broken elbow club

[joe.e]

Originally Posted by stien

Yay! Join together, olecranon fracture brotheren!

I went down some 3, 4 years ago and broke mine clean off. Tricep pulled it away, and I had to ride home over the GW bridge into NYC.

Mine was pinned back together but the pins were too long. PT wasn't yielding any results and when I went back in for a re-eval (some three weeks later) the doctor took me into surgery that day to remove the pins. He manipulated my arm while I was under so I woke up with full ROM and minimal pain.

Don't take the drugs, trust me.

Surprisingly, my wife, then girlfriend let me captain a tandem we purchased while I had a healing arm.

I'm now getting back into upper body fitness. Can do pullups, pushups, etc without any problems. Just slight pain once in a while. I was off the bike for a few months but nothing could hold me back!

xray by Alex Franks, on Flickr

you're a badder dude than me. when I got up and had the zombie arm all I could do was rage at the world.

I've been doing my stretches/ massage as prescribed, and I guess the dr wasn't kidding when he said I should have full rom. I'm about 2 degrees shy on extension ( no muscle, just gravity), and maybe 5-8 off on flexation (opposite hand pushing lightly). not bad for 2 days post cast.

[joe.e]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

That's gonna leave a gnarly scar. Well done.

When do you go back in for a follow-up?

they want me doin my own thing (because I'm young and motivated, apparently?) until July 1. That should be the all clear for weight bearing movements/exercises and riding outside (eight weeks post surgery).

Although the pt seems to be going fine at home, I put in a request to see a physical therapist. I don't trust myself not to overdo it, and also, ***, you're just kicking me to the curb after throwing a box of screws in my arm?

[stien]

Originally Posted by joe.e

you're a badder dude than me. when I got up and had the zombie arm all I could do was rage at the world.

I've been doing my stretches/ massage as prescribed, and I guess the dr wasn't kidding when he said I should have full rom. I'm about 2 degrees shy on extension ( no muscle, just gravity), and maybe 5-8 off on flexation (opposite hand pushing lightly). not bad for 2 days post cast.

Well I may have left out the parts I don't remember. Recall how I said don't take the drugs they give you? I did.

Late night internet purchases that were forgotten all too soon, not being able to pee but wanting to...glorious. I got some sunglasses out of the deal a few weeks later from dealextreme. Terrible quality.

Sounds like you're doing well. My joint still feels all gritty and pops a bunch years later. I'm glad to have it working but not super optimistic about not having to get it worked on again down the road (like 30 years). 10-15 years ago we'd have been gimps forever, so we have that going for us.

[ripvanrando]

I broke my left radial head 200 km into a 600 km Brevet a few decades ago, so, I had to make due with the big ring as much as possible.

No pins.

I did not go to the Doctor for a few weeks. He yelled at me and said it had already partially healed. It still bothers me especially when cold out.

No brain, no pain

[FlashUNC]

Morphine was the best.

[miguel]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Morphine was the best.

my mom, wife, and riding buddy (dressed in his hospital greens) were in the room when i rode that cloud. im not sure it was morphine? but whatever it was they said my eyes went wide and i kind of went out.

[joe.e]

today was the first time I've been able to touch my left shoulder with my left hand in over a month.

[joe.e]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Morphine was the best.

When I woke up the nurse asked how I felt, and I (stupidly) said that I felt like a guy who just got a bunch of metal in his arm. She said she'd take care of it and then (a mystery amount of time later) as I was getting dressed none of my road rash hurt and I knew I was in trouble.

Man, the come down (not to mention the lost time) from whatever she gave me was rough.

[GScot]

Originally Posted by joe.e

today was the first time I've been able to touch my left shoulder with my left hand in over a month.

Cool. I hope to do that some day. Still putting around 2 hours a day in static therapy plus weights and about a 100 throws with a baseball or softball a few times a week. The upside is it only hurts when I overdo it and I'm probably as strong as ever. Downside is range of motion is slow to return and I still can't throw three strikes in a row.

On the cycling side of things the downer is my position change makes my 585 just not quite right, when I shorten the reach and raise the bars to work it just doesn't handle right. Good news is the Black Mountain Cycles cross frame I got with my new position in mind fits great rides great and every ride post injury is extra good.

