10 weeks ago I crashed and broke a rib and my elbow and I wondered if any other people could share their experiences of treatment and recovery.

Went I went to casualty the nurse showed me what, to me, looked a fairly bad break. A fragment of bone had separated from the top of the radius. I was in a cast shoulder to wrist for one week then attended fracture clinic where I was expecting to stay in the cast for another month or possibly surgery, but the Doctor told a nurse to remove the cast and just told me to move it as much as possible. "Immobilisation is not the treatment for radial head fractures" said he.

This was very painful to start with but now 9 weeks later I would say I'm 85% better but the improvement seemed to stop 4 weeks ago and I am still left with a very stiff elbow. I can't straighten it fully and have no real strength in that arm – I am far from being able to do a press-up (for example) whereas I used to be able to do as many as 12, perhaps 13. On rides of an hour or so it is aching. I can still feel 'something' separate in there if I pinch it – like a bit of gristle or bone fragment maybe?

I'm just wondering if other people have broken elbows and how they healed? Anyone back to 100% and if so how long did it take? I don't mind waiting a little longer if I'm just being impatient but certainly it seems far from healed now so maybe I should make an appt. at the doctor and try and get it looked at.

Just any broken elbow experience would be great, thanks.

You need to get more information from the doctor – gp for a refferal or back to fracture clinic. Fractures take a long time to heal – longer that 10 wks for complete healing.

You should have had more follow up and should have had physio

agree on the physio – you may be seeign the results of not using it 'normally' for a long time rather than any specific issues around thefracture itself. Back to fracture clinic and ask for a referral.

Broke my humerous (sp) by the elbow at 14, in a cast for 6 weeks IIRC.

Took a lot of physio to get it to bend again, fine now though (I'm 41) but not as strong/bendy.

You need some physio to get it moving. The bone will be ok by now. Upper limb 6 weeks lower limb 12 weeks is what I recall.

I broke my olecranon in July 09 crashing. Blew the ball off and fractured the bone in a couple of places. Also fractured a rib, which led to a collapsed lung.

I had a plate and five screw put in the day after. Then 4 weeks in plaster, followed by three months or more of physio to get movement back.

I could only bend my arm about 30 degrees at first! But now I can fully bend my arm but am probably 5 degrees off fully straightening it and can't lock the arm out. I also get some arthritic pain now and again, excruciating pain if I knock it.

I've been back on the bike since around March, on and off road. No real problems, it's just weak and I can't lean on the metalwork. The skin is also very sensitive.

Just got back from the hospital and the metalwork is being taken out in October. Its not completely necessary, but is a good idea in case I break it again. I'll be off the bike for a month whilst the bone fills the holes.

It has taken some time to heal but doesn't really impact on me now. Well, apart from being slightly more cautious on descents. Kielder 100 will be the real test.

Good luck

Had almost exactly the same injury as you, with a fragment of bone, on my left elbow (with a dislocation though). Cast came off in four weeks, physio went on for (IIRC 8 further weeks). I reckon it felt "OK" within 3 months, was able to start really using it and had full range of motion within 5-6 months, but I couldn't race off-road without it feeling painful/aching during and afterwards for about a year. Was pootling off road by 9 months though and on the road quite a bit before that (if rather tentatively).

As the others have said it can take a long time to get full strength/range of motion back as you first need to let it heal, then start getting motion back then think about strength. Still gives me a bit of discomfort in cold weather, no idea why….

The first time I did it was 7-8 years ago – about 3 years ago I came off in a road race and fell on the same elbow and really thought I bu&&ered it, thankfully not, but fracture clinic have told me in no uncertain terms they don't want to see me ever again!

Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate it. Sounds like some similar injuries to me except Ciron yours sounds similar but much worse!

I'm happy enough to hear it takes a long time to get back to reasonable strength again, if everyone had said it was fine again after 4 weeks I would have been concerned. I'll try and get some physio exercises to do which should help.

I guess I'm just being impatient because I used to be so strong and my tremendous strength is my livelihood (computer programmer) not to mention how I get chicks.

re: physio – if it's not hurting you;re probably not doing it right, I'm afraid. I would get some professional help and a course of treatment with a physiotherapist – you'll get the best results for you in the long term.

Maybe, but I have a cool scar.

I was told not to start the strengthening until I got as full a range of movement as possible. That's what took the time for me.

It wasn't until almost November (accident in July) before I was told to start weights, which was a tin of baked beans to start with.

I broke my Scapular a few years back and had taken 12 weeks to
fully use but a fracture needs to be re x-rayed to see how it
is mending as its not a break.

I use these tablets on a regurlar basis Seven Seas Glucsamine & Chondiroitin
includes Omega 3 seems to keep the body in order.

Good luck with recovery mate

A fracture is a break, we just like to use two different terms for the same thing to confuse people…

Sounds like things are moving at about the pace I would expect i.e. slower than you would like. However, it probably deserves to be re-x-rayed to check that it has healed properly (90-odd% of radial head fractures do but some don't), and you should probably have had some physio sorted out…. Pop and see your GP at some stage over the next few days and discuss it with him/her. See what they think. It is always difficult to make a full diagnosis/prognosis over t'internet without access to your arm and your x-rays.

Be aware that some elbows never get back to 100% as it is a fairly fragile joint and easy to do some permanent damage but usually the more you work at it the better it gets, which is were the physio comes in making sure you are doing the right work….