I broke mine, it was in 6 pieces and the surgery/plate was an easy decision. I was back on the trainer within a few days and back on the road a few weeks later.

I knew all along I would have a follow-up surgery to remove it, as I must didn't like the idea of having all the hardware in me for the rest of my life. Waited about 1-1/2 years to let the bone heal, and the removal was an hour long surgery with a very easy recovery. And I got to keep all the hardware! :-)

Friends with simpler breaks like yours all regretted not getting the surgery. Longer recovery and then years later dealing with shoulder issues due to misalignments, etc...

Dumb question. So they remove the plate and bolts.. aren't there a bunch of holes in your clavicle? I would assume they fill in over time, but I'd also worry about the bone being weaker until then. No?
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [phoenixR34] [ In reply to ]
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Yes, during the healing phase the bone will be weaker that with the fixation in place. The holes from the screws will fill in and the bone will remodel over time. Long-term, the bone will be stronger than with the fixation, and I could argue possibly stronger that prior to the break.

"I keep hoping for you to use your superior intellect to be less insufferable. Sadly, you continue to disappoint." - gofigure
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [jt123] [ In reply to ]
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jt123 wrote:
As a kid, I broke my collarbone, which was displaced by about 2cm. The doctor didn't recommend surgery, my parents listened, and the bone healed shorter. It's bothered me my whole life. It affects any movement that requires range-of-motion e.g. throwing, push ups, stretching, swinging a racket, etc. It affects the way I sleep. I wish I had surgery.

You didn’t have a figure 8 brace? Mine healed stronger than before with very little shortening. Maybe the figure 8 brace should have been tighter?

https://www.strava.com/...tes/zachary_mckinney
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [sonofdad] [ In reply to ]
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sonofdad wrote:
Yes, during the healing phase the bone will be weaker that with the fixation in place. The holes from the screws will fill in and the bone will remodel over time. Long-term, the bone will be stronger than with the fixation, and I could argue possibly stronger that prior to the break.

Less than a 1/3 of all clavicle repairs require hardware removal. I still have mine in there.

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [phoenixR34] [ In reply to ]
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phoenixR34 wrote:
Dumb question. So they remove the plate and bolts.. aren't there a bunch of holes in your clavicle? I would assume they fill in over time, but I'd also worry about the bone being weaker until then. No?

Exactly. The bone is actually a good bit weaker and I was warned that even too much weight too quickly in the weight room could snap it at one of the holes! Some of the Journal articles I read indicated it could be close to two years before the holes are completely filled. In other words, more cautious riding the first few months to avoid a re-break.

But as my Doc put it, that is an easier break to fix again, compared to the mess that results if you break a plated/screwed bone...
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [Carolina-Mike] [ In reply to ]
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I'll tell you my story.

Broke my left clavicle in a crash on 7/4. X-ray showed a few fractures and about 2cm displacement. Dr said surgery not needed. Each time I went back for a follow up the PA said it looked like it was healing. At 3 months post crash (and being in a sling the whole time) it was not healed. CT scan showed non-union. I had surgery a few days after the CT. The pain from the clavicle is gone, but the 3 months in the sling caused me to develop a frozen shoulder. I'm looking at extensive PT to unfreeze the shoulder. I wish I had the surgery right away
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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I haven't read all the responses but it does depend. In my case my clavicle was broken for me by some a$$hat who took a rec touch football league too seriously kneed me in the the upper back to prevent me from making a 1 yard dump pass reception. Compound fracture in 3 places with 1 piece floating in the middle. ER doc said it probably could heal on its own fine by could opt for surgery. but I didn't want to do surgery since I was already in the hospital for something else a few months earlier. Big mistake on my part not just because it took me a good 6 months before I could even do a proper pushup or lightly jog without pain but the fact that it healed "crooked". There is a pronounced bump sticking out of my left collarbone and my left shoulder is pulled in/down a bit (not sure how much but my t-shirts don't fit right as the front collar rests against my throat at times naturally and it has affected my range of motion).

I'd recommend you make sure a specialist can agree that the chances of it healing in the right position are good or you'll be in my situation and not like it at all.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [justgoing] [ In reply to ]
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I think if you're an adult, surgery is the only option. But a kid might be able to have an easy natural union and get easy healing.

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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how did the surgery go? any issues?

I'm about the same age (late 30's) & broke mine 14wks before my first full IM. Opted not to do surgery per doctors advise...even though the displacement looked pretty bad. X-rays showed no visual improvements after 3mo...but was able to recover and complete the race.

