Broken clavicle (collar bone)!

Well, I’ve managed to bust myself up.

I broke my left clavicle (collar bone) at the Folsom Criterium in the Masters 35+ 1/2/3 race. Start of the last lap of my second race. Some idiot clips the bars of the guy next to him, sending the guy down, directly in front of me. Curb and fence on the left and pack on the right. I was able to just avoid him but had to run over his bike. Ejected at 28mph.

I flew through the air for what felt like seconds and then hit and rolled. As I came to a stop I tucked and glanced back, expecting to be creamed by riders coming up behind. Luckily they were able to avoid.

Then I lay back and started going through the status check. Hmmm, legs, arms, shoulder… ouch, something not right up there. I reach over and feel my left shoulder and feel a bump. Uh oh, that’s not good. Just then a official comes over and asks “are you ok? Do you need help?”. I reply that “I think I’ll need help”. “Do you need an ambulance?” he asks. “Um, yes, maybe…”. He glances back down the course, “Can you walk?”. “Yes, in a second”. “Well, that would be good because the race is going to finish in a moment and it would be good to get you out of the course”. Good idea!

So, I get a hand up and walk over to the grass and lay down again. Yup, it was beginning to hurt. I never even noticed the finish of the race. As I lay there I ask if my bike is OK. Already crunched the frame once this year. Strangely enough, bike survived with only a few scratches.

After some chatting and info gathering with one of the race staff, we decide to skip an ambulance and get someone to drive me the short distance to the hospital. But first I wanted to dump my bike and gear in my truck. At the truck I decide to strip off the jersey. The guy helping me is telling me to leave it on since they will just cut it off and it’s ruined anyways and it will save me the pain. Pain? Destroying another jersey, that’s pain! As I’m peeling it off he’s looking at me like I’m crazy. Well, I get the jersey off and what looks like a lot of blood on the jersey is actually a Mocha Mocha Clif Shot that exploded on impact. Unloaded of gear and now carrying my clothes, we head over to the registration booth to enlist Will to taxi me. He’s very cool and gets me to the hospital.

I won’t go into the emergency room details but it was about 4 hours and during that time: filled out forms, waited, quick look by doctor, waited, x-rays, waited, tetnus booster shot, waited, scrapes cleaned and bandaged, waited, pee in cup, waited, final look-see, given shoulder restraint, fill exit forms, pay co-pay, done!

Broken Clavicle
Left Side Distal Clavicle Fracture

The good news is that the collar bone has a clean break, isn’t poking up, and should heal well. I went a few days later and saw Dr. Massimo Testa to have him do an examination. He’s a great doctor and understands cyclist’s needs. Along with the examination he put together a 3 week training program. I’ll be able to maintain my fitness!

A broken collar bone usually mends itself in about 6 weeks. I’ve been lucky and not had much pain. I’m wearing a figure-eight brace and a sling for the arm. The suffering now is not being able to ride and race during some great weather. Oh, and training on a stationary bike inside is torture. Good thing for DVDs.

Be careful out there.

Cheers!

p.s. I highly recommend Dr. Testa and also Dr. Eric Heiden (previously over at U.C. Davis Sports Medicine). If you are in Northern California and have a sport related injury, call them!

More “Broken Collar Bone” Articles

Don’t miss reading the information and comments in the other collar bone entries:

Broken Clavicle No More
What To Expect From A Broken Clavicle (collar bone)
Chad’s Broken Collar Bone Report

DISCLAIMER: The following content is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Diagnosis and treatment of all health conditions should only be performed by your doctor or other licensed health care professional. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this site.

423 responses

Hans

February 10, 2006

Brian – A follow up visit and x-ray would be good thing. Without that there’s no way to know how you are healing. If your doctor doesn’t specialize in sports related injuries then I would recommend looking for one that does. They will better understand your injury and your use of your shoulder. As for paying $800 for the visit? Well, that sounds a bit high. An x-ray is around $150 and a visit about $400. Sometimes you can negotiate fees with a doctor when you don’t have insurance and will be paying yourself.
Good luck.

Brian Maloy

February 10, 2006

I broke my left collarbone in a fall from my road bike on 10/23/05. I took my eye off the road for a split second and when I looked up my front wheel was hitting a 3-4″ round branch in the road. After a visit to E.R. and confirmation by an M.D. and X-rays I was sent home with a $95 sling and pain meds. 8 days later I followed up with another M.D. who confirmed I did indeed have a broken collarbone. He advised me to return in a month for follow up X-rays. His $800 bill for my 10 minute consult dissuaded me from returning since I have very limited health insurance. After about 8 wks. I started some light weight training. Trouble is I still have persistent pain when attempting to lift light weights and even during normal houshold activities. Am I correct in thinking avoidance of any weight training and good diet will allow me to heal, or should I bite the bullet and go back to the same or another Orthopedic MD for a followup/treatment?

Jeff Brook

February 4, 2006

Hi Hans – Your condition is very reassuring. I saw the surgeon two days ago. He made the very convincing argument that I should basically assume that my collar bone is healed because the fibruous union is stable and there is no pain. “Get on with it.”, he says! “Operating would be a big mistake!”, he warned. From your experience, you’ve now echoed that advice. Psychologically, that makes a big difference to me and so I feel better already. Just need to get the shoulder mobility back, which he said was not directly related to the fibrous union. He did not encourage an electrical bone stimulator, more or less suggesting what the article I found on the internet indicated, which is that if the electrodes are implanted it seems to have a benefit, but he was unconvinced about the external ones. He did not say for certain that it was not worth trying, but certainly did not pursue that angle with me any further. And finally, he also said that even though there is no bone on the xray or the CAT scan he has cut a person open under such circumstances only to find there was bone.
Either way, I’m getting on with it.
I doubt I’ll ski a double black diamond in about a week from now when in the Rockies, but a single diamond for sure! Double diamonds can wait for March!
Your website has been invaluable in allowing me to hear from you and others and for me to whine.
Thanks!

