# First Post- Collar Bone Fracture



## ChaBarrett (Jan 27, 2012)

First all this is my first post, would like to share my collar bone fracture!


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I know a kid who did this recently....Andy?...


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## ChaBarrett (Jan 27, 2012)

Nah, sorry my name is Chris.


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## mtl20 (Feb 8, 2012)

haha just broke mine, did you need surgury?


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## photobetty (Jan 8, 2012)

Ouch. Both my husband and brother-in-law had this same injury. One from snowboarding, one from mountain biking. Hope yours heals quickly. Take it easy, and don't skip those physical therapy exercises!


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## Junglizste (Mar 5, 2012)

whoa. that's a good one. here's mine from last year... i ride goofy.


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## ChaBarrett (Jan 27, 2012)

Nice! how is recovery? I had to get surgery with a titanium rod and 5 screws. 3 weeks post surgery and it is amazing how I feel.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

ChaBarrett said:


> ... would like to share my collar bone fracture!


No thanks, I'm good.


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## Junglizste (Mar 5, 2012)

ChaBarrett said:


> Nice! how is recovery? I had to get surgery with a titanium rod and 5 screws. 3 weeks post surgery and it is amazing how I feel.


Your's looks like it needed surgery. They try and avoid surgery, but it's a much easier recovery. If it's a clean break they put you in a sling for 6 weeks. for the first week or so it fucking kills to take it out of the sling. after two weeks you can take it out but not do much with it and it feels weird so you want to put it back in. sleeping is a bitch for the first month. the first few weeks you have to sleep on your back and if you move at all you wake up immediately in pain. after that you'll accidently roll over and it sucks. it gradually gets better... after 6 weeks you're driving again. after 4 months you're doing push ups, but you still don't have range of motion. 6 months and it's good as new.


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## mtl20 (Feb 8, 2012)

Junglizste said:


> Your's looks like it needed surgery. They try and avoid surgery, but it's a much easier recovery. If it's a clean break they put you in a sling for 6 weeks. for the first week or so it fucking kills to take it out of the sling. after two weeks you can take it out but not do much with it and it feels weird so you want to put it back in. sleeping is a bitch for the first month. the first few weeks you have to sleep on your back and if you move at all you wake up immediately in pain. after that you'll accidently roll over and it sucks. it gradually gets better... after 6 weeks you're driving again. after 4 months you're doing push ups, but you still don't have range of motion. 6 months and it's good as new.


you just described my last 4 weeks. My break was a toss up between surgury or not, ended up leaving it heel on its own.But i hope your kidding with 4 month until you do push up, i play a lot of basketball in the summer that would suck a lot.


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## Junglizste (Mar 5, 2012)

I'm 30, so if you're young you might heal a little faster, maybe not. I've always healed really fast and my ortho guy said I was ahead of schedual everytime I went. At 2 months I couldn't pick up anything over a few pounds without it feeling totally wrong. I could have done a push-up at 3 months but I could feel where the break was when I put a lot of pressure on it, so I didn't do that. At 4 months I was at full strength on it but I didn't get full range of motion until 6 months.


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## Hammer31 (Mar 3, 2012)

Mine took 6 months to heal OVER each end and then a year for a real dr to go in and cut the healed end and refuse the bone with a plate and 5 screws.


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## Hammer31 (Mar 3, 2012)

If the 2 ends dont see each other they will just heal over and you will never heal. 
The collar bone is there to protect the thurasic cage, without it healed correctly you risk a fall on that shoulder that could do some very deadly damage.

TAKE IT EASY!!!!!!! LIFT NOTHING AND DO NOTHING FOR A FEW WEEKS! Or you will be in my shoes of 2 years to heal and serious nerve and muscle damage from surgery!


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## mtl20 (Feb 8, 2012)

i just went for a x-ray last week and we could see between the 2 end some bone forming, so that good news. Im supposed to ditch the figure of 8 sling next week, not sure if i should. Its beens almost 5 week for me now.


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## Hammer31 (Mar 3, 2012)

The first couple weeks is when the bone forms a fiber between the bones and the next 4 weeks are that fiber hardening to a bone so take your time, if you have growth between that means they see each other and your healing good job. The longer the break site, like splintering breaks take alot longer.


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## East§ide (Mar 14, 2011)

mine from this year...only waited 3 1/2 weeks to ride again ;-)


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## Hammer31 (Mar 3, 2012)

Thats about the best looking xray one could hope for in a collar bone, simple fracture.