Took a while to get full/97% range of motion back and still have tightness & discomfort on really cold days...
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [Tritops] [ In reply to ]
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Your x-ray was very similar to mine, so yeah could have gone either way with leaving it or having the surgery.

It's now about 3 weeks post surgery for me, the first week I struggled to be able to lift the arm but after the pain and swelling from the surgery settled I was able to start get a lot more range of movement. Followed up with my surgeon 10 days post who cleared me to go back to unrestricted activities with lifting, pulling and pushing. Said the plate won't budge it's just a comfort thing from my point of view.

Just been slowly trying to build back strength through the shoulder as given I had to wait 2 week post fracture to surgery it's really been 5 weeks where I haven't really been able to use the shoulder much.

Still don't have full ROM but starting physio tomorrow to help. Probably got about 85% range atm.

Don't seem to notice the plate as much anymore. Have started to put backpack straps over my shoulder without much irritation. But sometime have the seat belt straps pull on it.

Only other issue is I still find it difficult to sleep on my right shoulder and the pressure is a bit uncomfortable, but this has been gradually improving so hopefully in a couple more weeks it won't affect me as much.

All in all fairly happy with going down the surgical path, feel as if I've been able to get back to my normal activities quicker. Still yet to go back out for a ride, but that's more a confidence thing for now, but keeping fit on the trainer and back running.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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Great to hear. Keep riding inside. No rush to go outside as the road vibrations are pretty hard on the hurt side.

LOuis :-)
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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I can no longer sleep on the right shoulder like I used to. Doesn't hurt anymore but feels odd.
Turned into a stomach sleeper and need to wedge a pillow to be comfortable.

Got antsy and jumped on the trainer 5 days after with a sling, hit the elliptical 12 days after, and one handed kickboard a week after that. Getting back in the water felt amazing. (Actual swim & run had to wait several more weeks + rehab.)
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [Tritops] [ In reply to ]
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Clavical healing naturally as per latest x-rays today five weeks on. Borderline case for surgery / no surgery. Would of went for surgery only had a bunch of other injuries that will take 6 / 8 weeks to recover from and wasn’t very compos mentis for the first few days post accident. Started back with walking for exercise averaging at 9.10 per km and 80km per week just last week. BUild to marathon at 100km per week just before accident.... Not sure body knows what is going on. ..... S/B/R hopefully soon.
Last edited by: Zuckerzeit: Nov 8, 19 16:52
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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Two points
One dont mistake slowtwitch for a medical second opinion. Use your forum or threads for a orthopedic surgeon recommendation.
Two there is no valid second opinion without review of the imaging, its like the other thread asking if he should have a L3-4 disk replacement.
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [midgwa] [ In reply to ]
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you made the choice i would've made. actually the choice i did make. i broke one collarbone 20yr ago, quite a bit of displacement, and did not have surgery. it did heal. i broke the other one 10yr ago, pretty similar break, this time i did have surgery. healed faster and straighter. if you don't have surgery it'll heal, but the ends won't be aligned (if the ends don't line up after the fracture).

your biggest problem is going to be swimming. you're probably riding already and you'll be running soon if you're not already. it's going to take months before you get your range of motion without pain back in the swim. as i recall it, i just had to push thru a lot of pain in the swim. i can't counsel you with any knowledge what pain (in the swim) you need to pay attention to, versus what pain you need to push thru.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Broken clavicle displaced 1.7cm - surgery or not? [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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Will just add my experience with swimming, which was slightly more positive than slowman's.

I broke my collarbone in in July this year (bike crash in Santa Rosa 70.3). Had the surgery 3 days later. I was riding on Zwift after a week, running slowly after 4 weeks on the treadmill and at normal paces outside at 6 weeks. I was cleared to swim at the beginning of week 8, and hit my weekly standard mileage (16-18k or so) by week 10. The first few sessions were more awkward than painful. Pain was there, but it was more of a mental thing being constantly worried that I was hurting it. Once I got over that, it started to come back quickly and I think that the swim has been the single biggest help in getting ROM back. At this point (3.5 months after surgery) I feel like I'm at about 99% - I still notice when I am sleeping sometimes or after super long days in the aero bars, but nothing painful. I'm extremely happy I got the surgery and would do it again if I had the choice (hopefully I don't have to).

Interestingly, the most challenging part of the return to training for me was getting back outside on the bike. I spent the 8 weeks after surgery riding exclusively on Zwift so I had a good amount of fitness, but first few rides outside were jittery and I was super cautious about going down again. Probably took 15-20 hours of outdoor riding before I felt comfy again.

Good luck! Your body will figure it all out...

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Anders
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