I've had a plate on my rt clavicle for about 13 years. I still feel it during certain activities if I pay attention to it. Especially if it's cold. You're probably just adjusting to the way it feels. I'm sure you'll still have soreness and some pain only 3-4 weeks out, but I wouldn't worry about riding a trainer.

Long term my recommendation would pay attention to strength training. I'm not sure what you're during now/were doing, but I've noticed anytime I get lazy with strength training in my upper body the plate seems to bother me more.

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Mine was placed about two years ago. It bothers me a little when I swim, but after I warm up, the pressure goes away. Biking never bothered me. What you feel should diminish with time.

For me, it was never so bad that I considered having the plate removed and is why it is still there now.

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Thanks, current limit is 10lbs on the arm. So my only strength workouts are 12oz arm curls.

Once I get clearance I'll have to focus more on upper body workouts. I noticed I went for a long walk the other day and my shoulder was killing me. Just the swinging of the arm was enough for my shoulder muscles to feel exhausted.

Mine has been plated for about 8 years. I rarely notice it now. The only time I will remember it is if I have something across the shoulder (a backpack strap for instance), or if I am bent down in a particular manner trying to lift something. I never feel it or notice it riding. When it was first plated, I noticed it all the time...you get used to it.

Matt

^^^^This. I am 14+ years at this point with a plate and only notice it now if something like a backpack strap is across it. Early on I noticed it quite a bit but as you said, you adapt to it. I was able to do IM about nine months after having it plated and still do things now such as cycling, strength training and playing hockey without issues.

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

Is it a hook plate or a straight/flat plate? Anecdotal (friends who had it): hook plates seems more often to be unconfortable, and if so taken out. I have a straight/flat one and could do easy swims after 5 weeks. Now 18 months later only notice when wearing a heavy backpack.

flat stainless steel.

Was hoping it was titanium so I can see if the wife would approve a matching bike :)

I had a plate installed and rode on the trainer after a few days but waited the prescribed 6 week before going out on the road. It was sensible the first days It eventually came back ok. I was told by a physio friend it was better to have it removed. Unfortunately 10 months later I was chopped in a crit race, and broke my clavicle again. The plate bent but the bone cracked at a screw hole. I had to wait for 9 other months to have the plate removed, and now have a bent clavicle.... :-/

Louis :-)

Same here. 4 years in

No. Never.

I was on the trainer 2 days post-op, arm in a sling. Did this until week 4 and then I did a 25km TT on the road (the trainer got boring and I was impatient).

This was 2014.

Every now and then the plate reminds me it's there for a brief moment if I have a backpack strap on it, etc.

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Yeah, I couldn't sit on a bike at two weeks. Good for you! I can definitely ride a lot these days. It's gonna feed weird and painful for awhile to be honest.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Just an FYI if it continues bothering you, ask to have it removed. I think it can be done at 5-6 months at the earliest. I had mine removed. It was a piece of cake. Nothing like the trauma of crash + having it put in. The incision hurt for a day and that was pretty much it. I just had to keep it dry until the scar healed and the bandage removed.

I've had my plate + 10 screws as well as my AC joint removed IDK 7-8 years ago, maybe 9, no I think 8, probably.

I only think of it on 3-4 occasions such as when I use one of those backpacks you get at races with the tiny strings. With just a pair of socks and a t shirt in those hurt like a mofo. Or if I swim a lot of fly, that irritates it a bit, when I swim backstroke as I lost about 5% ROM and can't put my hand in on the same place. Even now though I rarely think about that. When it's really cold out - that's almost the worst but the ache goes away once I warm up.

I have found it to be a good marker for leanness. As I get more fit/less fat the medial edge of it becomes more pronounced and the tops of the 6 screws in the plate are easier to feel (the other 4 screws were used to piece bone fragments together).

I've shot all sorts of guns with it, had it bitten (don't ask), wore backpacks (real back packs) with up to 85# in them, had my dog jump on it from the couch while I was laying on the floor etc and never even think about it anymore.

I will say that first year I probably touched it more than the next 3 years combined. You've had something inserted into your body that for the last xx years wasn't there.

Give it a year or two and you won't really think about it much.

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Yeah, three years in I only tend to feel it when it's cold. Not a big deal.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

You will probably get used to it. After you are passed the acute phase, use it and you’ll be fine.

I’ve had mine in for almost 3 years (wrecked on Christmas Eve 2017). I don’t even notice it’s there unless something or someone touches my shoulder but that’s mostly due to loss of feeling in the area.

I know the dr cleared you to bike but remember, the bone is still technically broken. It probably took me ~8-10 weeks post op to feel fully comfortable putting all that weight on that shoulder on the trainer. I want to say it was 12 weeks before I road outside as I wanted to ensure my shoulder could hold up and wouldn’t buckle on me mid ride.

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in an odd way the experience with the second crash is reassuring as one of my concerns is what will happen if i have a hard crash on the side with the plate - as the collar bone can't break. I'm concerned it could just be pushed towards my neck by the impact and damage something critical.

For the OP - mine has been there, full length if my clavicle, for 5.5 years and like most others i only notice the plate on cold days or if a strap on a backpack or a seat belt is rubbing. i do think that whatever the situation we all adapt and get used to it (within limits) so things that are very noticeable initially just become background noise.

Thanks all for the input so far. When you guys say cold, what are you referring to? I live in Minnesota where winter activities are 15-20 degrees.

My next xray to see how healing is going is a few days before Christmas, I'm hoping to have clearance to xc ski, fat bike and drive by then but won't be shocked if that isn't the case. I rode 35 minutes on the trainer yesterday and today. I can feel it while riding but wasn't sore. If anything its all the muscles around it that are sore, shoulder blade mostly. I'm guessing some of that is from the surgery and superman over the bike destroying some soft tissue.

Of course I just picked up a used dropper post for the bike that caused the accident....