Broken shoulders!

[John1054]

Having looked at your x-ray and your slow recovery, I'm so pleased that I could opt for no surgery. Good luck for getting better as quickly as possible.

[Samuel D]

Yeah, shoulder surgery is no joke. I broke my femur years ago but that was easy compared to this because it healed by itself (six weeks on crutches, no cast). This has been traumatic enough already, and at some point in the future (1–2 years) I’ll need another operation to remove the hardware followed by more healing and physio. And after all of that I get the bonus of an increased risk of arthritis in that shoulder.

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. It doesn’t like injury, surgery, or enforced immobility. My strong suggestion to others is to break someplace else!

All the best to everyone afflicted.

[gbnz]

Anyone have real life experience of recovery time for a broken shoulder? Came off the bikel

Anyone have real life experience of a broken collar bone! Have to admit personally I'm struggling with this one

Came off the bike last Wednesday, break a fairly straightforward broken collar bone, nothing complex anticipated at present, though brain was a bit scrambled for a few days! (NB. I was asked, were you wearing a hel........ )

Can't quite believe it, given end of last summers broken shoulder was my first "bone", but really would appreciate anyone with experience giving me a bit of an idea (Nb. NHS could best be described as indifferent, other than completing a patching process & a half hearted bandage!). But whilst I appreciate I'll need to be sensible and be off the bike for some time, I'd really appreciate some hope

[rjb]

I had to have my collarbone repaired. Surgeon let me back on the bike after 6 weeks but told me to be very careful as an off could shatter what was left. After 6 months they removed the titanium plate to reduce the risk of the collarbone shattering.
Tip from radiographer was to photograph the x ray when it was displayed by the surgeon.

[gbnz]

I had to have my collarbone repaired. Surgeon let me back on the bike after 6 weeks but told me to be very careful g]

rjb, my many thanks, I'm honestly greatful! Looks like yours may have been much worse than mine, which at least from my perspective is a bonus

Unusually I'll be playing it safe this time, but knowing that you've actually had a surgeon saying you could be on the bike after 6 weeks sounds fantastic

[simonhill]

I broke my shoulder** some years ago in the wilds of Lao. Didn't realise it was a break and continued travelling (not on bike) for a few weeks till I could get Xray. Can't remember how long to fully heal, but after 6 weeks I was able to drive and cycle gently. However when cycling always aware of risk of falling, etc.

BUT my point in posting is to make sure you get good physio asap. I didn't and by the time I got back to UK and got referred for physio (extra 3 week wait) my shoulder joint had seized up. Paltry amount of NHS physio wasn't adequate to fix it. It appears to work OK now because of the way the shoulder works, but it doesn't rotate properly. Only really obvious when I am swimming doing the crawl and my arm comes over in an odd way. GET PHYSIO.

** It was called a broken shoulder, but it was actually the top of the arm (humerus) below the ball joint that was broken.

[rjb]

I second what Simon says about physio. After plating my collarbone I had to see the physio before being discharged. I was given exercises to perform regularly having to remove my arm from the sling and gently manipulating it. It was explained to me that the collarbone isn't fixed but is a joint which needs to move a fraction.

[gbnz]

Genuine thanks to both RJB & Simon. Been downloading physio fact sheets by 03.30-04.00am this morning

[Samuel D]

After 6 months they removed the titanium plate to reduce the risk of the collarbone shattering.

How did that surgery and recovery compare to putting the plate in?

Gbnz: good luck with your latest tribulation.

[rjb]

After 6 months they removed the titanium plate to reduce the risk of the collarbone shattering.

How did that surgery and recovery compare to putting the plate in?

Surgery to install and remove entailed a general anesthetic and a couple of days in hospital.

The titanium plate was not very comfortable. Pulling tops off over your head was painful - felt like the tendons were being dragged over a rough edge. And it seemed to transmit the cold through your shoulder so i had to keep it warm.

In fact the plate was very smooth after i was shown it after removal. Post removal i wasn't under any restriction apart from being told to be careful for a month, the time it would take for the screw holes to fill up with calcium carbonate, and subsequently it would be stronger than original due to the extra bone growth.

A year later i watched someone touch wheels and come off in front of me. I was unable to avoid hitting them but being aware of my previous broken collarbone i didn't put my arm out but attempted to roll over as i went down. This resulted in surgery to have a broken elbow wired up.

[Samuel D]

But did the recovery after the plate-removal take as long as the recovery after the initial surgery?

I’ll be facing this soon, Covid permitting, and I’m not especially looking forward to it.

A year later i watched someone touch wheels and come off in front of me. I was unable to avoid hitting them but being aware of my previous broken collarbone i didn't put my arm out but attempted to roll over as i went down. This resulted in surgery to have a broken elbow wired up.

Ouch.

[gbnz]

I second what Simon says about physio.:

Apologies on reopening the thread! But any idea whether physio should be avoided for the initial few weeks?

Within 24 days of the initial fracture, my collar bone was feeling great! I was careful to avoid any form of upper body physical exercise/weights, but the pain had gone and I was simply doing ever more intensive physio. But then something must have moved, maybe I pushed physio a bit too far, because the pains been back for 4 days

I'd ask the NHS, but aside from receiving an initial letter from them 3.5 weeks after the fracture, telling me that I've fallen off a "push bike", broken a collar bone and a nurse will call one day, they're a deadend

[Jdsk]

... and I was simply doing ever more intensive physio. But then something must have moved, maybe I pushed physio a bit too far, because the pains been back for 4 days

A bit of clarification, please... is this "physio" something that was prescribed for you on this occasion for you to do by yourself, or a session with a physiotherapist, or something that you've got from somewhere else?

Jonathan

PS: I'll come back on access to NHS options.

[gbnz]

PS: I'll come back on access to NHS options.

Thanks. The local NHS Health Trust haven't spoken or prescribed anything in relation to my broken collar bone, though to be fair, they remembered to give me a collar and cuff sling when I came around 20 odd hr's after being knocked out . Likewise they've advised me in their letter 3.5 weeks later that it would be beneficial to use the sling, because the clavicle is fractured (Nb. I have tried to contact them, but unsurprisingly the no. they've provided for the Counties core trauma clinic I attended, is no longer in use. And to be fair, they gave me some toothpaste when I was discharged )

I've obtained Physio advice primarily be downloading NHS leaflets from two other trusts, which whilst they're imperfectly worded (I.e. They refer to the ankle in one rather than the collar bone and refer to doing physio after the slings been removed,with no reference to when a sling may be removed.
But the guidance is better than none).

Whilst it was too painful to do any type of physio in the initial ten days, I was under the impression that it'd be beneficial to do an increased no. of Physio sessions by Week 3/4. Simply wondering if others have left the fractured collar bone for 5-6 weeks, prior to doing physio?

[Jdsk]

Hope you get well soon.

Jonathan