# Separated A/C joint



## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

I fall a lot and have been real lucky many times...not so much today. 15' kicker that I've been repeatedly hitting the knuckle on had me convinced that I just needed more speed. Well, I gave it plenty of speed today...but forgot to stay vertical. Eyewitness accounts say that somehow I managed to go horizontal in the air (yeah...parallel to the ground...no, not on purpose). Well I cleared the knuckle this time and landed on my shoulder.:thumbsdown: My collar bone is no longer connected to my shoulder joint (but my wristwatch is still connected to the red thing!) and doc says the ligament appears to have been misplaced. Various other aches and pains, but helmet kept my eggs from getting scrambled. Now recovery....meh. And it had been such an awesome day up to that point! I am having fun, though, saying, "Hump? What hump?" :laugh:


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## Enigmatic (Feb 6, 2009)

damn, something similar but not as gnarly happened to me 2 weeks ago...same deal with hitting something too fast and somehow getting horizontal....so whack, I still gotta go get an MRI and see if anything bad happened, doesn't seem to be too bad tho...

good luck with the recovery, get that physical therapy in


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## vanner (Mar 30, 2010)

hey guys, i feel your pain. i separated my ac two weeks ago...grade 3 separation. was doing a 180, nose caught on landing and swung right shoulder into the ground. no surgery required, but yeah, i got the "hump" as well.


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## outlyr (Dec 20, 2010)

vanner said:


> hey guys, i feel your pain. i separated my ac two weeks ago...grade 3 separation. was doing a 180, nose caught on landing and swung right shoulder into the ground. no surgery required, but yeah, i got the "hump" as well.


So it's been two weeks, how's your recovery going? I suffered a slight separation on 1/5 after hitting a small jump, landing on my toes and drifting into a handrail support. I swore I either broke my clavicle/shoulder or torn my rotator cuff. Luckily it was just a mild separation. I recovered sufficiently to head back out two weeks later. I was out yesturday and after a great day, good conditions, bindings finally dialed in and very few minor falls, I got sloppy and tried to get on an arched box from a bad angle, got launched and landed on the same lead/sore shoulder. This time I knew for sure that I broke my clavicle or shoulder. I was wrong again. I simply further separated my already separated shoulder. I'm wondering how long it will be before I can get back out, with the way it feels today I think it's going to be a while.


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## vanner (Mar 30, 2010)

I'm recovering ok...not too much pain (been about 18 days). i can push most of my body weight on the one arm when getting up from a chair. the "bump" is a bit less noticeable, but yeah, i'll be the imperfection forever. i probably need to do a little PT, but I think i can get back on groomers in a 2-4 weeks...if i fall, i'll just be screwed.


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## outlyr (Dec 20, 2010)

vanner said:


> I'm recovering ok...not too much pain (been about 18 days). i can push most of my body weight on the one arm when getting up from a chair. the "bump" is a bit less noticeable, but yeah, i'll be the imperfection forever. i probably need to do a little PT, but I think i can get back on groomers in a 2-4 weeks...if i fall, i'll just be screwed.


Yeah, that long huh? So you're saying the bump will not completely subside. If that's the case that really sucks. My shoulders now look totally different from one another. Have you tried taking glucosamine with chondroitin? They say that's good for the joints. I might try some acupuncture as well as p/t.


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## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

The bump will go down. I separated my A/C joint 20 years ago...and the hump was completely gone by the time I did it again.:laugh:


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## Dano (Sep 16, 2009)

I separated my AC joint Dec 2009. My "step-down or bump" is still here and I still can't bench press the same weight as before without incredible pain. I finished physio last year in Novembe. I'd definitely do physio early, and pick yourself up an AC protector


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## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

Finally got to the orthopedist today. The good news: surgery on the A/C is elective and can be put off for years until it actually starts causing problems, which may never happen. The bad news: may also have torn the ligament in my hip. AND IT KEEPS [email protected]%&ING SNOWING!!!


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## Listheeb21 (Jan 20, 2011)

justdust said:


> I fall a lot and have been real lucky many times...not so much today. 15' kicker that I've been repeatedly hitting the knuckle on had me convinced that I just needed more speed. Well, I gave it plenty of speed today...but forgot to stay vertical. Eyewitness accounts say that somehow I managed to go horizontal in the air (yeah...parallel to the ground...no, not on purpose). Well I cleared the knuckle this time and landed on my shoulder.:thumbsdown: My collar bone is no longer connected to my shoulder joint (but my wristwatch is still connected to the red thing!) and doc says the ligament appears to have been misplaced. Various other aches and pains, but helmet kept my eggs from getting scrambled. Now recovery....meh. And it had been such an awesome day up to that point! I am having fun, though, saying, "Hump? What hump?" :laugh:


Love the Dr. Nick reference! I was much more fortunate than you. Last time I did that (at Stowe) I landed square on my lower back and ended up with bad spasms but otherwise no worse for wear. That was also the last day I rode without a helmet. Hope you have a speedy recovery and are back on the hill catching freshies in no time...


