Broke my collar bone yesterday and now waiting for fracture clinic. I am told that you just get a sling and wait for it to heal. Anyone had any experience, not sure mine is going to set unless i sit still for 6 weeks as it is all a bit loose in there.

depends, have you had x-rays done already and someone at the hospital has commented on them?. I was told right from the very start, surgery, I wasn’t even consulted on options, so wait and see.

Push for surgery! I broke mine badly a few years ago. Pinned and plated and the recovery was unbelievably quick. I was back on the turbo within 2 weeks. I get no grief from it what so ever

I would also push for surgery I had it done in france where it is a matter of course and as others have said it made for a rapid recovery and I am now (bar the scar) good as new.. (Had a second surgery to remove the plate in the uk)..
A friend broke his around the same time, initially didn’t get surgery but it didn’t heal right so had to be seen to and pinned anyway which has meant it has given him years of grief and he still isn’t back to the same point that I am. (His plate is yet to come out)
I found this document very useful in knowing what to expect and for advice on rehab exercises:
http://www.massgeneral.org/ortho/services/sports/rehab/Clavicle_Fracture_Protocol_Non_surgical.pdf

Don’t have surgery unless needed. Go see fracture clinic and see what they say. I’ve done two major breaks in to 3 or 4 bits and both healed well without surgery. I went and saw these guys – physioclinic.net in Ipswich or a guy called Ian dixon now does the same up north and I was on turbo in 1.5weeks, on road in 3 and full Mtb in 5. It’s a. It’s a bit hocus pocus but really works.

Not all bone breakages are the same. Some require intervention some will heal fine by them self. Wait till your fracture clinic appointment for a proper diagnosis.

Remember surgery carries some risks with it too so its not necessarily the best option all the time.

Broke mine 2 weeks ago and the consultant at fracture clinic advised to leave it as he thought it should heal on it’s own. Mine is slightly displaced with a small splinter off it.
Feels like it’s healing ok and I’m just about off the pain killers, l was on the turbo trainer after about 9 days.
Hope you heal up quickly and don’t need surgery.

I fractured mine on the 5th of February this year when I slipped off crossing a level crossing. Advised no surgery needed, just a sling for 6 weeks. I was off work for around four and a bit weeks as I couldn’t drive and work is over 30 miles away.

Been back in work now for over 4 weeks, been back to gentle cycling and running and its been fine. Also had 2no physio appointments up to now.

Whilst off work in a sling I didn’t do any sports.

Go on the advice of the consultant in the fracture clinic.

ps it does feel uncomfortable at the beginning, especially sleeping. I still cannot sleep on the side of the fracture.

Lets see what the consultant says tomorrow. It is quite badly displaced on the x-rays and I am concerned about further displacement given how much I can feel it all moving around in there. Everyone I spoke to said surgery rare (not sure if that is a cost thing or because of risks). Thanks for sharing and speedy and full recovery to all going through the same.

there is a sheath around the bone that helps keep all the bits in one place.
there are pros and cons to surgery, for one, it’s surgery with the inherent risks, however small in this day and age, of general anesthetic and infection. it effectively reinforces a structure that helps prevent injury to the neck or shoulder ( think mech hanger ), and you may want the thing removed later if it causes discomfort – some do, which is basically like breaking it again ( not quite, but not far off, i am told ).
do not keep it completely immobilised. take your arm out the sling while you are seated so your shoulder/elbow doesn’t seize up.
impress on your doc and physio ( ask to see a physio asap if they don’t queue one up straight away ) that you are active and want to stay that way. if they ask you if you want a review in a few weeks say ‘yes’ – get as much contact time with physio and doc as you can, if only for reassurance that everything is going back together ok.
don’t be afraid to ask questions – they sometimes forget they are dealing with a lay-person.
IANAD, but i have broken both of mine. 😳
get well soon.

There definitely seems to be a culture of discouraging and avoiding doing necessary minor operations in the NHS (and yes I know some collar bones heal fine with a brace or left to it) that then go on to cause people further pain and problems.

Seems like typical British short termism/snide cost cutting/attempting to force people to go private, which often leads to further costs down the line. I’ve experienced it myself more than once and it appears from discussions with family, friends and acquaintances I’m not the only one.

There definitely seems to be a culture of discouraging and avoiding doing necessary minor operations in the NHS (and yes I know some collar bones heal fine with a brace or left to it) that then go on to cause people further pain and problems.

Seems like typical British short termism/snide cost cutting/attempting to force people to go private, which often leads to further costs down the line. I’ve experienced it myself more than once and it appears from discussions with family, friends and acquaintances I’m not the only one.

There’s no culture of discouraging necessary operations of any severity. There is a culture of avoiding operations until they become necessary, and where that point is often controversial and two surgeons will often give slightly different answers. Even the most minor operation has major risks (I’ve had people having minor 5 min procedures end up spending a week in ICU, for example), and balance of risks is often a complex process.

Clavicles are controversial, with the evidence on long term outcomes following fixation not that great – hence the predominantly conservative management seen in the UK. Decisions are made and options put forward for good reasons and by highly trained and experienced professionals, perhaps trusting this and engaging in discussion around the rational for a decision rather than conspiracy theorising might be more productive.

The decision to not operate is based on what is best for a patient’s health, not cost.

Always good to avoid surgery if you can, especially with ORIFs (ie plates and screws) as you may need a second procedure to take the metalwork out. If nothing else the scarring can painful and play havoc with a joint’s ability to function efficiently.

Therefore, unless there is a valid reason not to, a consultant will generally recommend trying a conservative approach first then surgery later if that doesn’t work.

