Hans Kellner Dot Com :: a mighty fine website!

Okay, Hans. I got a call from my friend, Chuck Young, a cyclist and he says "sorry to hear about Hans' broken clavicle." "What?" says I, just your mother. "Where did you hear this?" Check out his web site, says Chuck. I guess you didn't want to worry me :-) Love you, Mom

Hope you get well quick, Hans. When I, your aunt, had an intimate experience with a car, on my bike, in Sand Francisc, I didn't tell my mother either. so it's definitely genetic. In fact maybe the whole thing was predestined!? get well quick. love, Betsy

Sorry to hear about your mishap, Hans. I hope you mend quick, and that you aren't too uncomfortable in the meantime.

Tom

Boom fall down!

That's one hell of a birthday wish ! Happy b-day, by the way. Last year we celebrated in Topsail together. The good news is, you'll be ready to ride by the time you get to Switzerland, right ? Take care not to overstrain yourself on home-trainer...Love, Susie

Hans,
Just heard about this, I've been remiss in checking your website for race reports!
Ugh, I've been there, and I'm thinking of you!
If you have a non union, let me know: my doc gave me this weird bone-growth stimulator (electromagnetic pulses - no, this is not a joke) that made me get away with not having surgery, they are expensive I've got one that I paid $900 for (thanks, insurance!).
HAPPY BIRFDAY Sarah

Hans, I know how you feel. I broke my right collarbone two days ago. Yes, it happened in a race. I'll see you at the races after we're both good and healed up!

Ouch. Sorry to hear about the clavicle. :( :(

Thank you for your kind comments on my commute blog entry.

Best regards and hopes for a speedy recovery,
Jim Carson

Hay Hans,

Just done the same to my clavical(07/07/03).
Wish I had read your page before hand.
My break is downwards baove the left shoulder joint.
Does the brace work for you?
wath exercise were you given?

I broke my right distal clavicle on July 4. The story is at the URL above. I just got out the the immoblizer yesterday. (It's a velcro device that holds your arm against the body but allows movement below the elbow.)

My orthopedist hasn't worked with cyclists, so she doesn't know how much I should be allowed to ride, but it's been six weeks, the bone is healing, and I promised to go easy. I see her again in another four weeks.

Meanwhile she wants me to try to loosen up the shoulder without putting any weight on it Doing shrugs, easy stretching and gently raising the arm as far as I can tolerate are encouraged.

You say you injured yourself in a M35+ 1/2/3 race in June, yet you have video of a Cat 4/5 Santa Rosa twilight race in August. Something doesn't add up, unless that was someone else riding in Santa Rosa.

So are you a Cat 4 or a Cat 3 Hans? When did you upgrade? Inquiring minds want to know.

Shawn: Heh heh... Ah, the truth is there but you made an assumption which led you astray. Yes, I filmed the Cat 4/5 race but... I didn't "race" it. I jumped in for a few laps to get the footage then dropped out so I could catch the finish.

Also, being a Cat 3 allowed me to film and race both the later Masters 3/4 and Cat 1/2/3 events.

Hans, You never could take a fall. Maybe you should retire and attempt something a little easier. Besides many of us that have become forgotten in your past life are able to remember the fact that you really can't ride a bicycle very well. Try motocross for real excitement.

I did it! I broke my left clav. I am opting for surgery because of how sharp the bone is and how displaced it is...yuck...talk about painful! And this sling is getting funky!

Hans
can you send me the training schedule your orthopedist gave you?
or aquick synopsis?
I broke clavicle two weeks ago.
Thanks!

Laura - Check out the next entry "Broken Clavicle No More!" (link at the top of this page) for the workout he gave me. Kept up my fitness and I was up and riding in no time.

I recently broke my collar bone bike racing a kid in my Youth group. The bike had no rear brakes. (I actually knew that at the start.) Anyway, I was going as fast as I could and did not allow enough room to stop and crashed. The impact was so hard my petal removed a chunk of concrete from the curb. The worst part is I lost. I will challenge him in checkers until I heal.

I head off to surgery to fix my collarbone tomorrow. As it happens, I am one of those lucky 10% who don't get better on their own. My non-union has turned in a mal-union. Ick. I'm getting screwed (and plated) in the morning.