[jzinckgra]

New member to the club. Paceline crash last night. Rocks in road ahead, called out by leader caused some maneuvering of the riders in front, then nasty crosswind pushed my buddy's rear wheel into my front and down I went, plus two riders behind me. We were in the middle. Wish I had been directly behind his wheel like usual, but some of us were trying to get some buffeting from the wind and were slightly offset and behind on the right side, but with adequate distance I thought, but then things happened fast.

Anyway, I'm seeing surgeon tomorrow. Looks like just the olecranon bone is broken. I have some questions:

1. online sites say that immediately after surgery they have you testing range of motion. Is this true or do they put you in a cast for awhile? I have temp cast from ER and I'm already tired of it.
2. I'm a rider and weight lifter. Obviously weights on the bad arm will have to wait how many months? Should I still go to gym to work the good arm/shoulder?
3. most importantly, how long off the bike? Can I at least ride my zwift trainer, even if I can't rest arms on the hoods?

In last 5 yrs, two seasons have been interrupted by hernia surgeries and now this. It could have been worse, so I won't complain too much, but damn, this stinks.

[ripvanrando]

The way I approach the surgeons or Doctors is to say something like, you know someone like me isn't going to be able to stop exercising. I have to at least ride the trainer. Should be ok, right? See what the Doc says. I recently am recovering from a bad ankle sprain, Doc told me I should be in a boot but knows I won't wear it, so, he put me into a soft velco support thingie so I could ride. I promised only to ride the trainer. I lied. I healed anyway.

Two years ago, I completely ripped off my olecranon bursa on the same elbow I broke 30 years ago in a crash. It took many drainings and strong antibiotics to cure the bone infection but I still rode.

You will probably have the elbow immobilized in a sling, so, the good arm will need to control the bars and shifting on the trainer. When my elbow was broken, it only took maybe 3 weeks before I could ride without much problems. I rode but really would not recommend it. Do the trainer. I suspect you will heal faster riding the trainer than lying around watching the tube.

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by jzinckgra

New member to the club. Paceline crash last night. Rocks in road ahead, called out by leader caused some maneuvering of the riders in front, then nasty crosswind pushed my buddy's rear wheel into my front and down I went, plus two riders behind me. We were in the middle. Wish I had been directly behind his wheel like usual, but some of us were trying to get some buffeting from the wind and were slightly offset and behind on the right side, but with adequate distance I thought, but then things happened fast.

Anyway, I'm seeing surgeon tomorrow. Looks like just the olecranon bone is broken. I have some questions:

1. online sites say that immediately after surgery they have you testing range of motion. Is this true or do they put you in a cast for awhile? I have temp cast from ER and I'm already tired of it.
2. I'm a rider and weight lifter. Obviously weights on the bad arm will have to wait how many months? Should I still go to gym to work the good arm/shoulder?
3. most importantly, how long off the bike? Can I at least ride my zwift trainer, even if I can't rest arms on the hoods?

In last 5 yrs, two seasons have been interrupted by hernia surgeries and now this. It could have been worse, so I won't complain too much, but damn, this stinks.

Mine was a distal humerus fracture, but no cast. Testing range of motion on the table before they even woke me up. PT started a week after with supported ROM work. No weight bearing for 4 weeks, but was cleared to ride after 6, both outdoors and trainer. Couldn't buckle my helmet with the ROM at the time, but I could go ride.

Honestly, just follow the PT and give your arm time to heal. My fitness was so obliterated from the surgical recovery anyways that it's not like I was hopping back on the bike to hammer away anyways.

[jzinckgra]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Mine was a distal humerus fracture, but no cast. Testing range of motion on the table before they even woke me up. PT started a week after with supported ROM work. No weight bearing for 4 weeks, but was cleared to ride after 6, both outdoors and trainer. Couldn't buckle my helmet with the ROM at the time, but I could go ride.

Honestly, just follow the PT and give your arm time to heal. My fitness was so obliterated from the surgical recovery anyways that it's not like I was hopping back on the bike to hammer away anyways.

thanks. maybe i'll start doing some light/mod hiking which wife and I do more in the Fall. Or stair stepper at gym. just want to maintain as much cardio as possible.