Broken Clavicle / Collar Bone - advice appreciated

[Dazzo]

Broke mine a few years ago into 3 pieces. It healed pretty well with just a sling, since I believe it was shown that the firgure 8 sling provided no additional therapeutic benefit to healing and outcome.

I was riding again after 8 weeks, fell on it at a fairly slow pace and caused the whole should to inflame again and become quite painful --> lesson, give a large window of opportunity to heal properly!

Regained strength at the gym using bench press and other shoulder and chest lifts with very minimal weight ~ 5-10% of what I would normally use. I steadily increased the weight until I was back to where I was prior to the break, at least 4 months.

Take your time!

 

[moorey]

As I understand, which is little, the fig 8 would have pulled the bones back into alignment, instead of leaving a jutting lump and a nest of tarantulas. What can't be seen in my pic is just how pointy it still sticks out.

 

[Nerf Herder]

I thought this was pretty good ... your 10cents appreciated
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-bEGgbzhdo

 

[mr chicken legs]

broke mine dec 10 had surgery dec 16. was in 3 pieces very close to the the joint badly displaced needed a large plate with a hook. just started using it again.will be back on the roadie in feb told no mtb april. no kona oddesy for me.will follow doctors orders as i want to heal right.

 

[brad353]

nerf herder i think the best advice you could have is if it hurts at all, or feels unstable or weak, don't do it. you know your body and what feels right and what feels wrong. i'd start with xc or even road riding and build up from there. if you start hitting a few bumps on an xc or all mountain trail and your shoulder feels weak or you have that dodgy unstable feeling, then you're vulnerable for more damage to your collarbone and you shouldn't be doing it. if you feel pain, it's vulnerable, so don't do it. you don't wanna re- injure it cos' next time it will be worse and it'll take longer to heal. the best brace for your shoulder is the muscles surrounding it so make sure you have the strength there before going too hard again. swimming is probably the easiest, cheapest and most fun way to regain your flexibility and strength.

i didn't ride mtb when i broke my collarbone years ago but i was back racing mx with full strength in my shoulder again about 5- 6 weeks later. good luck with the recovery mate

 

[Derka Derka]

collar bone

Yup heals up fine given time. Broke mine a couple of years ago at Mountain cross at Gouldburn. Told it was in 3 pieces... specialist confirm that it was in 5. Had a plate put in, took about 9 months to be no worries and it is fine now. Back at boxing so I would say that it heals up 100% or close to

 

[MTBm8]

Lucky

I must have been pretty lucky. I broke my collar bone in a long split along the bone that pushed one pointy end up through the skin and the other down into the muscle, lucky part was that I had a plate put in and two weeks after the surgery I was roller training in the lounge room, road riding a week after that and on the mountain bike XC the week after that. So 2 weeks off the bike and 4 weeks off the dirt.
It would still ache for awhile after that but the surgeon told me it was all good and stop being a sook. As I am not a doctor before riding listen to your doctor and not me.

 

[Mywifesirrational]

I thought this was pretty good ... your 10cents appreciated
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-bEGgbzhdo

The "i'm a personal trainer" sets the alarm bells off, personal trainers are not rehabilitation clinicians, that being said the exercise shown lateral raises is a good rehab exercise post clavical fracture, just don't go beyond 90 degrees (hand no higher than shoulder). We never send fracture clinics to community fitness centres without one of us there initially to 'educate' the PT's.

The use of theraband shits me, its not a good thing to use, a light bumbbell is much better. The sticking piont with a lateral raise is at or close to 90 degrees. Hold something heavy raise your arm keeping it straight, you'll feel it gets hardest at the top. Theraband also gets tighter, providing more load as it stretches. This means only a very small part of the movement actually provides an exercise stimulus. Where as a dumbbell provides a constant load, with the exception of the moment arm within the shoulder.

Another thing no one has mentioned is a clavical brace, they need to be fitted by a qualified clinician, but the retract the shoulders and help align the fracture ends together. Only works if you have one fitted within a few days of fracture. otherwise the bone starts to knit.

http://www.mobilityshop.com.au/orth...sture-aids/posture-aid-clavical-brace-opp2075

Like someone else said, always check with the GP and/or Surgeon, often they will be very cautious and delay return to normal function longer than normal, but this is a good thing as refracture or other injurings caused by loss of strength are removed.

But i will disagree with someone else - with rehab it will go through stages when it gets sore and stiff, thats just a normal part of healing and rehab - but this is why you need a competant clinician to supervise, they will understand the limits through the time course of healing.

 

[Nerf Herder]

Ta for the tips ^^ ... found a little pulley weight thing and have been doing some light weight reps stuff in the shed.

Doc visit today was quick as usual ... ortho is happy with it all ... I have unrestricted movement now he says ... and another quick check up in 6 weeks ... asked for another pic and to my untrained eyes ... the break is marginally closer together, but fundamentally the same as the 3 week pic * shrugs. Managed to get my pics on disc and have been practising my DR House MD skills on it.

Thanks all for the comments and stuff peeps