I broke left clavicle ONE year ago and still broken. surgery I dont want. Ive tryed bone stimulators a electod unit and no luck yet. bone denisty test done today and ct next week. pain level so so and one know of Bone Up vitimans. Any one will this long of broken clavicle??????? Help

hey i borke my collar bone and i play football and i really want to play its august 5 and that makes it the 5 weeks since i broke it i our practice starts on the 17 and i really have to be there so i can start. today i went to the doctor he said my bone was healed and that it looks great and then he said 4 more weeks but i dont kno what to do i really need to start football and i really want to play so i think i am but i need some advice PLEASE HELP !!!

Ay up Dave Engerlalalalang here. Oops broke my right one yesterday ouch. NHS Dr put me in sling and said it would be ok in 3/4 weeks apparently the figure 8 is out of fash now (see NHS site) cheers for exercise advice much appreciated. Try comphrey tea. Apparrently miricle herbal 'boneup' or wot ever. typing with one hand tres pain in the arse so ttfn
Oh hang on this was my main point: Every time I move so does my bone coz its a complete break how can it possibly heal like that? My missus insists i stay in bed all day but its doing my head in already. Anyone got any clues? ps when i lay in bed in slots necely back in to place ie no lump then when i stand up it pops out again this cant be right can it. Feck knows. Giz a clue someone cheers

Dave - Bum luck about the collar bone. So, I researched the figure-eight myself and found docs that said it's good and others that said it didn't really do more than a sling. Oh, none said it was bad for you. I personally found that it really helped to keep my shoulder from moving around and kept the collar bone in place. I also had a total break (distill) so it was important to keep it from moving.

Now, if you're finding that your collar bone is still moving around then I would really suggest you do whatever possible to keep from doing so. That means get a figure-eight, or stay in bed, or whatever you can. If you keep it moving around like that during the first week or so you might not ever let it connect and start stitching together. Then you might end up getting the knife to have a plate screwed in. Fun!

Good luck.

I broke my right collarbone on the 4th of August. Clean break with and island too. Pain is pretty much gone. Mobility is coming back to the point where I can lift my elbow above the shoulder. What I can't figure out is the many different approaches to treatment and healing. I have heard and read many different medical opinions. Sling, no sling, do what doesn't hurt stop what does, no movement, movement is good. The bones stopped moving last week. Okay what I really want to say is I want to ride tonight. Yes I am impatient. Yes I may be dense, but it's killing me. Can't I ride for the most part with one hand? I have done a couple of miles easy like that. I am going insane and won't ride the trainer. I won't I won't I won't!

Scott - I know how you feel but listen to what the docs say. If you do anything to cause the break to tear apart again you will be asking for surgery or for a worse fuse of the bones.

My doc insisted I use the sling. You may feel the strong enough not to use it but in reality, your body is working hard to repair itself. The more stress you put on your shoulder the harder it is on your body to repair. Give it and yourself a rest and let it heal.

Also, it's a little late in your case since the bones have fused, but it is very very very important to keep the shoulder imobilized right after the break and until it fuses together. Otherwise, movement may hinder the fuse process and the bones may never join.

As for riding now, sure you could but if you make one small mistake and smack that shoulder again you could easily break it again. Then you're back to day one or worse.

My recommendation would be to get some good DVDs to watch while you spin on the trainer. I watched a bunch during my recovery. Cycling DVDs helped the best to take my mind off the fact I was stuck on a trainer.

I followed my doctor's advice and was on the bike in a month and riding around Europe.

I broke my clavical late July 2004...nasty high speed fall due to hydroplaning as it started to pour cats and dogs unnanounced on a timetrial bike on a long descending grade coming into a corner on a smooth bike path...found myself in the woods tasting my own blood in the rain near an oak tree, with a burning feeling on my back(road rash)and a lump and sharp poking spot near my collarbone and also a grey-out or feeling of great impact not sure if I hit my head or not. Worst thing was being 5 miles away from anything on a 10 mile loop. Got rescued by the only other guy on the bike path...ended up in emergency room and all is finally coming back as I road my bike since the crash yesterday!!!...:)

I broke my collar bone racing in Cuba October 14, 2004. Reading all the comments have eased some of my fears about my treatment (Nothing) being adequate. It also has set some realistic goals as to when at 64 I can ride again. My pain is basically gone and I am not using my sling. Taking off five weeks after my first year of riding bikes, Guess the break was good timing. My fellow bikers were great keeping my spirits up after my fall. Thanks guys at Mike Fraysee Sports.

