Broken Collar Bone Recovery Time

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Broken Collar Bone Recovery Time
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flag chriskneeland
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Posted: May 7, 2016 at 16:32 Quote
TizzyTyler wrote:
cmkneeland wrote:
TizzyTyler wrote:
I have a Z shape break on my left collarbone. Broke it 8 days ago, the orthopedic surgeon suggested surgery, but I'm really not trying to get it. In a sling, not much strength, I can straighten my arm and bring it back to sling position (across my stomach). Not much pain unless my shoulder is moved wrong, but I feel as if everything is gradually getting better day by day when it comes to range of motion, pain, and strength. I've been laying in bed on my back resting with a pillow under my elbow. Has anyone let their Z shaped break heal naturally?




https://instagram.com/p/BE1XkjpNFRUARVOrHTU04qjF3PuO4q0szdwKzQ0/

Get the surgery. Here's mine. It took almost 6 months to heal without surgery, and I had to buy a bone growth stimulator and use it for 3 months. A guy I know had surgery and was back on the bike in 7 weeks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/5Cx7cMEwAr









I'm fine with the long healing process by going naturally, I'm just really skeptical on surgery. Did you have yours in a sling while you let it heal? Any tips on natural healing? I have till the end of the week to make a final decision, I've just been leaning towards letting it go on its own.

I had mine in a sling full time for 6 weeks. Part time for another 2. The key to healing is keeping it absolutely still. Movement or stress on the fracture before the bone solidifies prevents it from healing. Sleeping on it was my biggest problem because I'm naturally a side sleeper. I'd roll over on it at night and wake up in excruciating pain. Diet also plays a big role. Keep your calcium and vitamin D high, and a relatively high amount of calories to aid the healing process. I started to put on weight from inactivity and cut my calories back quite a bit to keep from getting fat and I think that may have contributed to the slow healing time.

It's also worth noting that my collar bone healed with an overlap, which shortened my shoulder a bit, which wouldn't have happened if I had surgery.
flag SSpecialK
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Posted: May 31, 2016 at 22:03 Quote
Broke my collarbone at Big Bear last week and I'm really bummed out. X-Ray shows it's about 5.2cm displaced so I will need surgery. I'm hoping to get back to riding at the end of June. I live a pretty healthy lifestyle, fairly young (29) and actually ordered a stationary bike to help keep my strength for the next few weeks. Is the end of June too soon to be riding? Have a Drs appointment tomorrow and hopefully surgery this week or the next.
flag chriskneeland
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Posted: Jun 1, 2016 at 3:25 Quote
SSpecialK wrote:
Broke my collarbone at Big Bear last week and I'm really bummed out. X-Ray shows it's about 5.2cm displaced so I will need surgery. I'm hoping to get back to riding at the end of June. I live a pretty healthy lifestyle, fairly young (29) and actually ordered a stationary bike to help keep my strength for the next few weeks. Is the end of June too soon to be riding? Have a Drs appointment tomorrow and hopefully surgery this week or the next.

Yeah, that's way too soon to return. It'll feel like it's healed because it'll be plated, but you won't have enough bone regrowth to start riding again and allow it to fully heal. The last thing you want is a non-union or a mal-union. It really depends on the person as to how quickly the bone repairs itself. Use your x rays as a guide and wait until you see thick bone growth. I'd guess a 7-8 week range.
flag SSpecialK
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Posted: Jun 1, 2016 at 21:38 Quote
Thanks for your input sir. I have surgery tomorrow and the Dr. recommended that I wait three months before I do hard riding but in 6-8 weeks I can work out with light riding (smooth terrain). This really sucks ass as I was hoping to head to Big Bear at the end of the month.
flag TizzyTyler
Posted: Jun 4, 2016 at 20:29 Quote
I met up with a surgeon to schedule my surgery about 3 weeks ago, and the surgeon wanted to move my arm and see how it was doing and he got it well above my head (with his help of course) with no pain. I decided to go without the surgery, but I'm going to always have the shortened shoulder. Does it really effect a lot? Does it make anything more difficult than before? Riding a bike seems like it would be a lot different now, but I'm not all that worried about hopping back on the bike. I'm actually a skater, BMX has just always been easy and fun to mess around with at the skatepark.
flag chriskneeland
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Posted: Jun 5, 2016 at 4:20 Quote
TizzyTyler wrote:
I met up with a surgeon to schedule my surgery about 3 weeks ago, and the surgeon wanted to move my arm and see how it was doing and he got it well above my head (with his help of course) with no pain. I decided to go without the surgery, but I'm going to always have the shortened shoulder. Does it really effect a lot? Does it make anything more difficult than before? Riding a bike seems like it would be a lot different now, but I'm not all that worried about hopping back on the bike. I'm actually a skater, BMX has just always been easy and fun to mess around with at the skatepark.

