Talk to me about collarbones please...?

Bugger.

Keep your arm in a sling, see how you go in 8 weeks.

Same advice I’ve had both times I’ve done mine.

So, it seems you're not comfortable about the treatment you're receiving and have medical insurance but don't want to use it?   Up to you I guess but I would.

1, Go private
2, Can get a figure 8bandage/bra thing,to keep it straight, but the nhs have stopped doing these so may take a bit of effort to get one.
3 if i recall youre bout my age (60+) so may get complications due to osteoporosis, take lots of calcium, and dont assume it'll heal as well as a teenagers
I got mine plated twice, but only cos nhs found out it wasnt gonna heal itself
Its a great time to get ambidextrous

Condolences. I had similar - a prang at Mayhem (big jump out of the Malvern bombhole, landed on the bike of the previous rider who had cocked up his landing) two ends fairly well displaced. NHS said leave it, they'll join up eventually. After 4 months there was no sign of them joining up, NHS said leave it. I asked for a second opinion, so a consultant who was just walking past was asked to look at it. He took a quick look at the Xrays and my shoulder, said 'There's no way that will ever join up. What sort of things do you do?'. So I said mountain biking, unicycling, skiing, that sort of thing. It needs pinning then, he said, I can do it in three months on the NHS, or next Tuesday privately. Since I had insurance, I had it pinned next Tuesday. And a year or so later, I had it unpinned, also on insurance. Good luck!

If i'd have had medical insurance when i did mine I'd have used it.
Instead I was told to wait to see if it would fix it's self.
It didn't
The gap got bigger not smaller.
After three months of them refusing to operate they eventually gave in and put a plate on it.
By this time I'd got frozen shoulder which took around 18 months for me to get full movement back.
If they'd have plated it from the off i recon I'd have been riding again pretty soon instead of being off the bike for nine months.

I'm 49, so hopefully not quite at the osteoporosis stage yet. Do regular weights sessions so hopefully that helps too.

How long should I leave it before approaching private? Is it something to do ASAP or leave it a week or so?

Not interested in 4 months. Previous (non CB) breaks have been 4-6 weeks to heal and that's quite long enough. Usually have figured a way to be back on some form of bike in under 4.

Sorry to hear @Jonedwards, just seen the X-ray on Instagram, doesn’t look good. Personally I’d be on to your insurer first thing in the morning, if you’re intent on using them, better getting in the system now rather than later. I’ve not done my collar bone but a good friend has, lying on a firm surface helped a lot if I remember right, ended up sleeping on a cupboard door (off the hinges) I think as better than a mattress in stopping things moving.

Do not let your Mother-in-Law drive you to the hospital. Mine did and seemed to deliberately hit every sleeping policeman full on at the passenger side. That was a painful trip 😢

I can do it in three months on the NHS, or next Tuesday privately.

3 months is the nhs thats messed up these days! how can they leave someone that long with a broken collarbone, madness. I did mine about 7 or 8 years ago x-ray day 1, week later another set dr said its moved the wrong way lets plate it and a week later they did the surgery. Best outcome as i lost less than 5% movement.

Ideally you need to keep it as stable as possible and limit movement in the area to give the bones the best change to join but realistically i feel like thats just not possible. I went private for physio best decision i made ended up having it for like 3 months. If you can go private.

Don’t the French clinics in the Alps put skiers with fractured collar bones into some kind of brace and send them on their way?

I’m a huge proponent (and employee) of the NHS, but if I had medical cover I’d be looking at going private for something like this. The goal of the NHS is to get you back to the average person’s normal and healthy. If you’re a fit and healthy biker who goes to the gym and lifts then that most likely puts you above average.

I mean, what’s the point of having health insurance if you don’t use it?

I did mine about 10 years ago and it still aches like a bugger when it's cold and damp. So if nothing else you've got that to look forward to.

I got very frustrated with NHS West Lothian when I did mine, first consultant gave me the option of having it pinned more or less straight away, or letting it heal by itself, the inference being that if it healed by itself there would be fewer potential complications later down the line.

We agreed to leave it two or three weeks then review, at which point he disappeared, leaving me in the inexperienced and obviously uncertain hands of some younger guys who appeared to have no interest in letting me have surgery. About 8 weeks later it eventually started to knit and I was back on the road bike after 3 months perhaps. Is pretty good now 6 years on, certainly have no complaints.