I broke my collarbone on a dirt bike 11 days ago. At 39 the ER nurse said don't you think you're getting a little old for that kind of stuff. No! My four year old daughter is just starting out and will need some guidance. Anyway, the collar bone area felt really good the first six days probably due to the pain medications. Now I am starting to get a burning type sensation at different times throughout the day. Anyone out they know if this is a normal part of the process. The fracture site is displaced and the doctor is not sure if surgery is going to be necessary. I really hope not. Any insights?

Rich - Sounds like your ER nurse doesn't know how to have fun! :')

I don't recall any burning sensation during my recovery. Only aches and some pain. I would suggest a quick call to your doctor for some advice.

As for having surgery, avoid it. Get a second or third opinion before going that route.

i broke my r clavicle on 14th nov and have now started getting sharp shooting pains at certain posistions in my arm 2 weeks later, the main pain has gone and ive come off pain killers now. is this the normal thing to happen and how long is it likely to go on for? also i want to get back in my gym and do weights again as im losing my bulk!,how long should i leave it for this and will it be weaker now than it was?

Reading these entries makes me realise I'm not alone.

I broke my collar bone 5 weeks ago when I rode speedway
(dirt track in the US). I hi-sided and landed on my shoulder
which pushed the shoulder about 4" into my body.
(I've seen the video!!)

Serious muscle bruising (no pain no gain as my brother says)
and a collar bone break. Not too bad I thought, I have friends
in wheel chairs.

However, my collar bone has now healed, but my shoulder
is now about an inch narrower due to a seriously overlapping
collar bone.

?????????

Can anyone please tell me if there is any drawback in having a
shorter collar bone ? I am currently battling to have it cut and
repositioned, but I may be wrong and a shorter shoulder may
be as good. (Function over looks anyday!!)

Feel free to mail me directly (please :o)

apparently the clavicle is the most common bone for anyone to break.. but an awful lot of bikers seem to share the ( entirely unpleasant) experience. Including me. ten days ago on an icy downhill track... is it true that lance armstrong continued to ride with a broken clavicle??? i cant believe it.

Sue - It wasn't Lance it was Tyler Hamilton that cracked his clavicle during the Tour De France and then finished the race. But, he probably has access to some powerful pain killers ;')

I discovered this website as I just broke my left clavicle in a horseback riding accident; it's a common injury there. Good luck to everyone. Mary

Hi there, I'm currently recovering from 4 broken ribs (3-6) and broken clavicle on my left side. I was a passenger in a car that crunched into a lampost....

6 weeks now since the accident, my Ribs are fuseing together nicely. But my clavicle is stubbonly refusing to mend. It was shattered into 4 major fragments. The doctors are only treating it with a full arm sling and painkillers. I'm expecting another 6-8 weeks before the bone begins fusing... 12+ weeks.

This site may of intrest to some of you.

http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2003/1203/housner_pa.htm

My Shoulder is noticeably lower, but I have not problems with lower arm movement or sensation. I'm confidant of a complete recovery, and am learning new levels of patience :-)

I guess this is pretty common - January 1st was a beautiful day (60 degrees) here in central Pennsylvania. I'm a runner/biker and been having some foot pain. I promised to not run a day in January (which is very hard for me). So like all of us on a nice day .... I had to get out. Took the bike. 45 minute later I hit a dog. He was running down a drive way that was dug in about 3 feet so I didn't see him coming. We met instantly so there was nothing I could do.

I broke my right collar bone and 5 ribs (3-7). It happened so fast I can't remember even preparing for the fall. Fortunately people were outside washing there car. Nobody wanted to claim having a dog that I described and he/she was nowhere to be seen.

Emergency room xray was taken and then when I got back to the bed the Nurse moved my arm to take blood pressure again. I almost fainted. 5 days later I was at the bone Dr. and the new Xrays shows a complete overlap while the old one showed perfect alignment - I know exactly when that happened!!!

5 weeks later the ribs are feeling much better - I avoided people with colds like they had malaria. The collar bone still wants me to be in a sling. If I take it off for too long (and not use it) I get more pain later.

I agree with everybody else - I desperately want to get back to my routine but I don't want to do anything that would set me back and I'm going crazy wondering if it is really healing.

Obviously it could have been worse but I don't ever want to do this again. To bad we don't get to choose.

i broke by collar bone on the 17th january last year and its still not healed fully. i hav to go and it pinned and screwed this thursday.