Honestly you won't even notice it. And over time, as your bone continues to remodel, it'll continue to lengthen a bit.
flag yyc650b
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Posted: Jul 1, 2016 at 16:53 Quote
I recently broke my clavicle. I had it in a sling for 7 straight days. I went for a follow-up and new x-rays. It looked the same as it did when it happened. The Specialist told me to get rid of the sling and start doing range of motion exercises. I saw a therapist that same day who showed me what I should be doing. That included raising my arm completely. It was hard at first because I was locked up from wearing the sling. Two days later I had no issues. I am concerned about not wearing the sling. I try to keep it as still as possible. Has anyone had the same experience being told not to wear a sling so soon after the break? It still feels like the bone is separated. I am going by my doctors recommendation.
flag BrianPM3
Posted: Jul 5, 2016 at 13:22 Quote
That's what I was told as well. It takes a while but the bones "gel" back together and harden.
flag SSpecialK
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Posted: Aug 8, 2016 at 13:28 Quote
Just an update on this. I was back on my bike about 4 weeks after surgery (06/04/16)...so around end of June. This was against my Dr's advice but I felt fine and made sure to consume foods/liquids that had high protein and calcium during the 4 week recovery period.
flag thecrazyfrenchman
Posted: Aug 9, 2016 at 17:29 Quote
I broke mine within 24 hours of having moved to North Van on my 3rd run on Fromme... Came in a bit too fast on a drop and landed a bit too far. Right before a little step and went flying over the bars. Cracked my helmet, broke my collarbone and needed stitches in my knee. Fun times!

Post op 32 days now, going crazy not moving.. I cheated a bit and went on a couple road/gravel rides and tried my first trail 2 days ago. (Bobsled on Fromme) Riding uphill is fine and downhill isn't too bad as long as it's a smooth. No jumping or dropping and avoiding really rocky/bumpy sections.

Shoulder feels good for the most part and I got most of my range of motion back though I won't push my luck and go on another ride until I see the doctor next week!

I'm hoping to get a couple days on the big bike at Whistler before the end of the season!
flag yyc650b
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Posted: Aug 10, 2016 at 7:47 Quote
joshua22 wrote:
I recently broke my clavicle. I had it in a sling for 7 straight days. I went for a follow-up and new x-rays. It looked the same as it did when it happened. The Specialist told me to get rid of the sling and start doing range of motion exercises. I saw a therapist that same day who showed me what I should be doing. That included raising my arm completely. It was hard at first because I was locked up from wearing the sling. Two days later I had no issues. I am concerned about not wearing the sling. I try to keep it as still as possible. Has anyone had the same experience being told not to wear a sling so soon after the break? It still feels like the bone is separated. I am going by my doctors recommendation.




I am eight weeks into my break. I have been doing range of motion exercises from day 7 an on. In the gym riding the stationary bike and doing light weights. A follow up x-ray is coming up. My only concern is the bone is still sticking up. No tenting, just an annoyance because the bone rubs under the skin. Time will tell. I am glad I was pulled out of the sling though.
flag Donavann
Posted: Aug 15, 2016 at 22:00 Quote
If the bones around the clavicle break become displaced or move, surgery may be recommended to position the bones back to where they need to be. Surgery procedures aid in aligning the bones so that the healing process can begin. Plates or screws are often used during the surgical procedure to help position the bones. Pins are also used to hold the fractured bone in place.

Recovery time depends on the nature of the injury and how severe the break was. Some take as little as a few weeks to recover, while others may take as long as six months.



http://xyupload.com
flag thecrazyfrenchman
Posted: Aug 17, 2016 at 15:13 Quote
Post op 40 days

I hadn't seen any xrays until now. Not fully healed but I got the ok for some light biking, just can't crash for another couple of weeks!
flag yyc650b
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Posted: Aug 17, 2016 at 19:19 Quote
@HebMT

It looks like you shattered your's. I am back on my bike doing some light riding. Nothing too crazy though.
flag 72RatCamaro
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Posted: Oct 11, 2016 at 12:54 Quote
I broke both of my collar bones in a 6 month time frame this year. Went OTB casing a jump, and clipped a tree on the bunny slope headed to the car after a session.

Both required surgery and were overlapped. First one ER sent me home and didn't do surgery for 4 days, afterwards followed standard protocol of sling for 6 weeks, full range of PT, super slow recovery time. Ended up back on the bike 3-4 months after original break.

Fast forward 2/3 months from that date....Sitting back in the ER, got admitted, did surgery the next morning. Dr said no sling, ease into it, rock and roll. That was in Mid June. I have better motion out of this side, way less pain, much faster recovery. Was back on the bike 6 weeks after the break pain free. Started rock climbing again around that same time.


So, what I am saying is if you have surgery forgo the sling and let it move around as much as possible.

 


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