So who was right? Arguably if I'd had it plated I would have been back on the bike (or better able to help my wife with our newborn 🙄) sooner, but I'm sort of glad to have let it heal by itself without additional pins.

this figure of 8 bandage you wanna get asap
laser treatment was an option years ago, steve peat had it to get back into racing in 3 weeks iirc
nhs appear to just keep litigation free, leave it if they can, and maybe fix it further down the line if/when they can
private i assume would be actively trying to fix it, and the sooner thats assured and in motion the better

How long till using private, well, tomorrow.

Get it checked and fixed if needed asap

Broke my collar bone 3 weeks ago along with my shoulder, ribs and vertibrae. All clean breaks, displacement less than 20% in multiple places which they said was within the tolerance to let it heal itself. Had my ribs pinned pack together though.

I've been wearing a sling (padded foam strap) and doing some basic physio. Also taking vitamin D supplements.

Had follow up x-rays on Thursday and all healing well so no plan to operate. Movement is getting better and off any pain relief. Advised to keep arm in the sling, avoid extending it above shoulder height and carrying on with the physio.

Got a follow up x-ray in 4 weeks time and expected to be fully healed up.

Meant to be in the Alps in 4 weeks too. The fractured vertibrae could mean I'm off the bike for 6 months though.

I've used private healthcare in the past for a hip injury and went from GP to surgery and back on the bike in 6 weeks.

Hope you make a speedy recovery

3 months is the nhs thats messed up these days! how can they leave someone that long with a broken collarbone, madness.

That wasn't 'these days', it was 2005. That three month delay would have meant that it was 7 months from the break. Even as it was, the surgeon had quite a bit of trouble because the ends were overlapped and the tendons had shortened. He had to get a theatre orderly to pull on my arm to get the bone in the right place and I had bruised ribs from where he's put his boot to get some leverage.

Good luck.

Whatever happens go and see a sports physio immediately.

I was given the waiting treatment. In the meantime my physio started me on micro exercises. Made all the difference and the doctors were amazed when they met me again.

All shoulders are different but if you don't go you will never know. And waiting is the treatment for the over 80s not a fit 'young athletic type'!

<p>Broke mine about 25 years ago now. Seen at the local minor injuries, x-rayed and advice given to just let it heal. No sling as it’s not needed, you naturally keep it where it’s comfortable for you opposed to someone bundling it where they think it’s right. </p>

25 years drac, you still doing paramedic things the same as 25 years ago, or did time move on?

Still doing it but at a slightly different level now.

Do not, not move it. When you're sitting on the sofa take your arm out the sling and carefully reposition your arm. Keeping your arm immobile in a sling will give you elbow and/or shoulder issues.

I've done both mine. The second was a far worse break but the shoulder and elbow work fine. The shoulder is a bit closer to the neck mind.

Press for physio. Usually when you underline you're physically active and keen to get back to it the NHS respond to that IME.

Get someone to come with you to appointments. It's sometimes difficult to take it all in and hard to think and ask questions by yourself.

Take the painkillers. 😉👍

Avoid watching comedies 😉

I did mine 4 years ago and having read stuff on here I was certain it wouldn’t heal (it was in 3 pieces and the displacement fairly large) and trying to get it pinned via nhs or at least a “better brace” like everyone on here talks about. The consultant was adamant that the latest research was that the fig 8 brace wasn’t any better and would just hurt more and pinning came with its own risks (especially given mtb lifestyle after pins in).

In the end I used an “aircast” sling to hold it firm in position - much better than the nhs issue. End result was it healed great, I still have full mobility and no metal in me, but a big lump there (but I was never going to be a collarbone model)

That said I know an older friend with a much less significant break who went 9 months and it just didn’t reconnect. In the end went private and got it pinned and it healed very quick.

Whichever route you take, I suggest getting familiar with the turbo trainer to maintain some fitness without the temptation of riding bikes too quickly!

