Anyone had one? How long until you were back on the bike? Crashed at Sherwood Pines yesterday – don’t know how I managed to come off on such a smooth trail, and 2 weeks before my trip to the Alps. I know riding is going to be out of the question in the Alps, but I don’t want to miss too much of the summer.

There is info on the web, try ‘radial head fracture’ in google, but each case is different, and you are best off talking to your orthopod.

I had one and did mountain mayhem the next week. My partner had one, they missed a displaced fracture and 6 months later she can’t straighten her arm fully, so make sure they check its not displaced. Mines fine now occasionally feels a little sore after a long ride,

Gareth

I had one of them – very painful.

It took me a few months before I rode again, I think: gawd knows how Gareth managed MM after one week. Guess it depends on severity of fracture or maybe I just didn’t MTFU quickly enough.

Anyway, good luck with the physio and I hope you mend soon!

did you dislocate it as well?

mine looked like this:

i was off the bike for 2 months and took on some gentle riding wearing a tight elbow guard for a further month. it took 3 years before i could fully extend my arm and i couldn’t take change off a shopkeeper with that hand for years (seriously it’s the small things you notice!)

there was a bit of loose bone floating around and that was the main problem

I had one of those last May. 5 weeks off for me, had a back slab for a week, then just a sling. I was given the good advice to move as much as I could, gave up the sling after a couple of weeks, then just avoided loads/shocks until it felt good enough to ride. Back on the bike 1 week before my final check up, doc really impressed with the movement I’d regained ‘at my age’. Never quite got 100% of movement back, but more than enough. I’m 38 btw.

Thanks for the replies.

Gareth, that sounds pretty impressive, hope mine mends that quickly. Were you fully recovered, or did you just ride through the pain? Hope they didn’t miss anything, the a&e doctor looked at them and I think she said she’d shown them to a consultant too.

Michael, no, not dislocated.

Dusty, ‘at your age’ – I was expecting you to say you’re in your fifties or something with a remark like that. I’m only a couple of years younger.

Hey Susie sorry to hear about the accident. I fractured my radial head at the start of Oct, was in plaster for two weeks and then in a sling for two further weeks after that. Was back on the bike over Chrimbo. Had physio for 8 weeks or so, helped at lot. My elbow was previously hyper-extending, so I’ll never get that flexibility back again. The elbow has about a 10% kink in it but it hasn’t impacted on my biking. Just ease yourself back into biking after some good physio advice.

I shattered the end of mine along with a dislocation while snowboarding. Too many small bits to pin so they cleaned it out and cut off the end to make a smooth end. Gap meant I would have not been able to lock out my arm (i think) so they put in a plastic spacer. I used to be able to fully staighten my arm, but now its bent by about 15 degrees. The Consultant said that was very good considering the damage I did.
I think I was off the bike for 2 months max.
It aches and gets stiff if I ride on the road for a long time as it stays in one position for an extended period.
It has affected my riding a little bit as I can’t reach out as far as the other arm, which does not help on a long bike such as my Inbred. A shorter stem to reduce the reach helped.
But you sound like yours was not as bad as mine, so you should be fine luckily!!
I was in plaster before the operation as I had that done back in the UK 5 days later, but after that it was just in a sling. Ruined the muscle strength incredibly quickly though. Had physio to help the straightening and also the rotating, which is not something I had thought about, but part of why the bone is there.

I’ve had three now, the last one was my right on a mini roundabout last october. They tend to happen if you land with your weight on an outstretched arm (unable to twist causing stress fracture).
Was off the bike two or three weeks with arm in a sling for the first week.
Very important that you rest it initially to give it time to heal – just as important to start moving it as soon as you are able and do as much physio as you can bear.
its a very important joint – just raise your outstretched arm above your head to see the range of torsional movement on it!
Hope it heals soon.

I did mine summer 2006….totally smashed to pieces. the clever chaps at carlisle hospital managed to reconstruct with the help of a lot of pins!
My arm was in a back slab for 8 weeks then after another 2 months it was deemed strong enough for physio. After 6 months of physio I was back to nearly full strength in the arm…but My arm was about 30 degreees from full extension. In november 2007 I had another operation (corrective surgery by a consultant called Mr Funk ! excellent name) Then 3 days in a machine that made my arm move up and down to full extension, 3 more months of physio…..I am now 10-15 degrees off full extension (will never be straight!)….but I hardly notice it.

Mr m wright…Im the same with the handling of change thing…cant quite get my palm flat enough to accept change….Oh, And I have to wipe with my left now! (Too much info!!)