Clavicle Surgery Recovery

[Onion]

Greetings Comrades

First PL thread. I went over the bars about two weeks and half weeks ago while racing and broke my clavicle. Pretty typical. Had surgery and a few plates and screws put in about 10 days ago. I've been on the trainer for the last 8 days just spinning the legs out; nothing too stressful. I'll start ramping up once i can sustain being on the hoods for longer periods. Just ordered a wahoo kickr core to replace my 13-year old cyclops fluid 2.

Posting up to solicit any good tips or exercises for returning form in good time, including core work, or ways to avoid discomfort while running, etc. Any good collarbone stories welcome. As I'll be sitting in once place for the next 6-8 weeks.

Cheers!

[FlashUNC]

Not a collarbone, but detonated my humerus to bits back in 2012. Still have all the hardware in.

For exercises, I'd listen to the PTs to first ensure you're getting all the range of motion back with no lingering shoulder or other issues. I found with my elbow getting back on the bike 6-ish weeks after surgery I was compensating in all sorts of ways that led to hip, knee and ankle tweaks over the following months.

Mostly just take the time to let the body heal and focus on recovery.

Now for the weird story: Post surgery I began sleeping with my busted arm over my head. Still do it to this day and no idea why it subconsciously started, but will wake up a couple times a week with the arm resting over my head against the wall, totally asleep.

[msl819]

Broke mine on a ride in Nov. of 2017. Good news is two months and it was “healed”. Bad news is was close to a year before all of the pain and discomfort went away. I did not have surgery so YMMV. Only advice I would give is expect it to take longer than shorter. I was mostly pain free in normal day to day but riding the hoods or drops put weight on and extended the shoulder in ways that was painful and uncomfortable. Psychologically, getting back on was pretty easy. I also was not racing. Fitness took about 500 miles to come back to normal form but I was not on a Kickr at the time.

[msl819]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Not a collarbone, but detonated my humerus to bits back in 2012. Still have all the hardware in.

For exercises, I'd listen to the PTs to first ensure you're getting all the range of motion back with no lingering shoulder or other issues. I found with my elbow getting back on the bike 6-ish weeks after surgery I was compensating in all sorts of ways that led to hip, knee and ankle tweaks over the following months.

Mostly just take the time to let the body heal and focus on recovery.

Now for the weird story: Post surgery I began sleeping with my busted arm over my head. Still do it to this day and no idea why it subconsciously started, but will wake up a couple times a week with the arm resting over my head against the wall, totally asleep.

Three days after my break I woke up in the middle of the night with my arm above my head too. It was not fun getting it back down!

[tctyres]

First, sorry this happened. I hope you make a full and speedy recovery.

My biggest advice is: Do the physical therapy religiously. Your arm and shoulder are much weaker than you think they are.

My second piece of advice is: Find a good physical therapist and trust him/her.

I broke my clavicle in summer 2017. It was in place but slightly folded back toward my back, so I didn't have surgery. The doctor took me off the bike for a solid 10 weeks, but said I could use the trainer. I recommend finding a multi week trainer program and following it. There are plenty of FTP builders etc out there now. I only have a mag trainer, but I did this by following time, power, and my garmin: https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/hunters-challenge

My doctor had me avoid running for a few weeks (I want to say 6). The arm motion in running rotates the clavicle and can tweak it. Plenty of people run with a broken clavicle, but if you're not getting paid (like a pro triathlete), talk to your doctor or physical therapist before doing it. There's no reason to delay healing or re-injure your shoulder area.

Other than that, you could work through the Tommy Danielson core workout book, but avoid putting a lot of body weight on that arm. Again, talk to your PT about it.

Edit: BTW, after sitting on the trainer for most of the summer, I came back in great form --- as strong as I had ever been to that point. You'll be fine.

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by msl819

Three days after my break I woke up in the middle of the night with my arm above my head too. It was not fun getting it back down!

I remember those first days after my injury. I was covered in road rash and trying to get shirts on and off without extending my arm above my head or putting weight on it ... Aaaaggh.. not fun.

