Broken collar bone.
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The break was still visible on my X-rays too. Very disconcerting after 9 weeks. Like you my consultant said there was no need to come back again but i referred myself back in 3 months. I wanna see solid white indicating a properly healed bone!! Had a gentle road ride today and there was no pain as such even on an unforgiving road bike.0
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Did mine today.
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Commiserations. Make sure you push for a quick surgical fix. The only way it'll ever be right again0
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Really? It's just in a sling at the mo, did it three days ago and my appointment at the fracture clinic is in a weeks time. What should I say0
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Well although I'm not a qualified orthopedic surgeon that is a comminuted fracture (3 bits in your case) it looks like the ends are at the moment further apart than 2cm (the golden length as far as surgery is concerned)
Has your shoulder slumped? IMO it will never be 'right' unless it's re aligned and out back to its original position. Nature will mend it but not correctly. If you wanna do the things you previously did in the way you use to do them insist!!!!! On surgery. Hope you have a receptive consultant. Took me 4.5 months to convince mine.
Obviously everyone is an individual bit for me the surgery was absolutely the right thing. As soon as woke up it felt right. I'm almost back to my old gym routine. Good luck pal.0 -
Yeah shoulder is slumped, is it broken in three places? I thought it was just the one! Il really try and get surgery then, its starting to feel weird ( 3 days since) I hope it's not going to heal itself incorrectly if there not alligned properly. Why did the nurse not tell me this, she just said after six weeks it will be ok! I even thought g from the xray it didn't look right!0
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It's broken in one place but...there's a small rectangular piece at the break site, you can clearly see it. So you have 3 bits of bone.
Like someone early on in this these said they are quite happy for you to go on forever with it broken. You must be very assertive with them. I wasted 4 and a half months due to their apathy. I should have been operated on in the 1st week. Don't go through 2 lots of recovery. Get it fixed!
Exaggerate everything! Lack of movement. Pain. Your inability to work. It's not just the NHS - health authorities the world over place no real importance on collar bones, they see them as unimport and are happy to just leave it to nature. It might be ok if you're a sloth but if you're an active individual you need to fixed. Pretty much all sportsmen who have this injury would have surgery. This speaks volumes. If you have private insurance use it now.0 -
Unlucky with the break.
My advice would be book a private consultation, get refereed to another doctor or anything. You want that plated asap. They are happy for it to remain broken for the rest of your life as it is easier for them. It took me a year to get myself fixed and i couldnt move on with things until it was.
get onto them now. They will say wait 4 weeks to see if it magically heals then another 4 then another 6. get it done now. i think its about 6k for the off if you pay for it yourself. Knowing what i know now i would have taken out a loan and paid for it myself!0 -
Bit of an update, the shoulder is feeling good. Not had any pain for a while now.
My scar looks horrible, like a bloodworm across my shoulder lol. It get's a bit irritable after a while of riding with a pack on, with the straps rubbing but been applying lots of E45. Need to invest in some form of Bio Oil to help reduce the scar.
Got full movement just still lacking strength but I've been lifting some heavy bars at work for the past month now without any issues.
How's everyone else doing?0 -
Took your guys advise and had surgery yesterday! Got out this morning. Not bad for not even two weeks since the break. Feels so weird, on loads of pain killera, tramadol, codeine, ibuprofen and paracetamol.0
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Well done Mr Jones!
So did you go private? If not how did the talks go with the NHS? I know there's no continuity between NHS hospitals and it's pot luck who you get and what they say. Did you have to beg them for the Op or was it offered?
My advise would be to steer clear of ibuprofen it is a NSAID and is detrimental to bone growth.
Th tramodol is all you should need. It was an absolute god send after my surgery. I got 8 hours proper sleep for the first time in 5 months after taking that!!! I was on it for nearly 10 weeks. Kept getting repeat prescriptions from my GP. The withdrawal symptoms were pretty bad tho. For 4 days after stopping taking them I could not sleep. Could not settle. Cold turkey basically bit all over in 4 days. The internet research I did said that would be the case and sure as hell it was. I'd take them again if needed like a shot. Wonderful drug!
Been back at the gym now for 6 weeks. I'd say I can do 80% of the weight I was doing before the crash. Body is coming back nicely. The scar is fading fast. Il post a pic again soon. X-rays and probably a final consultation in 2 weeks. Il be asking about possible removal. The only thing that concerns me is the potential weakness when the plate and screws are removed. I do not want to take such a huge amount of time of work and the gym EVER again. Il just see what he has to say.0 -
Thats brilliant to hear qooqui, reaklly reassuring to hear your pretty much back to where you were at the gym. I started going 4/5 days a week for two months before the break, so am gutted at the mo.
Got it on nhs, they didn't offer it but when I asked the consultant, he said he would put it in for the surgeons weekly meeting. Got a call next day asking if I could go for the opp the following mornin - off course! Was proper bricking it though, I hate this stuff.
Tramadol works wonders for me too, Il minimize the ibuprofen intake! Thanks again0 -
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What is that!!!!!!
