dannwilliams

I had my 6 week follow up appointment due to "the incident" and was told the hip is where I should be at this time. However, had a pic taken of the collarbone and it is still broken.The doc says this happens occasionally (he had some medical term for it) where the bone doesn't heal together on its own. I said I had pretty much full range of motion and that I was not experiencing pain. So the doc said we'll let it go and see if it stays that way or ends up fusing on its own. If it causes problems by not connecting I may need to get it plated, which is another surgery and I don't really want that so I will have my fingers crossed. He said 2 more weeks off, then I can return to work half days for 4 weeks. At that time I will have my 12 week check and hopefully be released from his care.

JanMM

Best time of year to be sidelined, don't you think? No pain on the collarbone is a good thing. Good luck on the healing together.

BlazingPedals

Not to be a downer, but about 15 years ago, a friend of mine broke his collarbone and he basically lost the entire season because it kept not healing. On the other side of the coin, my doc broke his, got the plate, and did a 350-mile tour a few weeks later. I'd say, give it two more weeks and if it's not healing, get the plate!

rumrunn6

don't rush it, be a good patient. well done so far, good luck!

Senrab62 

Sorry to hear about your injury. Wish you well with the follow-up and hope you get well and heal up soon!

1989Pre 

Research collagen supplements, also MSM and take extra cal/mag/zinc.

Bone Restore with Vitamin K2, 120 capsules

UC-II Undenatured Type II Collagen 60 Veg Capsules

NOW Foods MSM 1,000 mg 240 Caps - Swanson Health Products

Ask questions/search here: https://www.curezone.org/forums/f.asp?f=106&c=1

VNA

Great news for most of it--be patient with the collar bone--indeed sometimes a surgery is required as I understand. But for your hip did they put a plate or nails? (Zickel)
Good luck!

dannwilliams

It was a total hip replacement.

sch

Had a collarbone and acromial fx early '00s, collar bone healed in the 3-6 week timeframe, but the
acromion didn't show signs of new bone across the fx line til ~8 weeks. Able to ride the
recumbent two weeks after the wreck but no Tee shirt for ~4 weeks after the wreck and
only slip on shoes. Non fusion occasionally occurs and since the collarbone is really
important to shoulder function may need surgical fixation. It takes at least 4 months and
for some orthopedics MD 6-9 months to declare a nonunion. Persisting pain and
disability push you towards the earlier dates.

sam83

If you need surgery, this is the guy. As a patient you will have his cell phone and he answers texts and emails. He did BOTH of mine, although they were only 1500-mile round trips for me. Best Orthopedic Surgeon in Houston | Sports Injury Doctor | Sanders Clinic He's a moderator on this forum Health & Fitness - ThumperTalk Good luck.

dannwilliams

9 weeks out, I am back at work 4 hrs/day. 25# lifting restriction. Hip is coming along fine I believe. I do take Tylenol 2 or 3 times a day, depending how active and sore I get. Although yesterday only once. I struggle still to reach my toes on that side, so socks and shoes offers a bit of a challenge, but I manage. 3 more weeks until the next follow up. I am still concerned about the clavicle, as I have a physically demanding job. So if it is still not healing properly at that time I will ask to get it pinned or plated sooner rather than later.

I have hiked along the Kinnickinnic near my home for up to 2+ hrs. I have done a bit of "Suffering" to The Hunted and The Wretched with no problem.

tmac100

DITTO!
When building my home in 1989 I fell and broke my collar bone in half. They had to put a 4" pin in it. At 6 weeks it was not fused. However after 3 months it was fused and the pin was removed (unscrewed with a wrench).

Fortunately I was not training, because in Manitoba it was winter and few folks bicycled outside.

Take your time healing, but heal properly. Your body will do what it will - but be really positive and eat healthy. What kind of a race are you really on, AND what is your rush? Heal properly and enjoy bicycling for the rest of your days. Otherwise you will have agony and poor performance for the rest of your (shorter) bicycling time on this planet.


This has been scribbled by a 68+ year old who is bicycling Cape York (Siesia to Cairns) this July- with no shortcuts. Google it. If it takes me 3 weeks, great. If it takes me 4 or 5 weeks, so what? longer just means more time to enjoy the trip. Like the saying goes: Don't substitute one rat race for another while you are on your bicycle tour. IOW, what's the rush?
Enjoy what time you have for you and your bicycle ...

Good luck with the healing - and with bicycling, after you are healthy enough to "give it".