Hi guys i broke my clavicle about 6 weeks ago in a snowboard accident.For the first 3 weeks i didn't use a sling or a figure of 8 thing because the doctor said a should be fine.After the 3 weeks i was still in pain so i went to a fracture clinic and the doctor there gave me the figure of 8 thing.I wore it for 3 weeks and then i went for x-ray and they said the bone is starting to heal and they told me to take off the figure of 8.Now after 6 weeks the bone is hurting me when i keep my hand down and i always tend to keep the shoulder up so the bone wont hurt me but like this the muscles in my back kill me.The thing is i saw the x-ray and my clavicle is overlaping is going to be shorter with about 1cm.Any of you guys have an overlaping clavicle?can you please email me and tell me how long does it take for the pain to go away and if you are feeling ok with the shorter clavicle?My email is lulus_ro@yahoo.com thanks.

I broke my collar bone in a motorcycle accident (gravel on pavement in a corner) 6 months ago in september. Just found out yesterday that they will do a new procedure on me. This entails a canulated screw and bone graft. I have a non union and have been working since 2 days after the accident. The doctor said with high impact injuries like this the bone dies and you are more likely to have a non union that will never heal. He has only done two of these so I am curious to see if anyone else has done this procedure. He said that this will make my clavicle more stable and we will never have to take the screw out.

Lela - Sorry about your accident. Gravel is something I always keep an eye out for when I'm on my motorcycle. Losing the front wheel and control is spooky.

As for your operation. I have friends that have had their clavicles screwed back together. Not sure of the type of screw used. Oh, and some have the screw removed once the bone has fully healed. It's another operation but they don't like having a foreign object in their body. Might be a placebo effect but they feel better without it.

Not familiar with the bone graft procedure.

Good luck and update us if you have the procedure done.

I'm also a snowboard casulity. We did the figure eight for 2 months with a sling, then started on ultra sound theopy (20 miuntes twice a day a day for 3 months). The bones overlap but moved further apart with one end heading out through the top of my shoulder. It was back into the sling for two more months with continued ultra sound treatment. At 7 months nothing was healing (nonunion)so surgery was done with the long 4.25 inch screw longwise in the bone. The bones were finally lined up but the healing still has not happened. I am now one week from a year into to problem, the screw is just about to come out through the top of my shoulder (it stickes out 1/2 inch above my shoulder) and will have to be removed if it breaks through. I also had the bone graft from my hip. A catscan shows no significent healing. The next plan is to remove the screw and replace it with a plate and screws. What a pain! I can only sleep flat on my back and the pain is constant mainly at the ends of where the long screw is. I'm not so sure these guys working on me know what they are doing. All I know for sure is that was the most expensive snowboard trip I'll ever had. In fact, this has cost more than all my ski trips combined for the last 54 years.

Thanks for sharing your story Hans! and everyone else. I broke left clavicle on the 17th of Feb., fell off me skateboard. So thats six weeks tomorrow, I have been out of sling for more than a week, though i wear it when i go hiking. I feel pretty good, and i am comfortable on my bicycle again. Praise Jesus! I am wanting to do some PT excercises. best wishes to all that are healing.
Cheers

Hi, I joined the collarbone-break club on 15 Mar 05... riding my bike, of course... I have a complete break about 1/3 from the shoulder (distal, ends overlap a bit. I've been in a figure 8 sling and started riding the stationary gym bikes (sitting upright) about 5 days after the accident.. trying to be careful not to move the shoulder, but I was going nuts not getting any exercise. I'm 36. I just now had some Xrays done, I'm at about 3.5 weeks, and they show absolutely NO healing, very depressing. If anything there seems to be slightly more separation of the bone ends than I remember from the first Xrays right after the break. I wonder at what point should I expect to see some visible healing? And how many months of non-healing (worst case scenario) before I become a surgical candidate?
Kiara

Kiara - When I did my follow up x-ray for my collar bone there was a definite sign of the ends pulling together. That was about a month after the break. By then my shoulder was feeling good and I was starting to get back on the bike.

I recently had to see my doc about my shoulder. I managed to bust up my humerus and not the collar bone this time. When we were looking at my x-rays he also looked at how my collar bone was doing. It's been a couple of years but it had never fully fused back together. He noted that it's probably a partial connection. A fibroid connection I believe and since it wasn't bothering me that I shouldn't worry about it. He made the comment that they don't treat by x-ray. He means that although the x-ray shows the collar bone not fused, that doesn't mean there is a reason to "fix" it. Since I experience no pain, my collar bone isn't moving around, and I have been able to use my shoulder without problem then there is no need to worry or do anything.

