Collarbone

[Arfcollins]

I'm not looking for medical advice here (unless one of you happens to be an orthopaedic surgeon!) but I broke my collarbone falling off the bike on a slippery path 10 days ago. The hospital has given me a sling, I had a visit on Monday to the fracture clinic where I was told the fracture is what it is, come back in 5 weeeks for another look. The x-ray attached shows the position of the 2 parts and they have stabilised like this.

Does anyone have experience of having this fracture and it ending up skew whiff? Should I expect it to return to normal strength as far as biking is concerned? Has anyone challenged the 'it'll be alright' NHS reponse and, if so, why and how?

(Sorry that the pic is a bit huge, but I haven't figured how to make it fit the screen).

 

[fossyant]

Thats probably gonna need pinning. That's not right.

Once it's fixed you should be all ok !

 

[gemsno4]

Ow! Hope its on the mend.

I did very similar when I was a kid, slipping on ice while trying to play rounders on ice. Even though it was 20 years ago I got a sling and same advice. Being a weird kid I was fascinated with the xray and remember it looking similar

Predictably being 10 at the time, I wasn't particularly careful about the sling-wearing, and it never caused me any trouble afterwards I think most collar bone breaks are similar, bone snaps and goes on top of the other bit. I have a tiny lump now, and my bra strap always slips off that shoulder, so I assume there must be a little slant but not too bad, certainly never hurt.

9 months later I tore my hamstring doing gymnastics so it must have fully healed as didn't hinder cartwheels etc. Now the hamstring pain/healing is a different matter - I don't recommend it, truly the most painful thing I have ever done

 

[AlanW]

I'm not looking for medical advice here (unless one of you happens to be an orthopaedic surgeon!) but I broke my collarbone falling off the bike on a slippery path 10 days ago. The hospital has given me a sling, I had a visit on Monday to the fracture clinic where I was told the fracture is what it is, come back in 5 weeeks for another look. The x-ray attached shows the position of the 2 parts and they have stabilised like this.

Does anyone have experience of having this fracture and it ending up skew whiff? Should I expect it to return to normal strength as far as biking is concerned? Has anyone challenged the 'it'll be alright' NHS reponse and, if so, why and how?

(Sorry that the pic is a bit huge, but I haven't figured how to make it fit the screen).

Don't worry, it will heal up ok. In fact you will be much better off once its healed, as you'll be able to carry a shoulder bag without it slipping off past the lump.

I have broken both mine now. The first one broke in three places in a road race and was bloody painful and felt like it was going to pierce the skin every time I moved. But it healed up ok without the need for further surgery. Back then they used to use a bandage in wrapped in a "figure of eight" configuration, but after 24 hours I had to get my missus to cut the dam thing off. The pain was unbelievable !!! The thinking back then was to apply the bandage like this to try and ease the collar bone back into line? Thankfully, they no longer do this....phew!

Then 7 weeks later would you believe that I broke the other side when a dog ran out from behind I car, and I went over the bars, that one broke like yours.

So I now I can carry a shoulder bag on one side and a camera on the other side with no fear of either ever slipping off.

 

[buggi]

snap!!! ('scuse the pun! LOL) (this is my most naked photo )

mine had a HUGE bump on it when I did it and i was really worried because i could see it was not in line and i was TOTALLY freaked out. the physio told me "well, the most important thing is that you have movement back" and i was like "WTF!!! no it isn't.. the most important thing is that i look pretty and not deformed!!!" LMAO (well, i can now but i didn't find it funny at the time) Anyway after the break had healed the bump went down after a couple of months and now you can only tell if i point it out and "stick my bones up" by raising my shoulders.

the doc explained to me that a "scab" forms over the bone and then the bone heals inside the scab.

one trick is to go swimming when it's healed as the more you move it and the more the body detects any excess bone getting in the way of movement, the little bone shapers that travel round your body will come and eat the excess away. also swing your arms round and round a few times a day.

If it's really bad after the break they can shave the bone down. There's not a lot they can do except give you either a collar and cuff or a figure of eight brace. a lot of people want the figure of eight brace but i'm afraid that's too late for you, you need to have it straight away. All you can do now is wait to see how it heals.