Hans

January 30, 2006

Jeff – I have a “Fibrous union” from my second shoulder inury. It’s been very stable and I have had no problems using it. Initially it was a bit flexible and that really bothered me. But over time it has stabilized and I can’t tell that it’s not solid bone.

Jeff

January 28, 2006

Good luck Michael, your story goes back a month longer than mine, but I’m not through yet since surgery has not even been tried (could be my case or could be the Canadian health care system that tends to delay such things). I’m back to the surgeon this Thursday and now have a good lead for a comparable surgeon for a 2nd opinion. I will talk with them about electric stimulator. What I read in a medical review on the issue indicated that electrodes needed to be placed inside the body by the broken area in certain configurations for best results. That article did not talk about devices where the charges are external, which I assume is what you have and what Hans is talking about.
Above I said fibrous non-union was my diagnosis, but what the surgeon really said was “fibrous union”. Heard of that Hans?
Been doing physio since late Dec. and have got reasonable improvement, but am suffering from ‘impingmet’ in the shoulder joint when I move my arm in certain ways when the elbow is above my chest. Very painful. Plus even if mobility is back to 100% from physio I still have that little issue about no bone growth (“Fibrous union”) to worry about. Sounds pessimistic, but I am hopeful that one day it will be old news for me.

Hans

January 26, 2006

Michael – Good to hear from someone that’s used a bone stimulator. All reports have been good about using one. Oh, and wash your sling before your start losing friends! :’)

Michael Brauner

January 25, 2006

I broke my clavicle in a bike race in a very similar manner to the very first entry. I went over the bars after a guy crashed in front of me in the 40+ IN/KY district race in July. It was a nasty fracture, lots of pieces. I opted for surgery. All went well, but I started normal activity too soon and the plate and screw fixation fell apart. I walked around for months with a titanium plate sticking up into my skin threatining to poke through. My Doc. said that I could not make things any worse by riding, so I started up riding again and did the hilly hundred in Nov. The bones had not healed in the mean time and I just recently underwent a revision surgery. This time they had to take a bit of bone off of my hip to replace some of the dead dissolved bone on the clavicle. The hip graft sight really hurt. I also have an electric bone growth stimulator. So when the Doc. says “take it easy” Don’t mess around. Take the time to let it heal. I go in for the first post-op films tomorow(six weeks post-op) I’m keeping my fingers crossed. My sling is getting kind of funky.

Hans

January 4, 2006

Jeff – You should look into getting your doctor to prescribe an electronic bone stimulator. There’s good reports about using the device for healing. But it’s difficult to get a doctor to recommend it or an insurance company to cover it since they are expensive. Here’s more information:
http://www.ebimedical.com/patients/faq.cfm
http://www.orthopedictechreview.com/issues/jun00/pg28.htm
I think that would be a better solution than surgery if it works as described.

Jeff Brook

January 4, 2006

I previously posted a story on Nov. 27, 2005. In early Dec., after a CT scan, the surgeon told me it was a fibrous non-union and in a location that is difficult to operate on due to it being closer to the shoulder where finding places for screws is trickier and where the strap can irritate the shoulder. His recommendation was to see if I could live with it as is. Forever! After the shock of that advice, I started physio because the 4 months of reduced activity has not been good on the shoulder. No good news yet. I can do quit a bit with it, but motion is clearly limited and there are ‘clicks’ inside.
I think that when I see the surgeon again in early Feb. it will be time to push for surgery, despite the poorer odds the surgeon states due to the break location. Are there others out there who can share experiences of a postive outcome after surgery in a location futher towards the shoulder?
My second guess of the surgeon’s advice in early Dec., which was to use it as much as possible for the next 2 months, isthat it is better to gain some mobility and strength back before immobilizing it should the surgery be required after all. But gee, I don’t know. I have started the process of getting a 2nd opinion and know that I can’t live with it as it is. I need a fully functioning shoulder!

steve boat

January 3, 2006

i had a bad accident while riding my bike on 13.11.2005 i was out for the count and shattered my left clavicle. thankfully i wore an helmet. the helmet split right through. the doctor put me in a fig.8 but it cut off my ciculation so i had to make do with a sling had to sleep on my back but in the morning i experienced exteme pain when i tried to get up. i went back for another x-ray 3 weeks later but no new bone was forming.advised to move it as much as possible and given stronger pain killers. been off work since accident. got on the indoor trainer 2 weeks ago. it seems better but is still moving about. due for another x-ray on the 11.1.2006 hopefully it will be better news.still dont feel like riding on the road yet but about ready to go back work. brilliant website wish i had found it earlier so much i have learnt from other people thanks.

Michael W.

