Broke my Radius 13 days ago, had it plated 11 days ago, and had the cast taken off yesterday.

The Docs haven’t booked any other checkups on it, but in my supprise at being let out so quickly I never asked how long till it was OK to go out and ride on it! I was planning on getting out on the road bike as soon as the swellings gone down and it can take some weight, but how long’s reasnoble before I can get back to crashing without it snapping like a matchstick?

Last time (same bone) I was in the cast for 4-5 weeks and started riding again about a month later, so should I be waiting plaster off + a month or wait untill a couple of months after the injury?

I would have thought if you can ride it without it hurting enough to make you stop then it’s fine. 🙂

Did my wrist earlier this year, and it was about 11 weeks before it stopped hurting. Gave it an extra week then built up slowly again, only riding the bike with sus forks.

TINAS, I am not a Dr, BUT you need to wait for the bone to heal, the 4-5 weeks it was in a cast before is about how long it takes.

The pinning & plating is there to hold it together in the same way the cast would, but you have the advantage of your mobility back much sooner as the arm is still active.

In answer wait 4-5 weeks at least, maybe something fairly gentle before that but the crashing thing is a risk.

I broke my shoulder blade at Christmas. The Dr was happy for me to ride quite soon after (8-12 weeks) but falling was a big, big no no (sounds obvious doesn’t it?). I was told it would be approx 24 weeks until the bone was totally strong. It would be healed at 12, but weaker than before.

By the way, I fell (on my shoulder) at about 16 weeks and was fine, but boy did that fall cause some panic!

Sounds like a winter of road riding and bimbling ahead 🙁

I used to race MX as soon as I got enough movement from whatever had been in a cast, you dont need to go too mad, you are nearly 2 weeks into healing from plating date, your winter is fine, autumn is looking quite rosey, your summer however is borked.

edit, 30 years on I have a lot of aches & pains though..

Lorenzo raced at Assen 2 days after having his collar bone plated.
I would see how it feels when riding and go from there.

Geraint Thomas rode through the Tour with a broken pelvis.

They have getting paid to race in common, its not really advisable though.

Lorenzo raced at Assen 2 days after having his collar bone plated.

Yea, I’m sure if I were paid that much I’d risk it too!

And the speed they hit the ground at I’m amazed when they don’t break, fresh plate or not!

Geraint Thomas rode through the Tour with a broken pelvis.

I’ll be out on the road just as soon as I can grip the bars cofortably, touch wood the odds of crashing are minimal enough.

Where did it break, and can you wear an external support to help in the case of an off etc?

I broke my wrist (end of the distal radius) earlier this year, and was on the turbotrainer immediately (in cast) road bike as soon as cast came off (~5weeks) and went to the alps with The WhiteRoom after approx 8 weeks! I wore a wrist support, more for extra insurance than because i needed to. Had a couple of offs on the alps trip, but all was fine. I’d say use it as early and as much as possible, but CAREFULLY! If you come off, and tear the plating out of the bone it’s going to be V nasty to fix again!

No matter how much the Dr’s tell you, you know yourself how you are feeling, and should be able to make a sensible call as to how much to use it etc. Having it ORIF’d early will have helped dramatically of course.

Go with the feel..
Bones heal better when stressed, but of course it must be to less than their current, much lower breaking point!
Evolution designed us to self repair quite well and not to starve while repairing. Vibration and stressing a fractured bone causes it to heal a lot faster lay down more calcium and to make a stronger join than the original bone. If it’s plated and supported by the neighbouring ulna, then I’d say start of gently right away. Unfortunately, I speak from experience. Lots of it..

then there was that chappie in the tour who rode on a broken shoulder, and fell on it again

his face was a picture of misery, it was not a nice picture

(Jean-Christophe Péraud)

give it time to fix TINAS, get a turbo if that helps. I did that with my first breakage, but it was so dull I couldn’t face it for the second.

Mrs FD is an Orthopaedic Surgeon, and I got a bollocking last year when I suggested getting back on the bike after a broken wrist.

Apparently 6-7 weeks before the fracture begins to rejoin.

3 months before its stable ish. (but more than likely it will just snap again on any impact/fall etc)

6-9 months should be ok, but by no means guaranteed.

6-9 months should be ok, but by no means guaranteed.

I was about to call BS but then it did take a year for the pain to go away each time the (rigid) front wheel went over a root last time.

Road riding and a pair of Suss forks for me then 🙁

It took me 12 weeks for a none displaced fibula fracture to feel ok and was told flat on the road cycling would be fine but it took me till beginning of last month to mountain bike. The healing of the bone is a matter of 6 to 12 weeks for the bone to heal and 6 months to 12 for any soft tissue damage to heal.

I did fall on at work beginning of July and thought I’d fractured it again, check x ray says it’s healed nicely and the giving way is now articular cartilage damage from twisting when I fell. Don’t rush it.