Did you have the rockwood pin rather than a plate and screws???
Is that the metal exposed near the shoulder?? Interesting!0 -
I don't understand. You had surgery a couple of days ago now you don't have a dressing or even any stitches or steri strips? Mine was done 8 days ago and I still have dressing (replaced yesterday), stitches and steris to come off in another weeks time. Also, what is that shiney bit? You becoming Borg?
Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.
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Rockwood pin would require no long incision that's why I asked. Just a small entry wound that's left exposed for a few months. It's usually made round the back tho...0
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No, plate and screws. Took the photo when nurse changed dressing. It's all bandaged up atm. Had surgery Thursday0
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No, I dint think it's the metal, I think its light reflecting, it started to bleed when the nurse changed it. Had to go back to a n e yesterday after getting discharged, it started bleeding loads. They glued it shut.been ok today0
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Looks a very neat job. Glue eh? Less scarring I guess. I've quite a few stitches and loads of steri strips covering mine. They changed the dressing after 1 weeks and there was not a spot of bleeding or oozing which was good. I've not seen my wound clear of tape yet. Next week I should. How are the Tramadol dreams? Mine have been the weirdest of my life! Very surreal.
Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.
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Oh my god yeah the dreams! If it didn't take so long to type left handed I'd share a couple!
Yeah I thought it looked neat. Funny fact - my original surgeon was going to be Dr.SAW, but he wasn't available so I got a surgeon called Dr.CUTTER ha.
I'm staying in bed all day, trying to minimize movement in order not to disturb the wound.0 -
Yo yo yo
How is everyone doing? Dan, hows riding going? Qooqui, hows gym?
My movement feels good, still not puttin hands above head under doctors orders. Two more weeks and I think Il be able to go back to the gym and get back on the bike. Been just over 5 weeks since surgery now, coming up to 6 this thursday. Feels wierd at some points, like I can feel the plate against the bone, but in general it feels ok!
Also back at work, yawn0 -
Hi mate.
Things are ok. Gym is still not back to where it was. I think my whole shoulder is in a different position to where it was. I don't have the same symmetry as before the crash. Certain things at the gym still cause the muscle and soft tissue to rub on the plate causing soreness. It's not so bad, but it does get on my tits!
Still sure surgery was the best things to have tho.
6 month photo..
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I know what you mean with the plate rubbing, feels so weird doesn't it. It's getting worse now, and itching generally around the whole thing. I figured it's the nerves growing back?? I think Im at about 75 per cent motion if you know what I mean. I've got what I hope is my last appointment before I can go back gym/ get on the bike next Tuesday!! One week to go hopefully!!0
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Yo yo yo.
How is everyone doing? Got dischagred today, i can get back on the bike and back to the gym, happy days.0 -
An update on my injury.
I had a hook plate fitted which is placed with the hook part under the chromium (a projection from the scapula over the shoulder joint). It has a tendency to cause a few problems with movement and it was noticeable even after it healed. This means they take the plate out after a few months and I had mine removed last week. It's looking good and I can tell even now that there isn't the plate there (besides not hearing/feeling a click due to the metal work every so often!)0 -
intresting topic guys
did mine about 14 years ago
mines overlapping and was left to fuse together , went to hospital when broke it and was just put in sling given painkillers and sent home !
for years after I was still getting pain etc from it and kept going back to docs and more n more xrays etc
still gets sore now , my shoulder has dropped about a inch and been told I will always have problems in future with it . this is pic of it now
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Hi Fellas
Just bumped into this post and read it with interest. I went through the same thing. Broke mine last November in Rotorua. I had previously thought breaking your collarbone was no big deal but my mind has certainly changed now....Mine looked the same as Pesky's., a clean break with a bit floating around. Like everyone else here I was told it would heal naturally and it has, even though I doubted it at first.
I was given Tramadol and kept it in a sling for about 3 weeks and then started taking it off during the day as my elbow would get sore and start to freeze up. I kept it on at night to stop movement and a pillow for support so I didn't roll on it. I stopped taking painkillers after about 2 weeks so I could feel it when I moved it to much (didn't want to hinder the healing). I also took Calcium and Silica after a bit of internet research.
I had X-rays taken at 6 weeks and it looked like it hadn't started healing at all but the Orthopedic surgeon said the floating bit(s) were good as it acted like "a bone soup" and would help the process. More X-rays at 12 weeks and not much improvement but the doctor said the callous that would be growing doesn't always show up (which was re-assuring)
A very important part of getting back to normal was Physiotherapy. I had shoulder impingement and restricted mobility but dry needling and Scapular stability exercises sorted that out.
After 3 months I went for my first ride and couldn't believe how paranoid I was about falling off....
I reckon it took 6 months before it felt fully healed and strong enough to take a hit if I fell off. It still has a bump there but I aint worried about a modelling career.
I had my first stack yesterday since breaking it and it was fine...
I think people really underestimate how bad a broken collarbone is as you just can't do anything and it takes ages to heal.
Chin up all those dudes going through it. It will heal just don't rush it.0