January 3, 2006

Well, it is 6 1/2 months since I crashed my bike, and today I rode my bike for the first time.
I am 61, and cycle regularly, at home and on trips all over the world. On my usual run into town in June 2005, I hit the kerb at high speed, slammed into the sidewalk with my right shoulder, and ended up in an ambulance on the way to emergency. At the time, I was more concerned about my bike, and making sure that it was locked-up OK, and didn’t realize that I looked a mess, with my clothes all ripped and bloody, etc.
There is an overlap of about 2cm between the two ends of the clavicle. X-rays taken at day-1, 1-month, 2-months, and 4-months all looked exactly the same, with no callus formation evident. This was diagnosed as a non-union joint. Also, I had kept my arm in a sling for the first two-months, keeping it as still as possible, and ended up with a severe case of frozen shoulder; I could hardly move my shoulder at all; it took 4-months of physiotheraphy to fix this.
Finally, a C-T scan taken at 5-months after the crash, showed that callus was starting to form across the joint. Hurray! Now I just have to get the strength and mobility back into my shoulder (I still cannot sleep on that side, it is so sore).
Some notes about the first few weeks:
– I was prescribed Tylenol-3 with codeine. It certainly helped with the pain, but immediately made me constipated. I stopped taking it and switched to Ibuprofen instead; I took the maximum recommended dose for about a month and then gradually reduced to nothing after about 2-months. And I took calcium with magnesium, and vitamin E (I have no idea whether it helped the bones mend).
– After the first two sleepless nights after the crash, I resorted to walking around the house at night, and sat down in a Lazy-Boy chair, and promptly went to sleep; I slept in that chair for about 2-months!
– Because the Lazy-Boy chair was in front of the TV, and because I was awake early each day, I watched the whole of the Tour de France live each morning (starting at 5a.m. my time). Well done Lance!
And now I feel almost normal again. It has been a long haul, but it felt great to get on my bike again.

Hans

December 28, 2005

Don – Your shoulder is smaller probably from muscle atrophy. It’s amazing how quickly this can occur. I would recommend you find an orthopedic doctor and physical therapist that specialize in sports injuries. Otherwise, you may end up being treated as a non-athlete. For example, your non-union with a fibrous connection is probably fine for someone that isn’t an athlete. But in your case it may cause problems or even inhibit you. Make sure your doctor understands your physical needs. If they don’t understand then find another.

Don Howard

December 26, 2005

Han, thank you for having this web page. My name is Don, and I broke my collar bone on October 14. I am 38. I was playing football and landed on an out-stretched arm. The last exray I had taken was about a month ago and still there’s no union. It’s only the fibrous tissue holding it together. I do a lot of gymnastic activities which require a great deal of balance and upper body strength. I have notice that the shoulder with the broken collar bone is small. I’m worried that I will have decreased strength, balance, and range of motion. I don’t know what to do. If you have any advice for me, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Hans

December 14, 2005

Sonny – It is possible to move and perform excercises with a non-union. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ok. You mention that the “bone had healed fine”. Do you mean that you had previously confirmed with an x-ray that the bones had fused? If so, and the bones are fused, the sound you hear might not be the bone grinding. Instead it might be ligaments or other soft tissue moving around. If you are unsure that the bones are fused then I would recommend getting another x-ray. That will confirm if you have a non-union and the possible source of the grinding noise.

Sonny

December 13, 2005

Yes hello i have posted before and i just needed to ask a question. I had broke my collar bone on the 26th september. I was told that it was a bad break and would take a while to .
heal. Any way i had been wearing a sling for about 7 weeks and my bone had healed fine and it did not hurt or anything. The only problem is that i do not know why i still have grinding sounds when the bones are healed. My doctor didnt even re xray me cause he said that when i did the excercises in front of him that it was fine. Will i be disabled when i am older if my bone carries on with the grinding and soz mark but mine didnt hurt either lol.

Mark

December 9, 2005

4piece CollarBone Update…
I submitted a comment above on the 3rd of october, 5days after I broke my left collarbone in 3places. Although it was in four pieces, all the pieces were touching, so i was just given a normal sling, and sent home from the A&E.
I find the stories of people saying that it wasn’t that painful, or you waited a week before going to the doctor, quite unbelievable, because let me tell you i have never experienced such pain in all my life.
I play football at a very high level, and was very fit when the accident occured, so i expected to heal quite quickly.
However, 4weeks later, i was still sleeping bolt upright in a chair, and even the slightest movement to try to stand up resulted in serious grinding and cracking noises and even more pain. Have to say I was quite worried I wasn’t healing, or maybe that there were some other complications.
Then, just like that, the next weekend, i started improving drastically. Sling came off after 2 further weeks (6weeks) was driving in week 7, pressups in week 8, and now in week 9, the physio told me i can start back doing light weights in the gym. Phenominal!
So i suppose, the moral of my story, for all you broken collarbonees out there, there may be hope yet! The initial phases may be quite slow, but have patience, you may be like me and recover in different stages of dramatic improvements, and never look back!
Good luck 😉