So, the best I can recommend is wait a bit longer and see how you are feeling. Do a follow up with your orthopedist and evaluate at that time.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I broke my r collarbone and 6 ribs (in 8 places) on Jan 11/05 when my horse jumped out of his stall-over the door- and crushed me against the door jam. I was in the hospital for a week and then home. I have been wearing my figure 8 brace 24-7 for almost 3 months and I am hopeless without it due to pain and discomfort. My physio was concerned with it not healing so I began getting more xrays, a bone scan and a ct scan that showed complete non union of the collar bone. I saw my ortho dr today and he has put me on the urgent surgical list-which in bc means a 2-3month wait for my turn under the knife. I have already spent 3 months knowing it wasn't healing because I can see and feel the bone moving at the break site. Yuck and it gives me the creeps. I am pissed that I have to wait so long and nervous that the plates, screws and bone graft are not going to solve my problem, Does anyone out there have a surgery success story for my spirits? Wish me luck. Barb

hello,
thanks for sharing your story & info. Does anyone know the right way to wear the sling?

dan - I found a couple of references on wearing a sling. Here's one that gives a good description:

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_sling_sma.htm

hey i did this to but i broke 3 of my coller bones and sprand my whole arm.

dude to bad things happen

i'm busted since four days, clean break, strange in that the edges of breaks are rounded indicating a previous break apparently. can't ever remember such a thing, but..
what makes me pissed is that the 8 and sling are pretty prehistoric tools. these things hold it all from above which means that it is all hanging from the collar bone itself! it seems obvoius to me that tha arm should be immobilized and lifted and angled just so, but definitly from underneath! it all shou rest on the waist or hips so as to completely relieve the shoulders. if nobody writes in with wonder brace that i can locate and purchase i will have to make my own which is bogus and also difficult under the circumstances. bud

I broke my left clavical on 4/24/05 diving for an outfield softball (the ball bounced out of my glove :)) I was treated in the ER with xrays, ultra sound, and a figure eight and arm sling. Saw an Ortho the next day who said it would heal in 8 weeks as is. I was in extreme pain for two weeks and was recommended from my boss to get a 2nd opinion. Went to a Seattle Orthorpedic and Fracture clinic where 2 orthopedics looked at it and they both agreed surgery was need in order for it to heal properly. Also, a bone was pushing against my skin that was degrading my skin. There was also two chips that broke loose from the break.

I now have a plate and screws. I feel more complete and in less pain than prior to the surgery. I know that surgery is not the route for everyone, but my advise is to get a second opinion with a orthopedic that specializes in fractures (like in a fracture clinic). My doctor said my recovery will be about 8 weeks and then I can live a normal life. Only time will tell.

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

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 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

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.

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!!!

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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 !

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.

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.

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,

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?

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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 - 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.

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.

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.

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 40º. I am happy to say that my mobility is close to 80% now and the last x-ray showed that the bone graft is finally starting to show solid bone. I am restricted from doing anything where I could re-injure it by falling, so no horseback riding, skiing, mountain biking or ladder climbing. I think my dr. would be very unhappy if he had to fix me up again so I am being good. I could not face another year of recovery- it is hard enough as it is to wait to do all of my favorite activities. But I do have to say I am feeling much better, have more energy and I am getting much stronger and am able to some of the chores around the property. I do feel the plate in my shoulder and I can see it under the skin, but at least now I can move my arm!! It aches most of he time, but not unbarably so. I am back to teaching school and to look at me you wouldn't know I had an injury. (I can even write on the white board) The scar is kind of nasty- very red and irritated so clothing options for necklines are limited. I will live with the plate for another year or so and then my dr will see about removing it. But when they take it out he said the bone will be a bit unstable for 2-3 months so I will have to decide how much the plate is bugging me and decide what I think is the worse of 2 evils. Has anyone out there had their plate removed? I would like to know what it was like to have another surgery in the same place. good luck to all you new people out there....just try and be good and eventually it will get better. I am getting cranial sacral work and am thinking of doing some Feldenkrais. Anyone tried that? Happy healing!

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!)....

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

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!

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 ;-)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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! :')

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.

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.

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!

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?

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.

