Anybody had a broken collar bone that wouldn’t knit?

I broke mine almost 9 weeks ago. It seems to have been on track for healing although I’ve managed to convince myself that I could feel the outboard part moving separately from the collar bone so I reckoned it wasn’t knitting properly. Saw the consultant a couple of weeks ago and mentioned my concern and in typical orthopaedic consultant fashion he was bullish about it: “Look, raising your shoulder is raising the collar bone, which is pushing my hand upwards. Stop worrying about it, lots of collar bones don’t knit completely, I have a cycling friend who has a pseudo joint and he cycles miles. It’s still better than the risks of surgery and the discomfort of a plate!”

I started physio a few weeks ago and actually after Monday morning’s torture session trying to increase the range of movement of the frozen shoulder I felt absolutely fantastic. So that evening I jumped on my new turbo trainer and did 26 minutes on Swift, stopping when it began to feel uncomfortable and the sweat was unbearable. As soon as I stopped I realised I had overdone it; the point of the break felt painful and the healing proces seemed to have gone back weeks, and now I’m even more convinced I can feel movement in the area of the break. I stopped the shoulder exercises for 36 hours but even today I’m feeling discomfort and pain in the area of the break.

Now I know almost nothing about the anatomy of the shoulder so I’m perfectly prepared to accept that I may have just upset the AC joint where the collar bone attaches to the shoulder, generally upset everything and made the shoulder sore. Since the collar bone is now about an inch shorter thanks to the overlapping repair, I may just be feeling movement in the AC joint. But does anybody on here have experience of a non-knitting collar bone and how does your experience match mine? What did it feel like? Could you feel movement or any pain or sensation of grating?

I’m seeing the physio again on Friday but last time I said I thought the joint wasn’t healing he wouldn’t commit, just said “see what the consultant says”.

Help!  I’m feeling supa-depressed today and wondering if I’ll ever get back on my lovely bike.

Oh yes. I look back fondly on how the NHS informed me that my broken and separated collar bone would mesh and then they’d file the jagged end smooth and what’s a few cm’s of vine length anyway!

Thankfully I had private cover with my old work. Referral , assessment and op within 14 days with an apology it couldn’t be done sooner. I had a bone graft from my hip as the delay with the NHS meant the blood wasn’t flowing into the snapped bit of my collar bone and it was touch and go if the screws would find enough purchase to hold or it would crumble.  Fun times.

Still have a plate, nonon going issues, might be a problem later in life as the skins get thinner but i’ll take that.

Good luck and healing vibes.

I’m about 16 weeks now (have stopped counting). At 13 weeks consultant confirmed it wasn’t healing, but given range of movement/lack of discomfort, he suggested we just leave it be. Surgery still an option if it starts getting painful. I’d be insisting on surgery but can’t really afford 4 weeks in a sling while the muscles heal again.

At your stage (9 weeks) I think I was using the turbo and relatively happy using the arm, but was still getting sharp pains radiating from the back of the break, and could ‘feel’ movement and clicking, especially if I poked around with my other hand at the point of the break. I started doing some basic physio to strengthen the muscles at the back of the shoulder blade and either the strengthening, the general motion, or just coincidence, seemed to get rid of the pains.

Someone on here suggested that as localised swelling goes down, some smaller fragments or edges of the break are no longer immobilise by the swelling and need to settle down, maybe that’s what you’re feeling?

I never got any grating though, the major bony bits I think are now separated by a big lump of scar tissue which may or may not ossify over time.

Riding seems fine, first CX race last week (so at about 14/15 weeks) including two sections of running (I shouldered once or twice until I got too tired!) was fine, no shoulder issues. Usually a bit achey in the morning though.

I’m not actually feeling any grating, just renewed pain in the area of the break. I feel as if I’ve gone back to week four.

Long story short

Broke mine. Wasn’t right. Has 9 months!!! Of nhs “treatment” that was basically leave it alone. Ended up paying to go private and got it plated. 4 weeks later back on the bike. That was about 5 years ago now and ive still got the plate. It hurts in the cold but it was the right decision for me.

Shoulder not right though.

From my experience it seems that NHS tries as much as possible to do nothing. Fall off and collar bone goes it defaults to wait and see. In Aus it seems to get surgery by default.