Nick

December 8, 2005

A TALE OF TWO COLLARBONES
I found this site back in June of this year when I fell off my bike and broke my left collarbone. I was riding at my local velodrome and fell the full height of the banked turn. One of my new pedals disengaged accidentally. The ends of the bone were about 1/2 inch displaced. I went to see an orthopedic surgeon who has done many clavicle pin or plate procedures, and he recommended trying to let it naturally, advice which seemed to carry more weight coming from someone who “did that procedure yesterday” than it would have from my regular family doctor.
I wore a figure-8 strap for 4 weeks, wore a sling for about 2 weeks (I think), slept in a chair for 10 days, took vicodin, etc. Luckily, I was able to get back on my bike trainer after 10 days, train almost normally (on the trainer) a week after
that. Luckily, the TOur de France was just starting, so I had good TV to watch while riding the trainer. How I laughed, sitting on my bike with my arm in a sling as as Lance Armstrong’s foot popped out of his pedal starting the prologue time-trial (same &%#$@&* pedals!).
After 3 weeks i started some gentle shoulder rehab exercises. The bone healed (with a big lump) after about 6 weeks. I was back on the velodrome at 6 weeks (with new pedals on my bike), and raced in a 6-day race at 8 weeks, which included madison
racing with hand-slings, so my shoulder was tested to the max.
Apart from testing my wife’s patience due to my inability to help out with our 18-month old son for a few weeks, the whole experience was not that bad for a broken bone. I didn’t miss a single day of work.
Now the not so good bit…
In October, I was making the most of the unseasonably warm weather, and getting in “one last session at the track”, when, I crashed again. This time, it was the right collarbone. It didn’t seem as badly displaced as the other one, and it didn’t hurt that much (or maybe I was just concussed!).
I wore the figure-8 for 4 weeks, but this time no sling – it was my right arm, which I need more for driving (car and computer!). I slept in the chair for a few days, but within a week I was back in bed, and off the narcotics. I took some
ibuprofen for 10 days or 2 weeks. I left it 2 weeks before riding my bike, but only because my season was over. I had been through this before, so it didn’t seem that bad. The bone wasn’t sticking out like the other one, so I expected it to heal even quicker. Again, no missed work days.
So far, so good, but after 4 weeks I noticed that although a lump of scar tissue had formed around the fracture, the bone was definitely still moving like it had a hinge in the middle. I went back to the same ortho, who said, “its probably going to heal, come back in 3 weeks”. 3 weeks went by, no change. Went back to the ortho again, who said “we’ll give it 4 more weeks, and then seriously consider surgery. I give it a 50% chance of healing itself.”
So here I sit, 9 weeks out from the 2nd accident, no pain for the last few weeks (apart from a kind of pinching pain if I do something stupid like lift a heavy object), but definitely a 2-piece collarbone. Looks like I am going to be having surgery just before or just after christmas, complete with bone-graft etc. 6-8 weeks in a sling – not my idea of fun… 🙁
So if anyone reading this has broken their collarbone recently, make sure you really take care of it in that healing window which seems to be 10-15 days after the break (at least that’s when I think it was for me, a 36 y.o. male). I don’t know if my negligence, or just bad luck has got me in this position, but its worth a few days of reduced mobility/activity to avoid it. I would suggest a figure-8 AND a sling.
Thanks Hans for a great place to share the misery!

Courtney

December 3, 2005

I am a member of the club since Thanksgivig day. Riding for turkey…. Little did I knoe that I would spend it in the ER with a slight head injury and broken right clavivle with major overlap.
I knew when I hit the deck that it was broken. ughhhh.. I saw my sports ortho and knew what he would say. Yep, I have had the surgery. Plate and five screws. I was just starting my foundation period as my racing season starts in Feb. Cat 3, was going to turn pro late in season………
I will keep you guys updated. For any racers. This week I am only allowed to rest and be driven for visits with friends for one hour. The more time I am asleep, the more my body will heal. Trying to get ogg pain medsssssss… Vicodin… Yuck… Can’t go to the bathroom.
Hans, this is a great site.
Courtney

Jeff Brook

November 27, 2005

As I read through these stories I get a sick feeling in my stomatch. I had a bike wipe out on Aug. 15, 2005 due to an unnoticed flat (or blow out) on my front tire that didn’t let me turn left when I wanted to. Lucky I was wearing my helmut! That was all I could think, plus @#$@$ since it was the first day of my vacation! 25+ yrs ago I had broken the right one and it healed fast. Consequently, I was STUPID and did not take it easy enough, trying to have some semblence of the planned for sailing. Simple little accidents doing that and even working in the kitchen lead to obvious irritations. Now it is 3 months and some days later. I’ve had two visits to a specialist and still there is noticable, as there has been since month 1, movement inside. One month of stringent non-use of my left arm between the 2 visits only made the muscles sore and a little more soreness in the collar bone.
The ortho surgeon told me to start using the arm again and scheduled a CAT Scan to look for evidence of healing that the xray does not show.
Besides making me feel sick, the stories above make me believe I must get surgery asap. Would I be overly optimistic to think that the best outcome now would be that I could get it fixed without a bone graft – just surgery? Seems like ski season is now a write off and I should hold on to hope of sailing next summer. People keep telling me that the surgeon is one of the best and ‘he knows shoulders’. I hope that means I can trust him and he will get me into surgery as soon as is proper for my best interest. Traping around getting second opinions takes time that I probably don’t have at this stage anyway.
At least I was wearing my helmut (now cracked right through!)….

Barb Nydam

November 12, 2005

Hi everyone, I have posted in a couple of times as the saga of my recovery has continued. I am now 5 1/2 months post surgery where I had the plate, 5 screws and a bone graft from my hip to repair my collarbone that was not healing. I had my horse accident in Jan. 05 and my surgery in May 05. I did also have frozen shoulder and could not move my right arm above about 40

Hans

November 8, 2005

Sonny – That’s a difficult one to answer. It’s possible that the bones haven’t fused back and still rub. Or, as you mention, there’s a piece of bone causing the grinding. Another thought is that it’s not the collar bone but some other shoulder problem. For example, muscle and ligament rubbing. I would recommend a follow up with your doctor and also an x-ray to track the progress.
Also, you mention wearing the sling for 7 weeks. Make sure that you are taking the arm out of the sling and moving the joints. Not to the extent of pain but enough to keep from getting frozen or stiff joints.

sonny

November 8, 2005

ye high i have had a broken clavicle for about 7 weeks now i have kept it in a sling for all of those weeks and the grindings still hasnt gone i move my arm and it doesnt hurt and my collar bone so could it be that the bones has healed but there is a piece of bone still loose.