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## East§ide (Mar 14, 2011)

yep, snapped like a wishbone but was totally clean and in line...i have a gnarly bump in my bone now but otherwise its just a little tender still, but ive ridden 6 times so far with it broken. only downside to it being a clean break is that theres nothing they can do to make it heal any faster


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## Hammer31 (Mar 3, 2012)

Mine was broken when i got flipped upside down and the quad landed on me head first into the ground, the rim of my helmet actually is what crushed the bone.


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## poboxusa (Mar 9, 2012)

*My Collar Bone fracture and experience.*

I also had a broken collar bone and found out what it takes to heal faster the hard way. I would recommend getting the Exogen ultrasound healing system either trough your insurance or lightly used - I still have mine if anyone needs it. I shared my experience in my blog where you can find some very helpful practical tips on what to do what not to do and how to manage the doctors. Don't worry about frozen shoulder - it will recover after the bone is well healed. Read on for more:

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=124626677590933749#editor/target=post;postID=111689760180692758


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## Hammer31 (Mar 3, 2012)

I have the same exact machine!


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## mtl20 (Feb 8, 2012)

that thing is way too expensive to justify buying it


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## Hammer31 (Mar 3, 2012)

Sit around for 2 years while everyone around you gets faster and see if its not lol
I was building my Ortho Dr.s 6 million dollar shore house at the time so he handled getting me one. If i remember it was around $4000.


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## poboxusa (Mar 9, 2012)

True that, unless your insurance is paying you don't want to pay $4,000, but for $250-$300 it is a bargain given the time and grieve it will save you. Especially in more complicated cases. The thing is after only one use, there is still battery for at least 3 more people to use it.


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## Hammer31 (Mar 3, 2012)

The machine healed mine and 2 other friends collar bones so far lol
Got a muscle spasm works great!


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## mtl20 (Feb 8, 2012)

should i get this one Smith & Nephew Exogen 4000+ bone healing system - Ville de Montréal objets de santé à vendre - Kijiji Ville de Montréal


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## poboxusa (Mar 9, 2012)

That is the real deal - it is the same as mine and I can see the plastic cap of the clavicle attachment in the picture which is critical for you. If it doesn't work out I can always sell you mine either directly or after listing it on ebay under a different name - like I said they won't allow non-medical professionals list it on their site or I would have done it.


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## mtl20 (Feb 8, 2012)

problem is, i keep reading study showing it doesnt really improve the healing, so im not sure i want to blow money for nothing.


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## poboxusa (Mar 9, 2012)

I am sure it helped me - go read my story on my blog. But you are right, my experience is an anecdotal evidence. But on the other hand this is the only FDA approved device and the only one insurance companies pay for. They are not known for their generosity and paying for things that are experimental or questionable. Also I know that professional athletes use number of therapies including this one which is why they recover so much faster than us common folk.


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## Hammer31 (Mar 3, 2012)

It heats up the site which in turns increases blood flow. Bloodflow brings along the things that fix it. Its no magic tool by no means but it does help.


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## mtl20 (Feb 8, 2012)

alright i just ditch the sling, i have an appointment next week for an x-ray to make sure everything is fine. But meanwhile i was looking for some exercise to recover quickly, any suggestion? Is it really worth to pay for PT or i will be fine by myself?
thanks.


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## Junglizste (Mar 5, 2012)

mtl20 said:


> alright i just ditch the sling, i have an appointment next week for an x-ray to make sure everything is fine. But meanwhile i was looking for some exercise to recover quickly, any suggestion? Is it really worth to pay for PT or i will be fine by myself?
> thanks.


Pt isn't worth it. Just stretch as much as you can. Get some light 5-20 pound weights and do exercises at different angles. If it hurts, don't do it.


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## poboxusa (Mar 9, 2012)

I agree - PT is waste of time and money. Just don't do the mistake I did and start before they verify your bone has calcified. If they don't see enough calcium it is not ready for PT yet or it may get re-broken and really mess up your recovery. Find the five exercises you have to do on the internet and listen to your body. Increase the pressure gradually. In a week already you will see lots of progress.


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## mtl20 (Feb 8, 2012)

i have been doing some stretching and stuff, but i think i will lay back until wednesday for the x-ray, thank guys.


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