 

[buggi]

ps. i was not ready for that level of pain especially in the first week. mine hurt like hell for 3 weeks. and then hurt for another 3 weeks. i had over 5 weeks off work. They weren't very impressed because i phoned my boss from hospital when i was high on morphine and said, "i won't be in tomorrow but i'll be in on Tuesday". LITTLE DID I FOOKIN KNOW!!!! Ha ha. so then they couldn't understand why i didn't come to work (er ... a small matter of not being able to get dressed lol) i cried a lot in the first 8 days and i'm glad my mum was there . Bless her.
Edit: turned out the physio was right too. the important thing is that i have got full movement back, no i don't feel it, even in the cold, and i don't know that i did it now, it's just as strong as before. some people i know that have broke ankles and wrists etc have not got the movement back.

 

[iAmiAdam]

Depending on how lucky you are, you might not get any pain, or it might hurt like hell. I've never seen a break like yours, mine happened more in the middle of the bone rather than the edge. Don't worry about being back on the bike, there's no problem when it comes to strength, although it might break again etc. if you take a tumble.

Just to reiterate someone else, if there's any pain at the 5 week check, tell the doctor.

 

[brokenbetty]

I did mind a few years ago. Basically collarbones don't heal back in a straight line, they kind of stick where they touch then the body builds as much of a bump as it needs to build over the broken ends. Apparently society ladies in the horse-racing southern states used to consider messed up collarbones a badge of honour!

By the way, the doctors don't actually check it's healed after x weeks, they just check your motion and pain and go by that. Mine ended up as two floating ends, but that was only picked up because I asked the doctor if I should be able to push the end of the bone in.

I spoke to a consultant about getting it pinned but we decided since I have full movement and very little discomfort it didn't justify cutting me up for what is basically some pretty heavy carpentry.

I'll see if I can find my old X-ray for you

 

[numbnuts]

OUCH hope it heals soon

 

[Simba]

I'm not looking for medical advice here (unless one of you happens to be an orthopaedic surgeon!) but I broke my collarbone falling off the bike on a slippery path 10 days ago. The hospital has given me a sling, I had a visit on Monday to the fracture clinic where I was told the fracture is what it is, come back in 5 weeeks for another look. The x-ray attached shows the position of the 2 parts and they have stabilised like this.

Does anyone have experience of having this fracture and it ending up skew whiff? Should I expect it to return to normal strength as far as biking is concerned? Has anyone challenged the 'it'll be alright' NHS reponse and, if so, why and how?

(Sorry that the pic is a bit huge, but I haven't figured how to make it fit the screen).

I broke my collar bone back in October when I was car doored. You got off pretty light there compared to mine. I had a complete break and it was hurting like hell, the bone was really out of place. It still hurts slightly now occasionally but, it healed naturally so I would not worry about yours. Took about 2 months for me to have almost full mobility in my arm, still don't have 100% yet.

PS how do I get a copy of my x-rays?

 

[theclaud]

I've broken mine three times, with varying degrees of severity. The third time (which was not the most severe) I knew what it was and didn't bother to go to casualty for a few days because it would have been difficult to get there and eight hours sitting in Morriston Hospital just for the inevitable sling seemed like a waste of time. Pretty stupid, actually, as the main purpose of the X-Ray is to make sure that nothing is about to puncture your lung. My collar-bones are now slightly lumpy and I can't take a lot of weight on them comfortably (carrying a bike Cyclocross-stylee hurts) but strength seems unaffected for anything not involving direct pressure on the area.

 

[skids]

Don't do what I did and do too much too soon. I went back to work two days after breaking mine a few years ago (contractor so no sick pay) and overall didn't leave it long enough before trying to do 'normal' things (mowing lawns, back on the bike etc). I've got a lump the size of a golf ball and still get loads of hassle (it can take me five minutes to get out of bed in the morning if I've slept putting pressure on said knackered collarbone).

 

[beatlejuice]

My collarbone never jointed up because I have Cleidocranial dysostosis. I haven't missed not having them. The thing that really causes problems is a badly broken elbow. I put more weight on the good arm because it's longer, that causes the hand on my good arm to go numb after about an hour.

 

[Arfcollins]

Thank you all for your kind wishes and useful advice. I'm much less concerned about the shape of the break now, and certainly would prefer to put up with a little discomfort long term than go under the knife. Concensus seems to be take things very easy which I am trying to do. I'm back at work but it is a desk job, so I am just getting on with plenty of one-handed typing (this is not a euphemism!) and making sure I get plenty of tea and sympathy.

To answer your question Simba, I got a copy of my X-rays by photographing the computer screen on my phone. They are all digital nowadays so you may be able to get a copy e-mailed from your GP or hospital if you can find out who to ask.