Hans

November 8, 2005

Colin – Make sure the figure-8 isn’t so tight that it cuts off your circulation. Adding additional foam padding between the straps and your shoulder will make it more comfortable. The importance of the brace is to keep your shoulder immobilized. It’s worth the anonnoyance in the long run.
=====================
Suzy – Ouch, sorry to hear about your daughter.
Yes, as others such as Colin above can attest, the figure-8 can be annoying. But I highly recommend it. There’s been references by others to a better brace from http://www.shouldersback.net/ but I haven’t used it. It might be worth looking into for your daughter.
Yes, when I first broke my collar bone was in 2003. Within a month I was riding again and haven’t had a problem with it since.

suzy

November 3, 2005

Just came across your blog(?) Was researching broken clavicles, as my daughter broke hers this past saturday while riding a 4wheeler–(she also has broken jaw & possible C2 vertabrae fracture)–Anyway, we’re runners (my daughter is on cross-country team)–the “figure of 8” thing is annoying–She complains that I have it too tight, I think not tight enough though! We’re going to the orthopedic Dr. friday about the collarbone & C2–(she’s also in neckbrace) I showed her your pic with figure of 8 so she’d know she’s not “the only one” lol :o) Did your injury happen in 2003? How are you doing now?

Colin Beet

November 3, 2005

I broke my clavicle 10 days ago. I didnt go to the doctor for four days and when I did he put me in a figure of 8 sling. I went back again after a week and was told I was not wearing it tight enough. It is fastened with velcro and goes under both arms. Now it is driving me mad it is so tight. The annoying thing is that the shoulder really does not hurt. Just the strap is sending me crazy.

Jerry Vos

October 30, 2005

Thanks for the informative site. I broke my left clavicle 8 days ago and seem to recovering well. I’ve been resting at home for the last 8 days although because I sufered a mild concussion spent some time at my girlfriends place being obsevered for the first 48 hours. I’ve been wearing this figure 8 brace and i hope it is working. I am a teacher and preparing to go back to school for at least a few days a week. I have been doing some keyboarding with the left hand and hope i’m not hampering my healing by trying to be to active.

LEE WOOD

October 30, 2005

I HAVE BROKEN MY RIGHT COLLER BONE PLAYING FOOTBALL I HAD TO HAVE SURGARY NOW I AM GETIN FED UP AS I AM RIGHT HANDED FEEL SORY FOR ANY ONE THAT DOES THIS HOPE I MEND SOON OOOOO.WHAT A BICTH.

Adam hindle

October 25, 2005

Hi my name is adam wen i was 8 or nine me and my brother were show off 2 these fit!!!! girls so we padded up the flor wid materesses and then my brother choke slamed me lol it hurt all i heard was CRACK!! ouch i couldnt move so my dadt picked mi up and my bro started cryin lol the gd part was the morphen lol nice webby

Hans

October 5, 2005

Mark – Yup, one hand typing is tough. Especially when you have to do it for work.
The noises you hear can be a combination of ligaments, muscles, and the bones. Bone movement noise is a bad thing. You want to keep the break as still as possible so that they can heal. Think of it like two pieces of wood you are trying to glue. If you constantly move the pieces around or pull them apart the glue will never get a chance to connect. Are you wearing a figure-8 sling? If not then get one and use it. I’m wearing one in the photo at the top of the page. If you haven’t, read through this page’s comments and my other collar bone pages (linked near the top) to learn more.
As for diet, milk is good. But to be sure to get the right amount it might be easier to take a calcium and a multi-vitamin tablet.
Good luck!

Mark

October 3, 2005

I’ve just found the only thing in the world more painful than a broken collar bone – typing with one hand!! Painfully slow that is!! I regret to say that I’m not a cyclist, but broke my collar bone 5 days ago playbing football. Therefore I hope it’s ok that I leave a comment here 🙂
I can’t lie down on my back at all without severe pain, and so haven’t slept a wink in 6 nights. The hosp tells me that the two ends are overlapping and it’s just a question of letting it fuse. But the pain is still awful and i can hear it cracking and grinding all the time. Sometimes if it cracks, I have to wait for it to crack again before the pain subsides.
Shouldn’t it be improving even a little at this stage? and is the cracking normal?
Apart from this, I just have one other question regarding recovery. As an athlete, I am keen to get back to full strength as quickly as possible. Can anybody suggest what sort of foods I should eat / a nutritional diet of some sort in order to get the bone healing optimally? lots of milk i suppose, and protein?
Thanks a million.
P.S this site is savage. It’s great to know i’m not alone!

Pat

September 14, 2005

What an eye opener this site has been. I think I’ve had a quack tending to my break!
At the first X-Ray and for a few days there after, there was virtually no overlap in the two halves. Then one day there was an inch and a half overlap. I have been told that the overlap is normal. I will be having another X-Ray tomorrow with the quack. He says that the shoulder will grow to match the other side. Is this true, I have seen this being asked repeatedly, but no answer. The two parts have now fused, but the shoulder is very noticably smaller. I fear that this will result in complications in the future, as well as looking a bit daft. In summary:
Does anyone know if the collar bone lengthens to match the other?
If not should I insist that the bone be rebroken, and aligned preperly?
Last, but not least, thank you for this page. It is very useful and informative.