Eight fractures here 🙁 and never had surgery. In S.Wales after A/E you go to the fracture clinic and unless it’s horrendous they give 4/6 weeks to see if it’s healing before considering surgery.
For me its been turbo 2wks gentle road riding 3wks. Back on mtb at 4/5. Mx and hard riding by 6/7 wks.
The bone grating thing is normal and goes away after a week or two, well for me anyway. Good luck with healing the worst bit is boredom and frustration over not being able to ride.

I ignored mine and assumed it would sort itself out with a few weeks off the bike. It didn’t work out that way. I’d take advice and follow it to the letter if you want a fast recovery.

Buy a good quality sling
Lots of pillows to wedge you in position in bed
Never ever sneeze
Be nice to the wife if you want to wear socks or shoes for the next few weeks

P.S
Generally doctors give better medical advice than cycling forums!

ecampbell- conspiracy theorising

Not at all and I am not exclusively referring to clavicle procedures either.

I don’t buy it for a minute having experienced initial resistance and delays making things worse and then stitching so loose, it left a much wider scar than necessary. Even the district nurse was surprised how amateur the job was commenting “it was good thing it was not on my face” with the GP restitching the wound that hadn’t fully healed because it was so loose. Student nurse playing at it last thing on a Friday, she even managed to drop the scalpel.

Strange other people I know have got some lovely stories of botched jobs and withholding treatment with resultant escalation of conditions. Statistically insignificant eh, go patronise someone else.

Try not to take ibuprofen. Slows Bone regrowth. If it’s not broken into lots of pieces, it will be wait and see. It’s the crepitation and rubbing that causes the pain. I found a sling to be awful hateful thing with arm never in the right place. Figure of 8 strap is much better and pulls the shoulder back into place.

I couldn’t ride anything for a couple of months, but didn’t do turbo. And yes, get friendly best terms with significant carer! I needed lifts to work as I normally cycle.

Done worse since. Two years ago this week.

Wife had surgery as it was completely broken and displaced (interesting otb moment)
No real choice given on surgery or not but she still gets issues from the plate sometimes

Go for the surgery. You get a great scar, and as we all know, chicks dig scars.

Actually, when I lost quite a bit of weight, I found that the plate and screws became noticeable, and that my kids were more apt to hit the wrong spot when goofing around. That said, I am glad that I have no posture problems as a consequence of my break, and that the surgery was pretty much presented as the only serious option.

Just don’t expect the area around your scar to ever feel the same again. The whole area around my left shoulder permanently feels like my mouth does after I’ve been to the dentist.

You get used to it, though… 🙂

I broke mine 40 years ago and wasn’t offered surgery.
The most painful thing I have endured and still aches sometimes now.

If I break again, I would have surgery if given the option.

Good luck whichever way you go

Wealth of experiences and opinions here as ever, thanks to all.

Saw the consultant today at what turned in to a cycling injury clinic, 2 roadies, a bmx rider and fellow mtb’er all in the same short appointments window. Sunny Sunday afternoon carnage!

My displacement is significant but not so great as to make surgery essential. If left it “should” heal okay however will result in one shoulder being visibly shorter than other where the bone presently overlaps. Plate will restore normal appearance and should provide stronger speedier recovery. I was told that the balance has now shifted slightly in favour of surgery for displaced fractures but was warned of the possible issues many have mentioned. I was given the info and then left with the choice, going for the plate.

Wishing a full and speedy recovery to those in same position, and heres to the rest of you staying on your bikes.

fair enough.
the worse of my two breaks has left me with my shoulder a bit closer to my neck than it used to be, but because i knew how to look after it better, the shoulder is actually better than the other one.
hope the op(s) go well and you get a speedy recovery. all the best.

Having experienced what I experienced, then I would probably choose surgery again (I wasn’t given a choice, it was only surgery).
I was in and out in a day, then about 48hours of pretty unpleasant surgery recovery, then very quick return to normality.
I had surgery 9am on Friday, home by 5pm, Friday night after 11pm was pretty unpleasant as anaesthetic wore off, Saturday I was counting the hours until the next painkiller drug, Sunday I was still in my own world and having a bath was my big milestone, Monday I was booking a flight to Spain to join my family on Holiday (against the surgeons advice).
I had a small area of infection in the surgery wound, but it wasn’t a big deal, just had a course of antibiotics. It’ll be 2 years ago in June and only long term effects are some weird tingly shizzle around the scar on occasions. Sometimes I can feel a bit of weirdness from the plate, but very occasionally, short lived and just weirdy, not painfull. last year I did a massive 10 hour mountaineering day out with a heavy rucksack full of ropes, climbing gear, food, water and had no issues with my shoulder, knees and legs were another issue tho 🙂 .

Only advice I can think of is make sure you are in a bed which is comfortable lying on your back all night. I spent one night in a soft bed at my parents house in Spain and it was a terrible night, ended up propped up in bed with pillows and didn’t get any sleep.

when i say very quick return to normality after surgery I meant, baths , showers, wipe yer own arse, daily function etc. Not riding a mountain bike down a steep hill.

My son (now 16) broke his collar bone in a crash at The Forest of Dean on the May Bank holiday last year.

Just a straightforward break – no surgery advised or received.

He was in a sling for about 3-4 weeks. But the doctor told him (and me) in no uncertain terms that bike riding was off the agenda for 3 months. We stuck to that.

He doesn’t seem to be suffering any ill effects now as he whips my arse at Swinley

We’ll be going back to FoD – but not until after his GCSEs 😉