That is even for those without private insurance. If you are private it is more like which treatment would Sir like, and when would Sir like it.

I love the NHS. Worked with them for many years and know how good the people are. There are many reasons we do not get the best from it but could be worse, could be Trumps USA.

2 years, 6 months.

Mine aches but doesn’t impact on  my riding.

I’m leaving it as it is for now, on the basis that an op at this stage would be more invasive and painful than doing nothing.

No. But my mum couldn’t sew for shit.

By the way, you may find a figure of 8 brace, done up good and tight, helps with pain management,

Yup. 4 years since I did mine. Wasn’t healing by 12 weeks and given an open appointment for a year to see how it went. Didn’t give me any problems in that time so I just left it. Held together by scar tissue, which you can feel move but doesn’t hurt. Occasionally some pain in the morning if I’ve been lying on it wrong, but no pain from cycling.

Sounds like you’ve just overdone it too soon and aggravated the healing joint. You’re broken. Accept it and just give it time to heal.

I am seeing a consultant privately but he is strongly against plating if it can be avoided. Generally I agree with his reasons: the risk of an operation and the risk of a low-level bone infection as well as the irritation of the plate and screws if you are driving or carrying a rucsac.

Mine never knitted together, and I have what’s called a non-union.  It feels like I have an extra joint in the bone, but no pain or issues in the five years since.  At the time I didn’t trust the NHS view so went for a private consultation and was advised if I could do everything I wanted to do, just crack on and test it.  Fallen off enough times since to not worry about it being an issue at all.

Broke mine more than 15 years ago – I think the medical term for it is non-union heal. Had it plated but didn’t help, so after 3 months the plate came out. Not had any pain or felt restricted movement. My consultant said that the blood supply to the collarbone isn’t always a good one,especially if the break occurs towards the outer side.

So I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

Those last two posts are probably the most comforting with my present state of mind, thanks!

On the 4th fracture mine wouldn’t heal. (Piece at the end in picture). There’s just not enough blood supply in the bone anymore. Its been over 2 yrs now and it’s ok. Doesn’t really give me ant pain unless I fall on it then it’s sore for a few weeks. I can still Mtb and ride MX but my shoulder isn’t  as good as it used to. But it’s managable, the consultation said I’m less likely to break it again as there’s float in it now. Not sure if thats good or bad Lol.

Yep, did mine 4 years ago now, 12 weeks in and no sign of knitting.  Had been working with a sports physio from day one and had good enough movement that I was really shocked to hear that.  He wanted me to keep the sling on for another 6 weeks (I was hardly using the sling by that point).

Asked for another opinion and was assessed by the chief orthopaedic surgeon who took a look at range of movement and strength and diagnosed a fibrous non-fusion.  Basically as mentioned above, scar tissue forms around the break and holds it together like an elastic bandage.  It’s apparently quite common when the break is caused by significant direct trauma which temporarily disrupts bloodflow to the break, happens all the time to motocross riders, less so with cyclists as we usually have a chance to stick an arm out to break our fall and the collarbone breaks due to being the weak point as the shock travels up the arm.

Anyhoo, a few years down the line, i’ve have no issues other than the ones caused by being told to keep it in a sling for 16 weeks. Muscle weakness and a slightly displaced shoulder blade on that side.  Would all be fine by now if I was a bit more conscientious with my physio, but riding no issue and no other problems.

Oh and the big bonus being that the surgeon said if I were to ‘break’ it again it would be far less of an issue than breaking the bone as the non-union is obviously a weak point, certainly less of an issue than if I had it plated.

TL;DR? Be patient, keep up with the physio and keep your chin up, you’ll be reet.

Yes, I spent 4 months in a sling and ended up with a very bad frozen shoulder, they didn’t operate on mine straight away despite the first hospital saying it I needed it operating on the day I trashed it, second hospital surgeon wanted to leave it as the first hospital was out of my area. Thankfully I was then dealt with by a very good surgeon who helps out the NHS but mainly works privately, he the got me in for the op on his day off especially to sort it because it was that bad.  Took 18 months for mine to heal, even with the plate in.