Hans

September 11, 2005

Jeff – Yes, people recover. I know other riders that have busted their collar bones three times. Each time they were lucky and healed up. Recovery depends on so many factors. The crappiest part is age. Yup, being real young pays off huge for broken bones. Btw – I doubt you have lost as much strength as you think in that short a time. And if you are able to use the muscles again soon they should quickly get back up to where you were.
Oh, I consider you lucky to have only a busted collar bone after a 90 mph crash. Even with my leathers I wouldn’t want to hit the ground at that speed.

Jeff Richards

September 10, 2005

This site makes me feel worse. Does any one heal after this? I broke mine 3 weeks ago. Lost control doing 90 mph on my bike. It does not hurt. Only when I try to raise my arm above my head. I don’t think I need the sling though. It’s amazing how quick you lose your strength. I excecised religously. Now I am a shadow of my former self. Maybe I should get the surgery. It’s not healing.

Dieter Dyck

September 6, 2005

I just read Hans Kellner’s little blurb about ‘having the power’ and had a good chuckle. Thanks Hans for providing this forum, thanks so much! (A half German, half dutch dude.) DD

Dieter Dyck

September 6, 2005

Just wanted to say “Thank-you” to all the participants here. A very good friend of mine who recently broke his collar bone (about two months ago) cycling, has to see the doc tomorrow and is not feeling hopeful. The sharing of these experiences has at least allowed him to realize that he is not alone. Thank you all!

Dominic

August 30, 2005

Hi’
I subscribed to the ‘Broken Clavicle Club’ on August 30th, 2005 at a rugby match. They gave me a sling at the ER, but an Ortho gave me the figure of 8 thing. I have the small lump on my shoulder, and I feel some pain when I lower my arm. Is this normal, and when can I return to the game?

Catherine

August 27, 2005

Hi,
I broke my collar bone two weeks ago today. Doing an awsome Mt Bike downhill. Really upsetting, as it was the last hard hill of the day too … I keep thinking “if only…”. Anyway, started Hans’s wind-trainer programme today (thanks Hans) and am hoping I will be back on a road bike within the next three weeks. However, what about running? I am an avid runner? Can anyone tell me a realistic time frame to get out there running again? And – here’s the biggy … Mountain Biking? I know that I have to be fully healed before I can tackle that one. I have a big race goal in 6 months, so am hoping I will be back on the mountain bike well before then,

Elle

August 25, 2005

Hi guys, excellent website!
I broke my right clavicle on 9th July, bucked off my throughbred!! I have pretty goo dmobility in my right arm, apart from some shocking pain that seems to come and go, it feels a lot like electricity running down my hands and on the back of my head. I have quite a lot of pain on the fracture site too. I saw my sepcialist this week (sixth week) and he said the bones had not fused together and there was really no change from the day of the accident. He has suggested to wait another six weeks and see if it grows or not and I am a bit hesitant to wait that long in discomfort, when most likely , I will need the operation. Any advise? Thansk everyone.

Ian Clarke Fenland Clarion CC UK

August 17, 2005

Hello, not only do I share a birthday with Madonna I share a broken collarbone too!
this is my 2nd break, but in the same place. 19 yrs ago I broke my collar bone completely. they gave me a fig’8 bandage and I now believe that was wrong for the type of break I had. It took 8 weeks to get back on the bike and about 5 years for it to fully heal (I thought), with a big lump you could almost hang your hat on. A cycle race in the UK (on 13th aug 05) on a 200m grass track saw a crash in the last lap whilst I was going for 3rd place. The bone has broken where it never healed right in the 1st place. The surgeon said it was only held together with scar tissue for the last 19 years. The x-ray was the scariest thing, with the ends of the bone 1.5 inches apart. I can’t sit or stand upright for long and have to sleep sitting up at 45 degs. Great!
So in 2 weeks I should get a graft and a plate, and at last start to recover. I also know a UK olympian, Bryan Steel who was told to have his healed bone, broken and plated just so he could get a little extra power for the Sydney Olympics.
At least they gave me 3rd place despite not finishing my last race.

SUZY DEGAZON

August 14, 2005

HI HANS, I AM THE FEMALE TRIATHLETE THAT BROKE HER CLAVICAL ON JULY 8TH. THANK GOD FOR COMPUTERS, AS THE ADVICE I HAVE READ HAS ALL BEEN SO USEFUL. FOR 3 WEEKS I DID NOTHING NO BIKE, RUNNING OR SWIMMING. ONLY LOTS OF WALKING. AS I LIVE ALONE I HAD TO KEEP MOBILE. I HAD A SLING AND FIGURE 8, I REALY BELIEVE IN THE FIGURE 8 A LOT OF DOCS SAY A SLING IS ALL YOU NEED.MMM, I HAD A BEAUTIFUL DISLOCATED FRACTURE? MADE EVEN WORSE TRAVELLING ON 2 PLANES BACK TO PUERTO RICO FROM CANADA. AFTER 3 WEEKS I REMOVED THE SLING AND HAD..5% MOBILITY IN MY LEFT ARM. I LIVE NEAR 1 MILE OF BEACH, SO EVERY DAY FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS I HAVE BEEN IN THE OCEAN DOING MOBILITY EXERCISES FOR MY LEFT SHOULDER. AS I HAVE NO MEDICAL INSURANCE,I HAVE TRIED TO DO THE PHYSIO THERAPY MYSELF WITH INPUT FROM FRIENDS AND I DID SEE A GREAT ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON 3 WEEKS AGO AND HIS ADVICE WAS TO KEEP MOVING AND TAKE ANOTHER XRAY (DUE NEXT WEEK) WELL NOW I CAN SWIM BREAST STROKE BACK STROKE AND SIDE STROKE FOR 1 MILE AND YESTERDAY I RODE MY MOUNTAIN BIKE FOR 90 MINUTES. I ALSO RAN FOR 90 MINUTES (THAT WAS SORE!)
MY ADVICE TO ANYONE WITH A BROKEN CLAVICAL..IMMOBALISE THE AFFECTED SHOULDER AND GIVE THE BODY A CHANCE TO HEAL , I TOOK 2000 OF CALCIUM, ALSO MAGNESIUM ,VITAMIN C IN MEGA DOSES (NATURAL ANTI INFLAMMATORY) AND JOINT MINERALS TO PROMOTE STRONGER LIGAMENTS THAT KEEP EVERYTHING IN ORDER. IT HAS BEEN A ROLLERCOASTER OF EMOTIONS BUT AT LAST I AM MORE INDEPENDANT!! A BROKEN CLAVICAL HURTS! THANKS FOR THE GREAT SITE I HAVE ENJOYED READING ALL THE ARTICLES PUBLISHED , READ ROMANS 5 3-5 !

