Broken Radius / Radial bone neck

[.RJ]

Friday went OTB and landed elbow first, wasnt improving and got it looked at - cracked radius bone neck. Anyone ever done anything like this? Whats the recovery? I'm hoping I can ride the trainer soon until I'm cleared for outside activity, although right now I cant even hold on to a handlebar.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Galleries/Photo-Randomania/i-hcHPSSh/0/9fdf1685/X3/IMG_0716-X3.jpg

[FlashUNC]

I had a distal humerus fracture, so needed surgery a whole mess of hardware.

Had a couple friends with radius breaks and to a person didn't need surgery, but did need some time off the bike to mend.

[gasman]

It’s non-displaced so that’s good. I assume your seeing a good orthopedic surgeon who hopefully just recommend casting. You don’t want to let it just be , if it doesn’t heal correctly you could have problems with your elbow for a very long time.
Good luck !

[.RJ]

It’s non-displaced so that’s good. I assume your seeing a good orthopedic surgeon who hopefully just recommend casting.

no cast - he said normally they would immobilize for a few days, but in this case since it happened on friday its not worth it.

[John H.]

I had a radial head fracture a few years ago- Non-displaced like yours.
Basically it hurts until it doesn't. 6 Weeks in my case.
With mine- I still had range of motion but my body put the full lockdown on my arm in terms of strength. I could barely lift a cup of coffee with the arm.

I tried to ride- But it would get too painful. Both holding on and moving from position to position.
I would do a few rides in pain- It would hurt so much I would have to take 3-4 days off the bike, repeat, repeat, repeat.
I did start running during that period, so there is that.

[thegunner]

i had this happen after a crash a few years ago 2-3 weeks before my doctor said i could use the trainer, but not to ride outside for 8 weeks. pretty spot on estimate.

[John H.]

I think trainer is possible- But you would want a shelf or platform or something for that arm.

[old_fat_and_slow]

Time to embrace your inner runner and dust off those old Converse high tops or PF Flyers, whatever yah got in the closet.

[.RJ]

I did start running during that period, so there is that.

How was that? I did the same when I broke my collarbone 8 years ago, and, while painful, the doc said i wasnt going to hurt it.

I hope I'm not off the bike for 8 weeks :( I have a trip planned to vermont for 3 weeks, leaving 5 weeks from now.

[robt57]

My Tib/fib femur fracture was from the to end in the knee out to the side. You look to have done a more complete job displacement wise. Mine stayed put with out displacing luckily. But I also had several in the fibula. Also non displaced.

This i when I learned fractures are fractures, and no less pain or healing time with non displaced. The most pain I have had in my life of many fractures I can say.

Heal well, that is a doozie! Good luck with your new body barometer...

Agree pain window needing MEDS 3-6 weeks conceivably.

I

[robt57]

This is gross but important.

If you are going to be eating OXY like juju bees, get ahead of the digestive coma your system is going to go into with stool softeners. Unless you want an impacted bowel to distract from the pain, Not recommended.

That is maybe the best advice you will get recovering....

[.RJ]

This is gross but important.

If you are going to be eating OXY like juju bees, get ahead of the digestive coma your system is going to go into with stool softeners. .

I've been through a couple of surgeries so I know that routine fairly well.

It seems the backlash against opiates has swung the pendulum too far the other way and the ortho's office wouldnt give me anything, with the advice of "take tylenol with your advil". Ok, then. I'm f'ing miserable but I guess it will pass.

[robt57]

I think the tried and true 3x ibuprofen with 2x tylenol strategy not exceeding the max daily doses of either is a good one.

And no stalled digestive, or not nearly as much so. Not to mention the haze zombie effect of the longer term OXY consumption.

When I went to 800mg 3x day Ibuprofen on the knee 3 weeks in, I felt the pain more granted. But the rest was so much better feeling human again and all.

The OXY only works better for 2hr of the 4hr dose cycle anyway, at least for me.

[Toeclips]

Looks like an ice pack and tylenol until bone fuses completely, maybe 6 weeks to fuse

If it doesn't fuse then it may keep breaking especially if you jump off curbs and ride over broken pavement at speed

Hope you heal soon

[John H.]

Running was fine for me- Might have helped with some endorphins.

You could very well be off the bike for that long. I recall it did hurt to ride.


How was that? I did the same when I broke my collarbone 8 years ago, and, while painful, the doc said i wasnt going to hurt it.

I hope I'm not off the bike for 8 weeks :( I have a trip planned to vermont for 3 weeks, leaving 5 weeks from now.

