Cycling UK Forum

Hey folks! Just wondering if there are any others here who have recovered from a broken proximal humerus? I crashed at the end of July on some slippy grit on an off camber bend, detaching the head of my humerus, needing surgery to reattach it. Super painful injury.

The guidance I have had is “no load bearing for 3 weeks”, “increasing loads from 6 weeks”, “normal loads 12 weeks”. Specifically, I can start to use a stationary trainer (with no load on the affected arm) after 3 weeks, and best guess to start riding normally again is when the bone has fully healed (12 weeks).

Lots of physio also anticipated - I’ve been told to expect 9 to 12 months to get back to 95% mobility.

So just wondering if there’s any others here who have been through this and have any experiences to share?

I’m also curious about the psychological recovery from an accident. I must admit to being pretty traumatised by this.

It's good to hear that you have a plan. Have you thought about what other forms of exercise might be possible while cycling's off?

jcb1973@gmail.com wrote: ↑22 Aug 2022, 3:01pm I’m also curious about the psychological recovery from an accident. I must admit to being pretty traumatised by this.

Have you got someone to talk to... other than us? : - )

Jonathan

Hope all goes well with your road to recovery - all the best.

Broke my right humerus in two places simultaneously, and, yes, it was !*$*!!¥#* painful! I passed-out from the pain a few minutes after it happened.

I was a young teenager at the time, so fifty years ago, and probably mended faster than an adult, but it took about three or four months for the basics, for a goodly proportion (six weeks IIRC) of which I was heavily plastered-up, so could give it no exercise bar squeezing a rubber ball. It was definitely three months plus (late May to early September) before I could catch a light ball thrown gently (I had been wicket-keeper on the school team, so all this catching business has stuck in my mind).

At the time, I wasn’t into cycling, but the following summer I began to get hooked on it, borrowed a bike from my uncle, and on the first long ride came a nasty cropper, smacking down on my left humerus and concussing myself! I thought that humerus was broken too, but x-rays proved it wasn’t. That took about a month to get over.

Treatment is probably swifter these days - less heavy plaster, exercise sooner, but it isn’t a “five minute” one to get over.

I never got back to 100% on movement of my right arm, which before the break would go to about ten degrees beyond straight (my left still does), but has only ever gone to a degree or two short of straight since. No residual pain, ever, though. I would say the pain faded down from excruciating to nothing over the period it was immobilised when first broken.

From an earlier thread of mine.
viewtopic.php?t=119330#p1197901
Not sure which end you broke, but I rode home gingerly after my off before going to a&e when they confirmed it was broken. After it was pinned I don't recall any restriction on riding again.

It's not a laughing matter.
Sorry couldn't resist getting that in. BTW if you want a copy of the fracture take a photo on your phone when the meds look at your X ray. Worth a consolation pint when you reveal it at your local.

Thanks folks!

@jdsk - other sports is tricky at the minute as the surgeon recommended against running (impact) and swimming (limited range of motion) for now at least. I think the best bet is going to be getting on a stationary trainer when the operation cut has fully closed. So many of my friends ride Zwift et al and it’s always seemed the most boring thing on earth to me but I think it would be preferable to doing nothing!!

In terms of who to talk with- great question, I have folks who will understand. I think it’s also a question of personal acceptance of fallibility and that simply, sh*t happens! I have many years of accident free riding though, and that’s a good “rational” counter to my new fears. I might reduce some of my winter riding after this though - I live in Sweden and have always ridden throughout the year, but maybe I will now ease off in the ice and snow. I’ve also been a night winter rider - one thing this accident put in perspective is how quickly cold can set in. I waited a couple of hours for the ambulance on a Swedish summer evening, it had been 20 degrees when I set off, dropped to 16-17. My temperature was 35 degrees by the time the ambulance arrived. I think a foil blanket will be going in the saddle bag.

Thanks everyone else too - “not a laughing matter”, love it!!!