So I recently broke my collarbone and had to have it surgically repaired. For those of you who have sustained this injury what was your recovery time and did/do you have a lasting effects. I’m (M)30 and live and eat pretty healthy. I’ve been out of commission for a week and am already losing my mind.

I broke mine about 5 years ago – so id have been 30 actually.

I had it plated. Took about 2 months till I was properly riding again though to be honest could have done it sooner.

I’ve recently started getting back pain and neck stiffness as they managed to trap a few tendons under the plating – physio will sort it hopefully, if not might have to look at getting the plates removed.

Hated being off th bike for so long. Ended up buying lots of stuff as a displacement activity! Get well soon.

Did mine 8 years ago when I was 35.
Nerve damage to shoulder and top of arm, which they warned me about, but had no option but surgery.
The actual plate area does get sore sometimes and quite painful when the kids are jumping all of over me, but bearable.
Have the option to take the plate out but obviously more time off bike/ work recuperating.
Happened at the start of the TDF so only time I’ve watched all stages in real time.

Awesome that’s good to hear. They initially told me it could be up to 5 months. I’m already feeling worlds better. Have my follow up appointment tomorrow. I’m only 1 week post op so I’m hoping for good news and to start PT asap. Can’t wait to be back on my bike. I have a Moab trip planned in September and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna miss it.

I broke my 4 weeks ago tomorrow, with some ribs.

Didn’t need it plating as it’s broken at the medial end, but wasn’t displaced & there is a big surface area to knit (rare to break there apparently).

I was in a lot of pain for the first couple of weeks, but had good mobility from about a week onwards, started some general PT & I was riding at the 2 week point (did two 50km back to back bridleway rides).

I have been riding since, road and boring of road stuff, as I can’t pull on the bars properly, or take a big hit on the front of the bike at all. I think I should be able to ride reasonable off road stuff by next weekend, all going to plan, although nothing too rowdy maybe for another week or two after.

Thankfully there is a bit of a break in the race season so I have only missed a couple.

The worst bit for me has been sleeping. I sleep on the side I broke.

I broke my first at about 30, NHS weren’t interested in operating so I took at easy (ish) for a few weeks and let it get on with fixing itself. It’s not the prettiest of breaks as the bones didn’t come together end to end so it’s a bit shorter than it ought to be but it’s bearable. I was driving after 2 weeks and riding in Morzine after 6 so a pretty swift recovery (though I can’t stand touching the lump). Doesn’t really ever give me any jip.

My 2nd one (10 years later on the other side) was less easy and I was probably out from riding for about 3 months which was annoying. Especially as it was a much less traumatic crash. I’ve lost a lot of strength/mobility in my shoulder from that one but that might just be me not using it so much since.

Good luck with the recovery.

Broke mine at 35 (16 years ago) – wasn’t plated so I have a nice lumpy bone now.

First couple of weeks were unpleasant but within 4 weeks I was able to swim and even played beach volleyball ( with some pain..); had 95% of mobility back within 2 months but last 5% took 4-5 years (not a problem 99% of the time)

I did my collarbone two weeks before my 50th. Skin loss hurt more as it was on tarmac but no operation as no free beds the day i was due to be done so now have a twenty mm gap on the bone
Other than the xray i wouldnt know i have a broken bone no pain and can still do press ups

Broke mine in 2010, simple OTB on a flat bit of grass. NHS couldn’t do much for it as in my adrenaline-fuelled high immediately after the crash I managed to poke the bit of bone sticking up out of my shoulder back into place. Healed OK-ish, got a bit of a lump, was back on the bike after about 6 weeks. Biggest thing was eating LOADS of food: I read somewhere you need in excess of 3000 calories/day when healing bones. Might be utter codswallop but at least I had an excuse to pig out.

7 years down the line it gives me a bit of grief now and then. Carrying bags, rucksacks, heavy weights makes it ache a fair bit.

This is all great news. My dr I guess is just preparing me for the worst. I haven’t started PT yet but I already have about 50% mobility back and am almost pain free. Hoping to get a good prognosis tomorrow. Thanks for all the responses and well wishes.

Best advice I had was to get one of these: Figure 8 shoulder support

Last broke mine when I was about 30 (no surgery, big lump) but started to get pain from a trapped nerve having it in a sling after a couple of days.

I got one of the above supports which allows pretty much full movement whist supporting the shoulder and was back driving within about 2 weeks, back taking it easy on the bike shortly after that and pretty much back to normal after a month.

Broke mine at 16 jumping out of a bomb hole and hitting a tree . All good now though 19 years later. Have a weird lump in the middle but i quite like it

Had mine plated several years ago. Two months recovery is about right but as above I was on a road bike at least a month before the MTB (In fact I bought my first road bike as an aid to recovery). Moab sounds like a good aim, but do your physio and don’t be surprised if you’re not 100%.

The plate seems fine now. I can feel it (and see it) through the skin, and for a few years it was uncomfortable to use a heavy rucksack. All fine now and I regularly carry a toddler in a macpac carrier with no trouble.

Re structural integrity of the plate – I gave it a good test recently by crashing on the same side. Tore my AC ligament instead of snapping the bone again so I think that’s a good thing? I hate shoulders.

Broke mine in January coming off on the road. It was a little misaligned but just immobilised & not operated on. I used it an an excuse to buy a turbo (n+1 ish) and kept my legs working riding one handed & wearing a sling. I am 62 eat well & pretty fit & did my first ride 5 weeks after the break – an 82mi road sportive!

Now about 5 months later I have 99% movement but it’s still a bit stiff in some movements. Dr said it should be fully healed after 3 months – which it probably is. I do have a lump where the bone is misaligned – but it doesn’t really cause me any problems & they do say it heals up stronger.

Good luck with yours.

broke mine several years ago and got very poor nhs treatment. Wouldnt plate even though i asked.

9 months later i went private and had it plated. 4 weeks later i was riding a bike.

My advice is rest for the initial 2 weeks dont move. then introduce movement. I didnt and got a frozen shoulder that went on for another year.

Increase protein and stay off the beer.

I broke mine in early February. Luckily didnt need an op but was in a sling for 6 weeks.

I was riding road back at around 7 ish weeks, offroad after about 10 weeks. I had some nhs physio done. The only lasting problem, which is much better now, was some pain when sleeping on my shoulder. For the first 8-10 weeks I couldnt sleep on it at all and had to sleep on my back.

Broke mine in 2 places 2 months ago and was plated and pinned. Back on the turbo within a couple of weeks and did my first road ride a couple of weeks ago.

Mobility feels good and there’s no pain.

Unfortunately there has been an underlying infection (apparently fairly common with ORIF surgery) which they’re concerned has gone to the bone. So I’m back under the knife in the next week or so to have the plate removed and everything cleaned and hopefully kill the infection. That means 10 little holes where the screws were and no weight bearing for 3-6 months while they heal over.

So that’ll be a total of 5-7 months off the bike. Hope you have better luck!

On the positive side, I’m enjoying trail running.