[gasman]

no cast - he said normally they would immobilize for a few days, but in this case since it happened on friday its not worth it.

Glad to hear it.

Yes the pendulum has swung too far in terms of narcotic prescriptions.

[ghammer]

I had a similar fracture a few years ago at a bike race. Broke my elbow at the head of the radius, clean fracture, no cast, just a sling for a few days. I wish i could tell you more about the fracture itself, but what was made worse is i had a severe contusion of the pelvis (which i broke before - at a race too) and significant loss of skin. Yes, the broken elbow hurt, but i couldn't walk straight for a week, or barely walk at all. I was given percocet, and i found it helped with my busted hip. The elbow healed quickly, and as soon as i could walk without a hobble and the pelvis could support my weight on the bike, i was riding again. In total, 2-2 1/5 weeks off the bike, but it was quite necessary. I ditched the percs once my hip was no longer in agony, but i'm thankful for them. the problem with percocet is it screws up with your head in ways you can't notice till you see the emails you wrote at the time or hear yourself talk while under the influence. it's a horrible drug, i hated it, it should not be abused the way it is in the US. Anyway, obey the doctor's order, because if you crash or have to compensate by sitting funny or pulling the other arm more, you'd do a number on your tendons/back, etc. Take the time, come back fresh and ready.

[.RJ]

Anyway, obey the doctor's order, because if you crash or have to compensate by sitting funny or pulling the other arm more, you'd do a number on your tendons/back, etc. Take the time, come back fresh and ready.

So far just long walks with my camera in the afternoons. I figure maybe this weekend try some zwift if I can hold my hand on the handlebar at all.... frustrating when I was cranking out 5-6 hour rides every weekend until this. Oh well.

[.RJ]

I'm about 4+ weeks out from the injury and things are moving along. I started riding again over the weekend, just short (1-1.5 hr) road rides at the moment - some discomfort but manageable - its just a slow, slow, slow recovery as things heal. I dont know why I thought a broken bone would heal in 4 weeks but I guess I'm getting old @ 40.

I had an appointment with a PT doc and it seems like most of the motion/exercises I'm supposed to do, I'm already doing in day to day activity.

[Toeclips]

Nothing like the inner strength of a cyclist
Good luck with your recovery

[.RJ]

I've been having some issues in my recovery, now nearly 4 months post crash... ortho initially suspected a soft tissue or tendon issue, but the MRI cleared those out but possibly showed the fracture has not really healed, report says "fracture deformity".

Followed up with the ortho today and next step is a CT scan - has anyone dealt with something similar, i.e. a bone that didnt heal?

[KJMUNC]

I've been having some issues in my recovery, now nearly 4 months post crash... ortho initially suspected a soft tissue or tendon issue, but the MRI cleared those out but possibly showed the fracture has not really healed, report says "fracture deformity".

Followed up with the ortho today and next step is a CT scan - has anyone dealt with something similar, i.e. a bone that didnt heal?

I had very similar fracture 2yrs ago (aged 42, dog ran into my front wheel) and put it in a sling vs. cast, against doc's recommendations (I broke it 48hrs before a 3 week trip to SE asia in the heat of summer and I was not about to deal with a cast in that weather.) In hindsight that was a really dumb decision.

Doc eventually cleared me as "healed" after 12 weeks (it was slow to heal and probably b/c I used it too much while traveling - including a 20mi MTB ride in Vietnam and several days on a beach cruiser with 1-hand), but it still hurt and I had limited range of motion. I didn't get completely pain free for almost a year....for months I had less than ideal range of motion and had pain any time I was twisting/torquing anything (taking a bottle cap off, turning a door handle). I had to consciously avoid using that arm for anything that required twisting and definitely avoided lifting anything heavy.

I know that's not a great answer, but that was my experience. If I'd have listed to the doc and done nothing for 12 weeks it likely would've been fine, but I kept pushing it and wanted to get back on the bike.

[.RJ]

I know that's not a great answer, but that was my experience. If I'd have listed to the doc and done nothing for 12 weeks it likely would've been fine, but I kept pushing it and wanted to get back on the bike.

Did it eventually heal on its own?

[bigbill]

I crashed in a criterium in 1993 and had a similar fracture. Since I had so much road rash and the fracture wasn't displaced, my bandaged arm was in a sling for three weeks. It bugged me for about two years, when I would ride, I would have to change hand positions frequently or I'd get a dull ache. It eventually faded.

I'm a reformed submariner, in 1997, I broke a bone in my hand and the corpsman did the best he could without an xray. It was not quite straight when it healed, but by the time we returned to port three months later, it was not worth a re-break.