Hope it heals quick which ever option you choose 🙂

am aware that using it contributes to the undermining of the NHS…

why does it undermine the NHS ? If anything it helps the NHS

Did mine about 6 years ago pretty badly and they pinned it after about a week. Was healing well but became infected (bit of cloth had been left inside), infection started to go to the bone and so they whipped it out again pretty sharpish.

Re-broke it putting my T shirt on in the recovery ward after they removal op!

Took around 4 months before I was back on a road bike and a bit longer for MTB and was on pretty big antibiotics for all of that time.

I'm glad it was pinned, but also glad that it was taken out again and able to heal naturally. The plate was pretty uncomfortable and I think I'd always have been wary about landing on it again if it was still there.

Broke mine about 4 years ago, had similar to others, doctors said just leave it to naturally heal and come back in 8 weeks, was able to move my arm after that 8 weeks so they said it's all good, had issues, which are down to a mal-union and a non-union (i broke it into 4 pieces), so they didn't join correctly, if it's not aligned properly get them to pin it, the surgeon has offered to put me on the list to get it pinned, which now involves, re-breaking it, shaving off all the bone growth that's in the wrong direction, then pinning it, i've not done this as the reality is if it breaks again due to the weakness, they'll pin it then anyway.

Hmm, last break was 12 months ago...crashed on the Sunday, operation on Monday, home Tuesday and back at my desk on Wednesday.

Previous break was 4 years previous which I think took around a week to get to theatre.

On the whole dealt with pretty quickly both times so never thought to go private until physio, but again both times the NHS physio's were great - first time in particular as I had an AC separation and lost a lot of movement.

I am in hospital now - today - for surgery to pin and plate it.

I broke it 2 years ago, for the third time, but it didn't heal. Had various scans etc which confirmed non-union.

They agreed to operate last year, and have been on a waiting list since.

They may need to take a bone graft from my hip, to put in the join in my clavicle to help it join together.

Given waiting lists at the moment go private,  my wife had a good displaced collarbone break some years ago which got pinned really quickly.  But i wouldn't expect it to be that fast now.

Get it done so you can get back to stuff quick,

Pinning will involve some pretty invasive surgery, so if you do take that option, be prepared for some intensive physio as well to get back to where you are now. It will heal by itself given time, unless it's a very complex break; so all you're doing really is saving time. Again, be prepared for physio and if you going to rely on the NHS for that - get that referral process started now.

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So this is the damage as of yesterday.

The bit I don't understand is how the 2 sections get aligned and stay there for long enough to start fusing on their own. If it was an arm, say, the docs would manipulate it into the correct orientation and then immobilise it in a cast. No 2 ways about it, I can feel the 2 bits moving unless I'm absolutely stationary.

If this is any help with you deciding what to do here's a before and after pic of mine so you can compare the gap distance.
Six weeks after break.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/50214088918/in/dateposted/
After op.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/50458271723/in/dateposted/

builders band and a box of no.8 x 3/4 from screwfix it is then!

I thought it was going to go that way at one point.😂

jon,

anything where the bones dont touch is a surgery job. they should have told you/offered you this. either get back on them asap or get booked in private asap. they want you to go private if you can to avoid adding to teh waiting list.

did mine in my 20s when living on my own in london - mine was JUST touching and they gave me a choice. I wimped out - its been fine though thankfully but i do have a good lump.

opening tins of beans with a tin opener one handed is really hard. i spent alot of time in teh pub around the corner.

I can’t see why a displaced collarbone fracture has got any better chance of healing than any other similar fracture, where typically for a good chance of healing without any intervention it needs to be pretty stable and with at least 50% of the original bone width in close contact. So the above X-ray has diddly squat chance of healing well without the metalwork. Even a best case scenario is probably a fibrous union which is not at all stable and will cause all sorts of longer term issues.

I presume we're talking mid-shaft break here, probably approaching 100% displaced?

Keep it in a sling for 6-8 week and do your best not to tweak it in any way. Clavicles are hard bones and take longer to heal as a result. The two ends need to 'find' each other and fuse. That takes time and upsetting the process will set you back.

I managed quite a niche break as I took the impact on the side/back of my shoulder and broke the inner end off, fragmenting it and popping the sterno-clavicular joint. I was a minor celeb at the fracture clinic as it healed because they don't see many of them. It hurt like a swine, obvs, but I had 85% movement after 3-4 days. I did light riding from 6 weeks, but that was probably a bit risky. When I said to the doc that I was amazed at how lucky I had been with it, he told me what could have happened had that inner end displaced inwards. Not nice.