Hi, my name is Lynn, I broke the left clavicle dec.28 it was very painfull been to the ortho. he says bone is not healing, I kind thought that being that the bone is pertruding and brusing the skin. I now have to have surg. feb. 27 I am not looking forward to that. NO MORE PAIN. I am on a leave of absents, I am aircraft structual mechanic . I need my shoulder to be back to normal. will it? and is the scar very noticeabe. any advise will be appreciated. Thanks for the web sight.

Lynn May: I had surgery on my clavicle in early November, and have been quite pleased with the results. Your job sounds like it requires heavy weight bearing. I think heavy weight-bearing on the shoulder after surgery must be done cautiously and with advise of ortho/physical therapist. As for my scar, it's fairly long(3-4 inches) but its not raised. After 4 weeks, my surgeon had me massage the scar to break-up the adhesion to the bone. Also using some ointment containing almond or coconut butter was recommended to me. Good luck

i broke my collar bone in late Oct 05 (posted on the other part of this site) in a cyclocross race. well everything healed nicely and i was back on my bike in early Jan. On great early morning ride, I hit some RR tracks wrong (b/c I was being TOO careful, i think, and had slowed way down. I've been over those tracks at speed so many times!!) and went down on the newly healed collar bone. The ER doc and the MD I saw a few days later said I hadn't rebroken it b/c there were no new breaks on the xray. However I could feel things moving and I was in a lot of pain, so I saw another doc who decided that I must have broken the callus which wouldn't show on an xray. I've now been in the figure 8 (i totally believe in the fig 8 over just the sling) again for 6 weeks and return in 2 weeks for another xray. Nothing seems to be moving and the pain is almost gone. I am so ready to be back on my "real" bike. The trainer and spin bike only do so much. Someone told me that if you break it a second time in the same place (basically what I did, i guess) it's much harder to heal the second time, which really discouraged me. Has anyone heard this? This site is so great. It's very reassuring to hear stories of other athletes who have dealt w/ this. Although so many people on my team have broken their c-bones, when you're in the middle of it, it's easy to feel like you're the only one in the world with this annoying situation!!

It is really helpful for me to read these stories, almost overwhelming, but helpful. I broke my clavicle playing rugby in late July and it is still not quite healed. It is officially pronounced a non-union, and I am nervous as to whether or not I should opt for surgery. I'd love to get back into rugby and backpacking as soon as possible, but I know it will be a long journey no matter what I choose. I just don't know what will be more beneficial.

My boyfriend was in a motorcycle accident last Thursday and broke his left clavicle. He's in a lot of pain. He lays on his side most of the time. Will he heal normal this way or should he be laying on his back? He also took the fig 8 and the sling off because it was, he says, closing in on him. To be honest, I don't know how much more of his moaning I can take. When does the pain get better?

I broke my left wrist and collarbone on Feb. 23rd after flipping my road bike at about 30 mph. My concern is that the doctors in so many examples in this thread are satisfied with less than perfect unions where bones are overlaped, not touching or skewed. It seems to me that if the union isn't perfect surgery is indicated and accepting any other prognosis is just foolish. I want my collarbone to heal in exactly the position it was in before the accident. I am an entertainer by trade and have to sling a guitar over that shoulder and probably will have to for the next 10 years. I'm only in day 13 since my crash and my Dr. wants to let the bone heal naturally. I would prefer surgery now to get the alignment correct and make sure the collarbone heals without delay. Being 54 y.o. makes very leary of letting the bone heal naturally. Why are Drs. so put off by surgery in these cases?

John: I was in a similar situation, I had an overlappping mid-clavicle fracture and finally had surgery after waiting 7 weeks for the bones to heal on there own. I've been very satisfied with the surgery. If a perfect union is your goal, I think it's more likely that you'll need the surgery. In the end I told my surgeon that I didn't want to wait any longer and let's do the surgery. I think non-unions are also more likely depending on one's age and severity of the break. Also, be sure you are seeing the right kind of orthopod who specializes in upper body/clavicle injuries. Good luck.

Hi Again-
I last wrote on Feb. 4 and my accident was last Aug. 15. My first ortho said a fibrous union and live with it because the break location was not a good candidate for surgery, with only a 70% chance of a good outcome. Plus, the hip bone graf and slow recovery would not make me a happy camper. Fortunately, I was able get a second opinion. Both surgeons concur that people do 'live with' my situation and do most of all they want to and both agree that there is no harm in delaying surgery for up to a couple years. However, from there, the second surgeon differs. He said it is a non-union and he would have surgery if it was him. He pre