[msl819]

Originally Posted by tctyres

I remember those first days after my injury. I was covered in road rash and trying to get shirts on and off without extending my arm above my head or putting weight on it ... Aaaaggh.. not fun.

Getting a shirt on and off were TERRIBLE!

[mmfs]

Do PT as much as possible and for a longer overall duration than you think you need.

Get your arm out of that sling as much as possible. I realized that a lot on my long recovery after my surgery was due to my arm being immobilized in a sling for so long.

[msl819]

Originally Posted by mmfs

Do PT as much as possible and for a longer overall duration than you think you need.

Get your arm out of that sling as much as possible. I realized that a lot on my long recovery after my surgery was due to my arm being immobilized in a sling for so long.

My ortho told me to keep a sling on for the purpose of reminding people of the injury in public but want me to move the shoulders as much as possible and could be tolerated ASAP.

[papa bless]

I broke my collarbone a few years back in a “high velocity” mountain bike crash. Like you, I got a plate and some screws to connect it back together. I have to admit, I felt instant relief after the surgery. My bones were not floating around any longer, and I could dangle my arm without severe pain.

My one piece of advice is to take longer than you think you need to heal. Right now, your hardware is structurally supporting everything, so you’re probably going to feel back to normal in a month or two. But it takes time for your clavicle to grow and heal around your plates and screws. Just because you can start using your arm again in a month doesn’t mean you’re good to go. That plate is giving you the majority of your strength.

If the doc gives you the option to have your hardware removed in 6 months, I would take it. I regretfully left mine in, and to this day my seatbelt still irritates me, I get pain whenever I do push-ups or lift things heavily, and I’m still very aware that there’s a titanium plate next to my neck.

[Johnny P]

I broke mine in 2017. Had surgery on 4/25. It took till 7/16 before I was back riding outside. Do the PT. It helps. My range of motion is very close to what it was before my accident, but it took a long time to get there.

[jpritchet74]

I had collarbone surgery a few years ago - recovery sucks because it takes a while. Definitely do the PT stuff - keep things moving as pain allows - just don't keep your arm strapped to your side or your shoulder will freeze up.

Good luck and learn to love being on the trainer for a few weeks!

[Pastashop]

What the others said. PT is critical for regaining ROM, or you’ll end up with a frozen shoulder. Lots of vitamins, eat more than you think you should to support repair and focus on non-inflammatory foods (fewer carbs), and stay off the NSAIDs. And try to get lots of sleep — for me it was the most difficult aspect. Best of luck with recovery!

[Onion]

Thanks all. Very helpful advice (and empathy). Back in 2011 I fractured my humerous twice in 6 months, both in crashes. The second time bent the hardware i had already installed. Had to have it removed and another plate put back in. That arm has never been the same since.

This time the doc didn't even have me in a sling after the surgery, but i think the advice to take the time to heal and recovery is the most important and hardest to abide by.

[Ozz]

Broken clavicle story:

I broke my tibia, fibula and clavicle all at the same time in college (soccer, getting hit by keeper thru the legs and landing on my shoulder on old school "astroturf"). Leg had a nice angle right in the middle of my shin...45 degrees and foot flopped over...not compound thank goodness.

I didn't even know about my clavicle until I was getting checked out in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Turns out it was an oblique fracture and required an open reduction to insert a 5" long steel pin to hold it together....I spent a week in the hospital (who does that anymore?) before getting sent back to school.

Couldn't use crutches cuz of the shoulder, so I was in a wheelchair...in November & December...in Spokane. Nice I had buddies to push me thru the snow...

A few weeks later, the pin backs out the bone and pokes thru the skin...there is the metal right there. Went to the doctor and he said that it had knit enough and he could pull out the pin. He pulled out a pair of vice-grips and said: "Take a deep breath and turn your head."

Ouch! He pulled it straight out....put me on Keflex and sent me home...

All good and still have some nice scars on my shoulder.....good times.