Well physio didn’t fix the problem so looks like surgery is on the cards. Been told not to ride until after the full recovery from the op. Anyone experienced this and what recovery (read riding again) times are like. Keyhole vs full surgery etc. Gather it might not be quick. Pi**ed off already in anticipation so good news please.

Can this be caused as a stress injury – can’t remember a single fall that might be the cause although it’s the same side as the collar bone I bust 6 years ago?

A doctor friend of mine reckoned keyhole is 4 weeks in a sling and full surgery about double that.

Thanks Ianv – yet to discuss with surgeon but sounds like keyhole is the way to go if possible. Any clue as to when, based on 4 weeks in a sling, one could reasonably expect to drive and more importantly ride?

I had a re-occurring dislocated shoulder from a rotator cuff injury. Initially, it just got worse to the point it came out with a sneeze. I learned how to put it back without the need for a&e and morphine etc.
I had keyhole surgery in 2006 and it hasn’t came out again since. I was off for six weeks but was driving after 4. Bike? I’d give it a bit longer if I’m honest but its all down to how strong you feel with the shoulder.
I hope to start some light weights soon, been putting it off too long but i feel it would help with confidence more than anything else.
One thing though, I’ve had a few heavy otb’s and have had no problems.

Good luck!

I had a posterior dislocation that tore some parts of the rotator cuff from the bone (50mph + skiing accident). Had it reattatched with keyhole and only a local anaesthetic! As you suggest it was about 4 weeks in a sling before using it again. It’s now OK – 3 years on. Still aches a bit after long rides, but it does at least work properly.

Cheers Guys – glad it has worked out for you all. Sounds as if I might just get some more sunny daylight riding in and build my fitness back up in time for the night ride season.

Fingers crossed it all goes ok for you. Hopefully you’ll get a dvd of the opp like I did!

good luck. I broke my elbow and (a more long term set back) tore my tricep tendon about 6 weeks ago. Had to miss 2 week trip to chamonix/verbier and I wont be off-roading with our group in Sierra Nevada in september…

Had mine done a few years ago – before that, it used to pop out swinging my arm kicking a football, or going over speed bumps on the bike and was verrrrry painful.

6 weeks recovery post op and its been trouble free since, even after breaking the collarbone again (3rd time).

Make sure you stick to post-op physio and restrengthening (with a band….?) – mine still feels weaker when doing it, but wiull probably always be like that I guess.

Think carefully before surgery as the 4 weeks becomes an awful lot more by the time you are fully fit again. I damaged mine in September and its still not sorted but I could do most things with it DH, bouldering, weights etc (not at 100% for the bouldering and weights but fine for riding). I decided that it just wasn’t worth the setback to get it fixed. Since then I have also broken my sollarbone so lots of recent experience of shoulder injuries 🙁

It would also be worth asking for an ultrasound before doing anything as there are very similar symptoms (IME) from a bursitis as a rotator cuff injury.

I would imagine that you should be able to drive soon after the sling comes off and ride a bike on easy stuff soon after. 4 weeks in a sling does a lot of damage to the muscles and tendons though so it will be only easy riding.

Not the same injury but I dislocted my shoulder in a slow over the bars fall 2 and a bit years ago. Back on the bike a couple of weeks after that but it never felt stable enough to go at things full tilt.

After another 5 “outs” over the next few months I went to see the quack about surgery. I’d always put it back in myself, even on top of Wharncliffe crags where I first did it (with a bit of help from my chums that time) and other than feeling really very odd indeed it never really hurt massively and once it was back in it was fine again. I even dislocated it 40 minutes before my DH race at the first singletrack weekender and still did well. (Did better last year and better still this year though)

A few months later, I had the full Latarjet open cut surgery (a bit of my own bone screwed over hole in the gristly bit that forms the cup of the shoulder joint) One 4 inch scar, 3 weeks in a sling for 24 hours a day and 3 months off the bike and plenty of excersise later it’s as good as new. Probably took another month before I dared to ride “properly” again but that was more in my mind than anything physical.