FWIW, the doctor's comment at the end of this article says it all.. https://www.bbc.com/sport/wales/38649134
Again, get healthy first!

Gerryattrick

Looks like a great ride. Not wishing to derail the thread but what bike/tyres are you using for the trip.

tmac100

Bike is a custom built with 48 spoke (PW hubs) 26" wheels and Schwalbe Marathon tires. Pic without front rack at Arvon Cycles "Expedition Grade" Touring Bike with S and S Couplings

eja_ bottecchia

Best wishes on a speedy recovery. Being off work and off the bike can be frustrating.

I finally got the OK from my doctor to go back riding after my recent surgery.

Alas, however, the weather has been less than cooperative.

Oh well.

wphamilton

This happened to me, and I did look into it. What could reasonably be expected, why the different medical recommendations and so on. This is what I discovered.

Given a non-union after several months, it's unlikely that the collarbone will ever "fuse on its own". In a small number of cases, it becomes a functional non-union, where you can function more or less normally without significant pain. Regardless of some opinions, that we don't really even need the full collarbone and functional means just fine, this is not an optimal result. We evolved with collarbones for a reason, as skeletal anchor points and to absorb shock, and it's better to have that than to not have it.

Many orthopedists are predisposed to just let that go, especially if you're an older patient who "doesn't really need" the collarbone to be fully joined. A pro football player for example, who needs to get back on the field right away is another story. An older or non-athletic person who is less likely to stress it, or to frequently fall and take significant impact, conservative treatment (doing nothing) may be preferred to ORIF (installing a plate). This is almost entirely dependent on the given orthopedist's philosophy and prejudices.

At only six weeks, you don't necessarily know that it won't heal on its own, and it is common to advise you to wait before considering surgery. But your odds are already much lower.

As an active, fairly athletic older patient I object to this whole paradigm, and the following is just to emphasize that diagnosis and recommendations vary according to who you ask and for reasons which they don't necessarily tell you. Logically, if a given "fix" is preferable for a professional athlete, then the ultimate result is better for the lesser athlete as well regardless of age or profession. I am obviously no doctor, so in this situation I sought a second opinion. It happened to be one who exclusively advised against ORIF regardless of separation, who didn't know and wasn't interested in the literature regarding the chances and circumstances of successful union. I sought a third opinion, a younger and more aggressive surgeon, who agreed that there was little chance of it eventually healing and saw that as a problem.

I don't know anything about hip replacements, but healing from that perhaps you have time to monitor the clavicle healing and maybe it will heal on its own after a time, without delaying your overall recovery that much.

dannwilliams

Had the 12 week check last week. New X-rays on both the hip and clavicle. Hip is fine. Every day I come a little bit closer to it feeling normal, I'd say I am 85%-90% right now.Clavicle still not joined. It overlaps by 1 - 1.5 cm the doc said. He said it is in the delayed union state now. 3 months and a new x-ray will be taken. If it is still nonunion, surgery may be called for. Although if it doesn't cause problems or pain, just leave it. I am back doing a full day at work, meat dept. at Co$tco, so pretty exhausted by the time I get home. Need to build the endurance back. Amazing what this injury has done to me. I have over 150 miles on "the bike to nowhere" logged in the garage. I have also made it out on the winter bike a couple times. Looking forward to more nice weather on my days off to be able to get out more. Cycle On!

eja_ bottecchia

Agreed about the time, but it is still a pain in the neck!

look566 rider

Good luck healing! You'll be back to normal stuff soon enough!

Broke my clavicle 12-28-16. Required surgery, titanium plate and 7 lag screws. Have been riding a little. Back to lifting weights (5 lbs baby!).
DSCF0004.jpg

churnman

Perhaps this would be a good time to get a second opinion. A bone healing itself doesn't sound quite right. It can't hurt and the worst you will get is a different one.

wphamilton

"Although if it doesn't cause problems or pain, just leave it" - sometimes, but non-union clavicles are rarely asymptomatic. Sometimes patients later develop some pain, to varying degrees, some loss of function in shoulder mechanics, and more rarely damage to underlying structures, vascular for example.

Bear in mind that some clinicians diagnose a non-union after 4 months but most have it at 6 to 9 months.

There is no hard and fast medical rule for ORIF vs just leave it, and it's ultimately your own decision.

BlazingPedals

Bah, just have this installed.Stronger and lighter than the original. (Sorry I didn't wait until the first of April to post this.)