Broken Pelvis Recovery
 

I broke my pelvis 5 weeks ago. Freak accident. It was a non-displaced break not requiring surgery. I would like to hear from another 50+ roadie whose had the same type of pelvis break experience. I'm interested in knowing about their recovery timeline (how long before getting on a trainer? To full recovery back on the bike?). Also interested in types of at home PT work routines found helpful - doing sets of leg lifts from my recliner LazyBoy? Anything one might add to help me get back into the ride game again would be appreciated.

I broke my pelvis 3 years ago - blogged my recovery, starting HERE Short answer, 19 days to recumbent exercycle at gym. 6 weeks to riding around neighborhood, 8 weeks to first real ride, 12 weeks to normal riding.

Fun video:
https://vimeo.com/88852472

Oooh - that doesn't sound good.

I've had more than my share of broken bone injuries but I've never broken my pelvis so I have no useful experience to share. I just want to share my sympathy.

another broken pelvis Scott...
 

Thanks for your post DiabloScott
I broke my pelvis about 10 days ago (2 breaks in the left pubic bone after a fall that sounds similar to yours), and I am beginning to feel like I'm recovering sufficiently to start thinking of how I might start working on more than just "not moving things that hurt" :-) If I can be riding normally in 12 weeks, I'll be about as happy as can be!

Last May, I hit a mega-speed bump with enough force to put a 3mm hop in a 38mm carbon rim with an ugly crack. Threw me onto the pavement hard enough to stun me for a few seconds. Long story short, broke both the superior and interior rami in my pelvis. It was major league nasty. 4 weeks on in a wheelchair, another 4 weeks on a walker then used a cane for a few weeks before I could walk unassisted. I was back on the trainer within 6 weeks but didn't get to where I'd trust myself doing anything more that pedaling around the neighborhood. By mid-July I was able to ride pretty much as usual.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3502bb14aa.jpg
At least it was colorful

I had an MTB crash half my life ago on a single track next to a fire road in the Santa Monica mtns. I was airlifted out with a cracked pelvis , cracked arm and 2 broken ribs. I also was able yo get away without surgery. A week in hospital, followed by 2 weeks with a walker, another 2-3 weeks with crutches then a limp “g-walk” that eventually went away. I was 27 then and am 51 now so I assume like all injuries at this age it takes about 2x longer to heal.

I’ve never felt anything since, no life long discomfort or anything. The thing that hurt or bothered me the longest was my left arm, the crack was right at the top and it was several years until I could lay on my back and get my left arm flat on the ground.

December 20, 2020 was my accident - so 5 1/2 weeks ago. Neighbors dog decided to get too frisky and had pushed me across the road and when I hit him in the face with the water bottle the bike dropped into the gravel and everything went from there. 5 hairline fractures in 3 places in the left pelvis, non-displaced and no surgery. I was non-weight bearing for 4 weeks on the crutches. Then in the last week I started "walking" with the crutches with a little more weight on the leg. Went pretty well but did too much over the weekend and was really stiff, sore and feeling swollen. Decided to go non-weight bearing the past three days while at work to give the body some rest.

I saw the doctor on Monday and she basically said 3 more weeks of status quo - light weight bearing while using the crutches. At 4 weeks I tried the indoor trainer. Unfortunately, our governor has shut the gyms down so I can't get to a recumbent. I was able to get the leg over the top tube (I only ride C&V bikes) and got on the saddle. The lower fracture was a little tender but manageable with the pressure from the saddle. I spun the pedals for about a minute and found the multiple fractures in the hip socket just made it a little too uncomfortable. I'll be at 6 weeks this weekend and will try again. I'm doing my own PT style exercises - stiff leg raises, lateral raises (lying on my right side), foot range of motion. I also have a hot tub and do exercises in there since the resistance is less and the hip feels better doing that. One of the exercises I do in there is a cycling motion like I'm on a recumbent. That motion doesn't feel too bad and it makes me wish for access to a recumbent trainer.

There's still a pretty good lump on the side of the hip where the primary impact was and my foot turns slightly red/blue when I stand up. I got a compression sock to help control that. Doctor thinks it's still the trauma and will just take time to resolve - it is slowly becoming less of a problem.

I expect to be on the indoor trainer for a couple of months before I get out on the road. My wife would probably like it to be longer but I'm itching for the road when spring comes. The only silver lining is this happened in winter and not during prime cycling season.

I keep forgetting about Your Dog Incident. Was hoping at the time that it would turn out to be less serious, but, sadly it appears that was not the case.
Rest up, dude. The Palouse Awaits!

I remember writing those blog entries thinking "some day, somebody with a similar injury will want to know what recovery is like from another cyclist's perspective. " Glad you found it.

I recovered fully and strong, with a little more awareness of my fragility, and a little less eagerness to take risks just for thrills... even though that particular crash involved almost no risk, just a fluke.

My family knows pelvis injuries. 15 years ago my biking wife had a 3/4 ton pickup drive over her lap and broke her pelvis like a pretzel. At the time she was a 46 years old competitive cyclist and marathon runner. After a medivac flight to Seattle, surgery and the installation of an external fixator, rehab in a nursing home, and then finally home to a hospital bed in the living room , nobody had much confidence in her returning to any active life, let alone walking normally. It took a few years to get her back on the bike, the biggest obstacle being her PTSD in any kind of traffic. But she did come back biking with a vengeance and in the last decade has returned to her competitive form although she can't run anymore.
Then 7 summers ago I had my own hard bike fall resulting in a cracked pelvis, 3 broken ribs, and a punctured lung. Back we go in the medivac flight to Seattle, surgery to install plates and screws, and back to the hospital bed in the living room. A winter spent on the stationary bike and i was back outside riding in the spring. i guess my point being that our pelvis injuries were recoverable and biking has become even more important to us then before our accidents.

Cracked non displaced bone can take just as long to heal as a displaced fully fractured bone. Without full immobilization it takes a minimum of 6 weeks to form soft bone then another 4 weeks for the bone to harden. So take it easy and don't rush it.

Nutrition, light range of motion, thinking good thoughts... That's the way to recovery.