Broken Collar Bone Newbie. Let it Heal or Surgery?

I broke my collar bone this weekend in Big Bear. The gap in the break is pretty big so I decided to go with the surgery tomorrow July 31st. This morning i woke up with the upper bone bulging out pushing on my skin. I started to rotate my shoulder hoping to set it little bit lower and I felt a "pop" followed by biggest pain I ever felt, trying to catch my breath back. Now the big bulge is gone, i don't feel a big gap anymore and my shoulder looks straight. I think i might of realigned the bones. Today at 3pm I have a pre-op appoitment at ortho. Question is do I still go with the surgery if xrays shows the bones aligned closer, or cancel the surgery and let it heal on it's own then? I never had a broken collar bone. Thanks


**************UPDATE*******************

I went with the surgery. SO much less pain after the surgery, because the bone is not shifting. Thanks for your comments

 

IMHO the surgery will help you heal faster, as plating really immobilizes the bones. Just remember you still have to take it easy or it won't heal correctly.

 

^^^^ This plus Juan

 

+1 ^^

Welcome to the club! I recommend you speak with your doctor, but I would go forward with it. My doctor recommended surgery because there was more than 2cm of space between my broken bones. Just because you don't "feel" the gap doesn't mean it's not there. Best of luck to you in the healing process. I broke my collarbone at the end of April 2011 and was back riding by mid-June 2011! :bang:

 

thanks, you had a fast recovery. How long did you wear the brace or sling? right now i am wearing the figure 8 brace and the sling.

 

what trail were you on that took out your collar bone? how was the first aid center at Summit? keep us posted and hope everything goes well with the surgery.

 

They usually don't plate it unless it is a really bad break. Most of the time they just put you in the cross brace and and sling for a few weeks while it begins to heal.

I've broke the same collarbone 2 different times and didn't have then plated.

Talk to your Ortho, and see what they recomend.

 

I wore a sling for a week until I had surgery, then for a week or so afterwards. Didn't wear a brace.

 

Like all those guys said...talk to your ortho about it.

The bigger thing is...you set your own collarbone? That's John Wayne-level badassery. I lift my beer to you!

 

Broke my left clavicle (double break) a few years ago. Just did the sling-let-it-heal thing.
It works fine, I was back riding bmx in 8 weeks, although I was able to ride the road bike a couple of weeks before that.
I do have that "bump", which only seems to get irritated when I'm driving (the seatbelt rub).
If I had it to do again, I might pick surgery, but only for appearances.

 

like the others said, discuss it with your doctor.

my own experience, my doctor let me heal naturally for a couple of weeks before he operated. if it doesnt reattach and is diagnosed as displaced, then get the operation.

my doctor told me to that its best to have no operation, if the fracture is not displaced. after having an operation, I believe it.

think, 12 inch paper cut plus 16 screws (in my case) drilled into your bones. one word... Percocet.

 

I broke my collarbone back in 85 and wore the bra type sling to set the clavicle. I have noticed that when do doing exercises like bench presses, rows or anything involves a shoulder exercises it will be sore to a point of I cannot do heavy weights after a few weeks and have to wait for the soreness to go away. I was a teenager at the time and my dad was a doctor and this was all we could have done at the time. I would ask the doctor if this would happen to you.

 

if your ortho gives you the option of surgery, then go for the surgery. broke my left clavicle with an overlay. went under the knife, had a titanium plate and 9 screws installed. pretty much had full motion of my arm/shoulder 24 hours after surgery. only took motrin once for some mild pain after the surgery.

 

plated is better :lol:

 

Doc told me 95% of them heal on their when I broke mine 6-7 years ago. Unfortunately, I was in the 5% zone as it was splintered in a number of pieces.

Yours looks like a clean break.

 

zman, did you get your plate removed? My doctor recommends i remove it after 8 months if I plan on ridding downhill trails . He said if i brake it again it will brake lower past the plate

 

Broke mine, had surgery and was on a plane two days later. Riding in 1.5 months. Then broke it again 6 months later, the rod held it together and was able to ride the same week I broke it the second time:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/859051_10200728486157240_364997107_o.jpg

 

thats crazy !

 

What can pop back in could easily pop back out again. I know from experience. If your doc says go ahead with surgery I would do so. If he says it is aligned better now so it isn't needed, be careful and take er real easy til the bone sets.

 

I broke mine. Doc suggested to let it heal naturally, so I did. It took a while before I trusted it to have its strength back, but I'm practically as good as new now. My collarbone did heal in an inverted "v" shape, but everything works fine, no nerve damage.

I broke mine during 12 hours of temecula, like 1 mile into the race. Rode for another 30 before i decided i was done. Also, got back on the bike (trainer) less than a week after the break. First race back was the whiskey (end of april) break was end of july. Doctors orders to return to normal activity was early august.

Now, no plate, I've started doing weightlifting and am stronger than i've ever been, with no pain.

I'd suggest only doing surgery if it is necessary and I kept doubting my decision to not have surgery every week when it is broken. It was worth the wait to not have to go under the knife for me, but every situation is different.