Hans

August 4, 2005

M. Sperry – It’s hard to say how he’s going to feel riding in the van for that long. I would recommend several pillows so that he can arrange them for support of his arm and body. If he’s wearing a figure-8 sling then that will help hold his shoulder in place. Especially important if there are jolts. I highly recommend the figure-8 sling. There’s more information on my other page “What To Expect From A Broken Clavicle”. The link is near the top of this page. Good luck and have a safe trip.

M. Sperry

August 4, 2005

Hi, my 10-yr-old son fell off his bike when he was going pretty fast and broke his collarbone last week. His pediatrician referred us to an orthopedist who said that the bones are slightly overlapping but they should heal together okay. We’re scheduled to leave on a 15-day vacation which begins with an 8 hour drive through MA/CT/NYC/NJ, which will start at the end of his second week of recovery. How’s he going to feel riding in a van for that period of time? What do quick stops in the van do? The traffic can be terrible so there’s usually a few quick stops. We’re debating whether it would be best to delay the trip a few days or just do it and get it over with. Any advice on how to make the trip more pleasant would be appreciated.

Steve Mentzer

July 30, 2005

Hi, It’s been a week since my biking accident that resulted in a broken left clavicle. I was initially put in a sling and given some meds(vicadon). After a visit to the Orthopaedic doctor, they put me in a figure eight. I am 49 so I wonder how this will affect my recovery. I am a avid cyclist and this time off the bike is tough. How long should I wait before trying any exercise? I would like to at least keep my legs in shape. Any suggestions would be most helpful. Thanks!
Steve

Hans

July 9, 2005

Suzy – Sorry to hear about your crash. What a rude surprise at 3:30am in the morning!
The first thing I would recommend is that you have a good orthopedic doctor that understands athletes take a look at the injury. Especially since you are a triathlete and need a good shoulder for swimming. A collar bone can heal by itself with only a sling and brace if you are lucky. But don’t count on that. Find a good doc and make sure that they understand the type and level of athlete that you are.
Until then, stabilize your shoulder with a sling and a figure-8 brace if you can find one. The less movement the better. The first week or so it is very important that you don’t move the shoulder around. Keep your arm in the sling and your shoulder in a figure-8. Read through the comments on the website for more information.
As for training, give yourself and shoulder a chance to recover. At least for a week and a half to two weeks minimum. Don’t underestimate your injury. Your body needs its resources to repair the injury. Training do more harm than good. It was difficult for me to accept that advice at first but I’m glad I did. I was back training a short time later and off to Europe to ride a month after the break.
Take a look at my other “collar bone” page for the stationary bike training program I used. It might not be for you but at least you will have an idea of how I stayed fit and able to get right back on the bike.
Cheers.

Suanna (Suzy) Degazon

July 9, 2005

Hi,just read your web site as i came out of hospital 5 hours ago. i am an ultra distance triathlete, i had swam 5 miles and cycled 200 plus miles it was 3.30am and guess i just switched off for a second. the next thing i was flying through the air at 20mph, hitting the ground first with my left shoulder then my rudy helmet protected noggin as usual the first thought was my aegis bike..then like you i forbid the hospital to cut my hammergel jersey! no damage, phew then could i make the last 5 loops, then the ambulance hospital xrays…yep a nice fractured clavicle i am in quebec and now have to travel on 2 plnes to puerto rico on tuesday.the pain is aweful i am in shock as i am always training. so i loved to read about your adventures. i really cannot see me doing nothing for 6 weeks! looks like the indoor trainer and no work i am a scuba instructor…hope you can give me some advise

Dave Greenfield

June 20, 2005

At mile 33 of a 40 mile ride on May 28, 2005, I momentarily looked up to make a turn. The next thing I knew I went flying over the handlebars. Must have hit a rut in the road. Hit my head (thankfully, I was wearing a good helmet) and my right shoulder. Broke the clavicle in several places and tore ligaments. A good samaritan took me and the bike home. The ER doctor had me x-rayed. put me in a sling, gave me a tetanus shot and sent me on my way. The orthopaedist recommended no surgery and continued sling. Will be taking a new x-ray soon and seeing the orthopadist about four weeks after the accident. Pain now is rather minimal and I can sense better mobility in the arm. As for training: walking hills, recumbent bike in the gym, leg machines and wonder of wonders, paddle boats! There is a large lake nearby and these boats are the next best things to bikes. At least I am outdoors. P.S. I am typing easily with both hands. Its been frustrating but the alternative (no helmet) could have been catastrophic. DO NOT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT A HELMET!!!