You've got to take your time unless you pay to have it plated.

Definitely needs plating otherwise it's months to fuse and an unsightly lump and dexterity issues like I have, if I get an itch in the middle of my back it's usually my left hand that deals with it cos my right is getting nowhere near it.

How are people managing with a displaced collar bone for a year or more before surgery ? Can you still ride etc ?

I know one guy that was told to leave it, but it never joined. Surgery many many months later after insisting something was done.

Touch wood, I've not broken mine, but smacked both shoulders up a few times (once needing decompression surgery). I have broken ribs three times and broke my spine. Ribs took months to be pain free, but when I broke my spine, 4 ribs went too. They were pain free after 6 weeks of lying on my back in hospital, shame my spine took much longer.

Just to add another experience into the mix, I had a collarbone break of  similar displacement to the OP but with a 3rd central piece that was sitting vertically between the two slanted ones. Was told to just sling the arm in a regular bandage and sleep on my back with a rolled up towel down the center of my spine to keep shoulders and chest open while I slept. Granted this was in my 20's but it healed nicely enough in good time with a bit of a lump where the break was that is still present now, albeit much smaller and not noticeable by sight, I don't notice any mobility issues.

Conversely I have a tibial nail in my leg from a tib/fib snap that gave my 5 years of annoying aches in cold weather/water and the screws protrude slightly making kneeling uncomfortable. Two friends (one collarbone, one knee) also ended up with repeat hospital visits years after surgery to remove metalwork due to infection complications.

For my money if I could repair it without metal I would, or at least I would want it out again afterwards. The bone halves are attached to muscles elsewhere, so maintain good posture and a neutral position and don't try using it too much and your body will do a good job of realigning things and just knit a big ball of bone around the gap, it's pretty amazing.

Sling is pretty useful for carrying groceries from the shops too.

I'll add, I don't regret opting for conservative treatment for my spinal injury. Specialist offered surgery next day, but said 'you know surgery can go wrong' - has done in my case), so we went me lying still for 6 weeks, and monitor it. TBH it was a case of you will be up and about in the morning, or paralysed !

Healed, but half of my L1 is missing (cheese wedge shape) - does mean I can still bend and ride my 'race' road bikes - these were set up for me when I was young and supple - can still ride them OK.

I've had 3 CB breaks.

15 years ago, left was totally destroyed on MTB, severe displacement,tenting of skin and lots of pieces, plated within days by NHS but as part of a trial, on toss of a coin! It healed perfectly and hasn't given my any issues. Did the right (dominant arm) CB 3 and a bit years back just after the 1st lockdown, again big MTB smash into many parts, Orthos were bored I think so plated it within a week. Covid meant no F2F physio though or even a follow up. I still have strength issues in this shoulder though they could also be linked to nerve damage from a previous neck injury. Bone is healed well though and its a neater scar and lower profile metalwork that doesn't rub as much.
Finally, last year I ran a waterfall upside down in a kayak and clipped a rock and broke the end off the left CB, right at the end of the plate. It was fairly stable fracture luckily and healed conservatively and I was back on my bike in 2-3 weeks, didn't even take a sick day and is all good now though has a lump.

So to summarise, both my surgeries were successful and almost certainly reduced my recovery time after major breaks. I'm 45 and the most recent one healed well but was a clean break. I always wonder what would have happened to the first one if the coin toss had gone the other way though.

I would try and get a 2nd opinion possibly privately if you have the option. I mate had a bad break and it was left to heal, years later he found out it had never fully healed up and he need a bone graft from his hip to sort it out.

There's a sort of sheath that goes around the collarbone that tends to keep things together. I imagine you're going back in a week for another x-ray op? That gives an idea as to whether or not things are headed in the right direction, and informs the decision on whether to plate or not.

Treat it gently but don't wrap yourself in cotton wool. You need to keep the elbow and shoulder joints moving even if it's only just changing position while you're surfing that sofa to avoid issues.

You'll be fine. 3 million years of evolution and all that. 👍