If you are still having issues, do you realise you can request for a referral to see any specialist for a second opinion by your GP, not many people know this (GP’s won’t advertise this fact either) and they are not allowed to refuse you of this.

The crazy thing is that I can completly understand the consultant’s point of view, which is that “wait and see” is better than rushing in and operating, on the basis that most heal naturally and an operation brings its own risks as well as possible dicomfort from the plate and screws.

Oooh chance for a “mate of mine” story

So a mate of mine is riding a British Enduro (motorcycle) round and clatters a tree, gets up and has some pain in shoulder and works out he has probably broken a collar bone so rides back to start and wanders up to St Johns Ambulance (that cutting edge of accident and emergency management) and they cut off his bodt armour and shirt to find one end of collar bone has broken through the skin, St Johns Ambulance lady faints.

He wouldnt go to the local hospital (Thetford) so he sat in the van all the way back to Durham.

I have not suffered from a collar bone not knitting as my break happened in France and there the doctors seem to operate more frequently than here. From a personal point of view, once recovered from the surgery and following physio, I would say I have lost minimal movement in the shoulder and have little or no discomfort – of course this could change as I get older…

If you are not happy, I would push for a second opinion and/or a referral to a physio who specialises in shoulders.

Good luck!

PS it’s ZWIFT, and get two fans – you’ll need it ! 🙂

Due to the anaesthetic properties of the shock reflex I managed to pop the bit of my collarbone poking straight up out of my shoulder back into roughly the position it was before the break and that’s where it still sits now:

Notperfect by any means, and it aches if I put weight on it for any length of time, but it hasn’t affected my riding at all.

I basically bullied the surgeon into plating mine straight away after a weekend of research about NHS acceptable outcomes VS Rest of World acceptable outcomes, whilst awaiting my fracture clinic appointment. Basically the NHS is happy to leave you with minor permanent disability and or pain vs the low but real risk of dying under GA, plus the low risk of unsuccessful surgery. It’s a logical but impersonal risk management strategy. I decided from the start that I was happy to take that risk; and my break was particularly nasty with ‘north-south floating fragments’. They were still counselling to ‘wait and see’ though. Thing is, longer you leave it, less likely surgery is to help. Fortunately Docs were open to listening to my opinion.

My result, perfect union, no post op pain, no physio required, no loss of range of movement. Only thing I’m left with is anxiety about falling off again, which would have been the same either way.

Interesting stories. So v8ninety, above, what does the plate feel like? Does it irritate you when driving or carrying a rucsac?

what does the plate feel like? Does it irritate you when driving or carrying a rucsac?

I can only feel it if I feel for it. It’s just a slightly lumpy bit. No irritation in any activity, can carry bags, small children and logs etc on my shoulder as I could before. People are a bit squiffy about having lumps of metal implanted, but I’ve already got two plates and a load of screws in my radius and ulna from a nasty fall/collision with a mate on a bike when I was fifteen and it hasn’t given me a moments problem. Would massively recommend getting plated from my personal experience, although I appreciate some people aren’t as lucky.

The best thing is is that my clavicle has remained the same length and straightness as prior to the fracture, which wouldn’t have been the case if it had been left to heal naturally. Also, the ability to use the arm (for light duties) almost immediately meant I got none of the ill effects associated directly with enforced lengthy immobilisation, which is what the lengthy physio is actually for.

And no, I don’t make the airport scanners go off. So know I know how to smuggle small gun components out of the country; simply get them attached to my skeleton…

Like V8ninety i don’t ever notice the metalwork. A mate had his done and was commuting again after a week or so. I was a little more cautious.

Lets not talk about AC joints and rotator cuffs though.

Rather like NDS external BB always being the one to go. Is it always LHS shoulders?

Nope, right hand here! Would love to have seen a video of the crash, left hand was cut to bits and damaged ligaments in one of the fingers, but then the rest of the (significant) gravel rash was on the right hand side of my body, although the right hand was unscathed.

MIne was all to my right REAR, the impact was above my right shoulder blade, my helmet was scraped right rear and the back of my right hand bloodied from scraping the tarmac. A couple of ribs right rear were cracked as well, I now realise, although the pain from them wasn’t as bad as some I’ve heard about. It’s just about gone now after 9 weeks.