broken calvicle (collar bone) any one?

I did a search and it didn’t turn up anything. This is an odd question but I don’t think broken collarbone is all that un-common in the population, so perhaps some paddlers had dealt with it also and can offer some insight.



I broke my collarbone in a bike crash. The break is displaced. Discussion with doctors and on bike forums indicates many just let the bone heal as is. But that result in a slight change in shoulder geometry.



Commonly mentioned as “you’ll feel a bump on the should”. But it’s actually a bit more than just a bump. Because the bones are not growing back straight as before the break, it may result in a slightly lop-sided shoulder, sometimes significant enough to be noticeable by naked eye.



Naturally, I’m concern how it might affect my paddling and rolling.



Long term results I heard range from “full should function” to “some lose of range of motion” and “some lose of strength”. But how much the “some” is isn’t clear. This is mostly from non-paddlers who may or may not demand as much of their shoulder functions. So I like to see if there’re paddlers who were unfortunate enough to have gone through that to offer some sampling?



There’s the option to have a surgery to put a plate in to connect the broke bone so they grow back the same way as before. But all surgery carries with its own risk. So I’d like to be as informed as possible when making that decision.

which ever path you choose,
wishing you a speedy recovery!

Kaps

Broke Mine Once. Bike Wreck.
The doctor said I was on the edge of needing surgery but he chose to just put me in the brace. I called it my bra. No permanent weakness; no range of motion loss that I’m aware of. I had an ugly lump at the shoulder end of the bone for a long time but it eventually went away. Keep your elbow in close to your torso as you heal and you can do lots of things. Elbow out hurts. Hope you heal up quickly.



Yes, I can roll and brace and paddle… and I still bike.

encouraging…
> I had an ugly lump at the shoulder end of the bone for a long time but it eventually went away. <



That’s interesting. The couple of people I spoke to said their shoulder “bump” got less pointy (“rounded off”) but none had it entirely disappear.



Are both your shoulder back to symmetric too? I’m told if I let it heal naturally, I’m likely have asymmetric shoulder (not that it bothers me unless it affects my paddling)



You probably got x-rayed at various stage of the healing progress. Does your healed collarbone look close to being straight, or does it still have a significant bend on the last x-ray?


he chose to just put me in the brace. I called it my bra. <



Hmmm… I only got a sling! :-[



I wonder if the “bra” helps to line up the bones…

I think you will be fine

– Last Updated: Sep-03-13 12:03 AM EST –

I broke my collarbone in a bike crash. At the time, I was not a paddler. But I've never noticed the collarbone interfering with paddling.

A friend broke his collarbone in a bike crash. It hurt him for at least five years. Apparently the bump bothered him and was sensitive. He later became a paddler, and I have not heard him whining about the collarbone or misalignment of bone interfering with paddling. He tends to be a guy who talks about it when things hurt, and if he doesn't whine about the collarbone when paddling, I think it means you don't need to be real concerned.

Every one of us is different, every collarbone break is different, and we all heal differently. So, your case is different than mine or my friend's. But, there are two data points for you.

Good luck with healing. Give it time.

~~Chip

I Haven’t Noticed Asymmetry

– Last Updated: Aug-31-13 5:46 PM EST –

And I don't recall what x rays looked like.

My 'bra' looked like this:

http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/148588/view

The problem with the bra was I had to have help getting it on. I bet you can do a sling by yourself.

Weigh the risks and listen to
your doctor. I have had shoulder surgery twice. Surgery helped me a lot but I had gotten to the point that I could not even put the key in the ignition of my car. I was left with a slight painful shoulder but not too bad. Surgery, it seems to me, almost always leaves you with some degree of diminished function when compared to a perfect shoulder. My personal opinion is that most surgeons understate the downside of surgery. On the other hand, I understand that the risk of serious problems with shoulder surgery is very low.

when I was a teen
I broke my collarbone when I was a teenager (soccer goalkeeper). I wore the bra for a month or two, and it healed up on it’s own. I did have a noticeable lump on the bone for years. I would have said it was still there, but reading this thread, I’m checking for it, and I can’t find anything now. So I guess it went away.



No loss of function, but I was young, and everything healed a lot better back then.

Broke
my left Clavicle two different times and my right shoulder one time…then ripped all the ligaments off the end of the bone on the right another time {opted for no surgery/pin}…small bump on the left Clavicle…no problem

{I paddle and Roll just fine} Having my right shoulder dislocated another time hampered me more…But still able to paddle and roll just fine:}

Best Wishes

Roy

Don’t worry

I broke mine as a kid
I had a sling. It juts out a little further than the other and my traps are slightly asymmetrical. Very slight, it’s not noticeable if I have a collared shirt on. I had a lump but just realized it was gone when reading this. I have no loss of range but do experience some discomfort when wearing climbing harnesses. I can’t roll but am fully capable of thrashing around like a drowning chimpanzee having a seizure so the clavicle is probably not the issue.

My wife broke hers as a teen, wore a sling, healed straight and has no problems.

clavicle bump
I broke mine in my mid 20’s in a bike crash (left side). It healed on it’s own because I also sheered off my olacranon process (elbow) and had surgery and an armpit to wrist cast for 2 months so the arm was immobilized.



But the clavicle did end up with a bump on it which was right under my backpack strap and I did a lot of backpacking in my 20’s and 30’s. So, 7 months after the accident, when they operated on me to remove the 8" steel pin in my humerus I asked the surgeon to shave the bone bump down on the clavicle. He did so – left a tiny scar but was worth having the bump removed.



Looks and feels just like the undamaged side now 35 years later – never had any problems with it since then including working in construction for 7 years, long distance cycling and kayaking.

Getting old…
Broke mine about 10 years ago in a car crash in South America. It was in several pieces, they said they could operate on it or put me on a plane home, I chose the plane.

Home doc gave me a sling and other than a tiny loss of symmetry it’s fine.

Broke same one 2 times
There is a bump, but not too visible anymore. I am shorter on that side. Shows up with loose fitting button up shirts, hang to one side. I’m the only one that notices. Doesn’t affect my strength any now.

no thank you

I did the same
Though as a teenager. You can see the difference if you look carefully but it hasn’t affected me physically in any way. (Though it did ruin my chances of being a fashion cover girl… :D)