It’s been 18 months since the op now and the only thing I feel slightly iffy about is swinging on the monkey bars in kids playgrounds, but again, probably more in the mind than anything else and that’s not something I can’t live my life without doing really is it? (I do have kids by the way, I don’t just hang around in playgrounds)

Same surgeon that keeps patching Peaty up. Highly recommended.

I reckon it’s worth going for the bigger surgery with the longer recovery, at least then it’s the proper job and should last longer.

Good luck with whatever option you go for Blurboy

Thanks guys (and MC – sorry to hear you have had to cancel rides – love the Nevada) I had an ultra sound scan last Monday where they identified the need for surgery and am waiting for the referral to see the surgeon hopefully next week. I have been riding, not too painful with the camel-back strapped tight, but they reckon I would make things a lot worse if I had even a minor ‘off’ and would extend the time to recovery; Hobsons choice really – have to be a tad cautious when you get over 50. The exercise bike beckons! Thanks again – keep you posted.

Mi rci was trivial in comparison to the above cases but I had a period where I had screaming pains when I tried to raise my right arm, after fixing loads of other problems before.

Did loads of exercises/stretching to no avail.

Went to Biyadhoo in the Maldives for two weeks – tried to swim round the island doing an extended breaststroke, pulling my arms right underneath me until almost touching, and with no leg work. Only did 40 mins out of the 1.5 hrs it takes to get round the island like that, but it fixed my arm up completely (prob scar tissue).

The next year I did the full 1.5 hr swim every other day for two weeks and came back with much more back muscle than before and much better posture.

Much better and more effective than a gym, and I don’t think I could have got that effect in the gym without living there anyway.

Swimming there is much easier as I had a snorkle and mask on, no lanes for people to get hacked off that I was going so slow, and I could watch all the fish and sharks go by as I went.

Keep that in mind if you are faced with a long period of gym work…

Had an accident years ago and damaged a nerve in my shoulder which has meant I have had issues with my shoulder. Can’t raise it up. Seen several physios the best being at a local college training facility. I’m told to do loads of exercises which help but also causes a lot of pain. I’ve never discussed operations but my dad recently sent me a load of info on a doctor in Abergavenny who has taken the operations to the next level

Saw my surgeon on Friday and he said the chances of me getting a swimming trip to the Maldives were a bit slim to put it mildly, nice idea TG, however he did say that I couldn’t make the tear much worse so if I felt I could ride, carefully, then go for it. Went out Sunday and this morning was a bit stiff but I got away with it. Just ordered a shoulder stabaliser from CRC which should help, hopefully. I plan for the OP in October, fits in with work commitments, and then it’s 3 months off riding apparently – 6 weeks in a sling and the rest for physio.

in a similar situation myself. injured my rc about 4 months ago.
after 3 or 4 weeks of physio it improved as far as i stopped having shooting pains when doing simple things like pointing at something but hasn’t really improved further since.
my tenth and potentially last physio session is due next week so i guess i will be looking at surgey.

funnily enough biking doesn’t really cause me any problems.

I guess I was lucky that the guy that did the scan said the physio was a waste of time so I stopped after just 4 visits. Similar I have 6 left – than god for health insurance. Incredible the level of contradictory information from medical professionals though – ride / don’t ride / ride carefully etc. I have little or no pain when riding but driving and most other activities are all painful. Mindful that another ‘off’ might make things worse but you can’t miss the summer can you?

Ventana – good luck with the surgery…….

Fantastic pre op ride last sunday at Woburn (thanks guys) then had operation on Wednesday, two keyhole entries, anchor pins inserted and ligaments tied on. Lots of painkillers but still very sore. Surgeon, who’s patched a few riders who’ve come unstuck at Woburn, reckons 6 weeks in sling, 3 months off the bike and 6 months before off road again. Big thank you to all at Saxon Clinic – gentle physio started already.

Planning on getting ride fit for a trip to Spain May next year if I can keep my patience until then. In the mean time lots of one handed typing on here! Boring………