Barb Nydam

June 13, 2005

Hi, I posted in with my woes on April 8 and now I am 2 weeks post surgery with a plate and screws, and a bone graft from my hip. When the dr finally operated on me, 5 months after my accident!!!, he found the two ends of the collarbone had healed over and were surrounded by soft tissue and that the bone was starting to be reabsorbed. Kiara- your story is almost identical to mine. I also was in less pain as time went by with the broken bits just nesting into the soft tissue and the ends healing over. The standard dr m.o. is to wait 3 months before declairing it a “non-union” and then by the time all the tests and waiting for surgery it takes even longer. I knew at 8 weeks my collarbone wasn’t healing and I still had to wait. I had several drs. give me the “just wait and see for 3 months” story. I agree with what others have said on this web post- push your dr if you have that gut feeling it isn’t right. You know your own body and you live inside it. You need to get things started so that you can get fixed asap because the longer you wait, the longer the recovery and rehab will be. I also have the nasty side effect of all this trauma of frozen shoulder syndrome. I am encased in a sling and cannot move my right arm for another 6 weeks, by that time I will have lost function in my right arm for 7 months. I am hopeful with good physio I will regain function again. The surgeon had to reorganize my shoulder and re position it when he put the plate in so all my neck and shoulder muscles are screaming at me. It is worse than the deep bone pain. I woul love to be pain free for just one hour! So I wait for nature and positive energy to heal me. I am using the TENS machine to help with pain contol on my hip-yeouwchh!! That was a nasty shock to wake up to–he said he might have to take bone from my hip for a graft, but I was hoping he’d use donner tissue. Ah well, scars make me ineresting I suppose. My shoulder scar is 5 inches and my hip scar is 3 1/2 inches. They just go with my c-section and ankle surgery scars. So Kiara,let me know how you recovery goes! Bye, bye.

Kiara

June 10, 2005

Kiara here again, a few days after clavicle surgery (ORIF– open reduction internal fixation, + bone graft)… doing OK, sore as hell, vicodin is a great drug… when the doc opened me up, found out that my clavicle pieces (at 10 weeks, approx) had healed up alright– just not to each other! bone ends had scabbed up nicely but no way in hell were they ever going to reconnect. So, again, for anyone out there reading this… if at about 8-10 weeks you still feel the bones moving around (I had very little pain at this point, by the way, but what I had was persistent), GET A SECOND OPINION about surgery, especially if they still want you wait and see if you’ll “heal naturally” (!). Ha! 🙂 –Ki

Hans

June 4, 2005

Kiara – I think you’re doing the correct thing by going ahead with surgery. Especially since you’re experiencing pain and the numbness in your fingers. That’s a good sign of nerves being impinged. And you are correct about getting a second opinion and to trust your body. Let the doctors know what you’re feeling and be forward with what is going on.
I also know how you feel about being knocked off the endorphin rush. I’m still going through recovery for my busted up shoulder (soft tissue this time). I’m in physical therapy and have another 5 weeks to go. So it will be a minimum of 2 months off the bike. Longest time off the bike than I can recall.
Let us know how your surgery goes. Heal fast.
Hans

Kiara

June 3, 2005

Hi ya’ll–Kiara here– I posted a comment to this thread on 8 April, about 3 weeks after I busted my R clavicle. It’s now 3 June, about 10 weeks out, and I’m still having a lot of discomfort/pain at the break site and when I move my arm above the horizontal or across my chest. I can feel movement at the break site, and I have some tingling/nerve impingement in the 4th and 5th fingers, right hand. The 8 week out Xrays showed a little “fuzziness” between the two separated pieces, but no definitive bridging of any kind. I’m in the military, and my military docs were saying, “well, it’s STILL too early to say if you will/won’t heal…” The heck with that! I got a 2d opinion last week from a civilian ortho specialist (who used to be the team doctor for the University of Hawaii, which is where I live right now). He looked at my xrays, felt the crepitus in the break itself, listed to my symptons, and also listened to my litany of woes (pain in the break site, limited mobility/strength, can’t bike, can’t run, fingers keep going numb, etc.). He’s done about 60 Hagie pin surgeries and over 120 plate-screw surgeries, and said that in his opinion, I am (a) definitely healing VERY slowly, and (b) would benefit from surgery. Doc said the plate-screw option in his experience has far fewer complications. He warned me that there would be a visible 3-4 inch scar along my collarbone.
Based on this consult, I got someone to pull some strings for me and yesterday saw another surgeon at Tripler (Army Medical Center), who confirmed that at this point the chances of my healing on my own are getting very small… my body’s adjusted to this state of affairs, however unsatisfying/painful it is for me! So…. I’m scheduled for sugery 7 June– plate and screws, plus a bone graft from my hip. Yuck. The doc’s frightened me into promising to be very, very, VERY good and to keep the shoulder as immobile as possible and not to raise it above 90 degrees for at least 2 months. He also showed me Xrays from another surgery he’d done– and, hallelujah, at 6 weeks out the guy was starting to get some bone bridging between the two pieces!
From all the reading I’ve done on this thread and other research, it seems that the first month is the crucial period to get your body to form that connecting bridge. So I’ll grit my teeth and just deal with the endorophin-withdrawal. I hope this information helps other folks out there– I agree with the last writer, GET A SECOND OPINION. It’s your body- – listen to it. As athletes or aspiring athletes, we’re more in touch with our bodies/body mechanics than most… if something doesn’t feel right, then fight to get some answers. I wish I’d pushed harder for surgery 3-4 weeks ago, when I felt things weren’t going anywhere. 🙂 Ki

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