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## Cobra (Jan 26, 2011)

Out of curiosity, say you end up in a bad orientation while in the air, any quick-thinking maneuvers out there that can help recover a bit or at least land safer?


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## outlyr (Dec 20, 2010)

Dano said:


> I'd definitely do physio early, and pick yourself up an AC protector


What does an AC protector consist of and where can I get one?


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## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

Physical therapy started today...carving on groomers!!!:laugh: Gained 5 pounds since my crash and developed a bitch of a knot under my shoulder blade from compensating so I said screw it and hit the hill to shake things loose. Took it easy...no jumping, no boxes, no aggressive runs....but getting out there did my head a world of good. Hip was a little sketchy when squatting to strap in, but held up fine when I was upright, even switch. Jealous as hell though, watching my son do some nice shifties in the beginner park.


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## outlyr (Dec 20, 2010)

I hear yah, I'm fixin to get back out sometime this week. The shoulder is still a bit sore and the bump/stepdown is still obvious but I think I'll be fine if I take it easy and stay out of the park. I didn't follow through on the P/T that my Doc recommended, however I did lift light weight as soon as the shoulder permitted. I'm actually quite surprised that it feels as well as it does considering it's only been two weeks.


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

I seperated my AC a few years ago...it was a grade 3 but doc said I should forgo surgery because if it was repaired and I did it again it could cause more damage. I've re seperated it several times since, the most recent doing something very similar to the OP story last feb.


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## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

Fun fact learned at physical therapy this week: you have one tendon on the end of your collar bone, attaching it to your shoulder joint and three tendons underneath your collar bone that hold it down. You do. I don't (anymore). :laugh:


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## outlyr (Dec 20, 2010)

justdust said:


> Fun fact learned at physical therapy this week: you have one tendon on the end of your collar bone, attaching it to your shoulder joint and three tendons underneath your collar bone that hold it down. You do. I don't (anymore). :laugh:


So what's the extent of your injury; how many tendons did you tear? I guess they would have to do an MRI to find that out. I was only x-raid, they said in the report that it was a low-grade a/c separation with a mild, 5mm elevation of the clavicle, it still hurt like hell. So you only lost two weeks to the injury? That's not bad, same for me.


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## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

I have a third degree separation...I'm told all four of the tendons are torn...apparently they can tell from the x-ray, due to how far the bone is displaced. It is an interesting injury...my collar bone and shoulder have not hurt that much after the first couple of weeks...but I'm still getting knots and muscle spasms in my back an neck from compensating. Luckily, you can still snowboard with a bum shoulder...just don't fall!:thumbsup:


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

justdust said:


> I have a third degree separation...I'm told all four of the tendons are torn...apparently they can tell from the x-ray, due to how far the bone is displaced. It is an interesting injury...my collar bone and shoulder have not hurt that much after the first couple of weeks...but I'm still getting knots and muscle spasms in my back an neck from compensating. Luckily, you can still snowboard with a bum shoulder...just don't fall!:thumbsup:


I've re-injured my shoulder like 7-8 times...twice I've re-seperated my shoulder, tearing the 4 tendons. But on the plus side, at least you can't seperate the joint again...unless you get reconstructive surgery.


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## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

Does it hurt less when you re-injure it if you have not had the surgery to reconnect it?


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

justdust said:


> Does it hurt less when you re-injure it if you have not had the surgery to reconnect it?


Depends on how bad it's injured. I did it playing flag football and had only mild pain and lost a little range of motion, so that time wasn't severe and it took a few weeks to heal. But the last time I seperated it was in Jan 2010 and it was pretty bad, almost as much pain as the first time I did it. I got to the lodge and had to fight to stop from passing out. I ended up tearing all the tendons and was in a sling for a few weeks. But it healed fast and I was snowboarding within 3 weeks.


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## justdust (Jan 27, 2009)

Extremo said:


> But it healed fast and I was snowboarding within 3 weeks.


 :thumbsup:

funny...the first time I did mine was flag football too...25 years ago. Gave up that crazy dangerous shit for good!:laugh:


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