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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Deep Playa
    Posts
    4,824

    Q on Recovery times for Clavicle surgery (w/ titanium plate)

    Got a question for those of you who've had the pleasure of breaking a collarbone and then surgery to put in a titanium plate.

    Background:
    - 10/4: Broke my clavicle dropping a ladder and turning up my MTB suckage.
    ([ame="https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170289"]Broken Clavicle post[/ame])
    XRays: 2 big broken pieces + 4 smaller shards



    - 10/8: Outpatient surgery @ Orthopedic / Sports Medicine specialists. (side note: Ortho doc is also one of the US Ski Team physicians)

    Rehab orders:
    5 weeks in a sling (Nov 12 end date)
    Phys therapy in 4 weeks (Nov 5 start date)
    Recovery in 8-12 weeks
    Contact Sports in 4-5 months (Feb 8-March 8ish)

    Problem:
    So I'm fine with the 8-12 week recovery, which puts me in the Dec 8-Jan 8 timeframe. However, I was just informed today that skiing / surfing fall under the Contact sports category, and that I should wait Feb - March to resume this. (WTF?!?!)

    I'm interested to hear of your personal experience w/ recovery times. I spoke to Tyrone and he said he was racing bikes in a month, and recovery in 6 weeks. The difference is that his broke in 2 pieces, while mine broke into 2 big pieces and 4 smaller pieces.

    I'd like to be back in action ASAP (in 8-12 weeks post-surgery, powder days only), but at the same time don't want to risk fucking myself up by not waiting the recommended 4-5 months it is fully healed. Can I have my cake and eat it too?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Bozeman, MT
    Posts
    2,405
    Ouch. Sorry man. I got nothing but sympathy & injury empathy.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    208 State
    Posts
    2,577
    sorry to hear about that SuPu...I just broke my scapula on Saturday so I'm looking at 6-8 weeks of recovery. I'm gonna try to be good and lay low to let this thing heal up properly.

    As for you in terms of contact sports just ski on powder days and try not to fall

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    InDaPow, CO
    Posts
    483
    Quote Originally Posted by Superstar Punani View Post
    Ortho doc is also one of the US Ski Team physicians)
    Sorry to hear about your break. I have had a broken collar bone for 8 years (half pipe + gravity = suck) and am curious who you went to and would you recommend them? I am sick of dealing with the soreness and thinking of having surgery around April/May as to not jack my season up.

    Thanks and heal up quickly!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Sandy
    Posts
    14,040
    Quote Originally Posted by Superstar Punani View Post
    Got a question for those of you who've had the pleasure of breaking a collarbone and then surgery to put in a titanium plate.

    Background:
    - 10/4: Broke my clavicle dropping a ladder and turning up my MTB suckage.

    XRays: 2 big broken pieces + 4 smaller shards

    - 10/8: Outpatient surgery @ Orthopedic / Sports Medicine specialists. (side note: Ortho doc is also one of the US Ski Team physicians)

    Rehab orders:
    5 weeks in a sling (Nov 12 end date)
    Phys therapy in 4 weeks (Nov 5 start date)
    Recovery in 8-12 weeks
    Contact Sports in 4-5 months (Feb 8-March 8ish)

    Problem:
    So I'm fine with the 8-12 week recovery, which puts me in the Dec 8-Jan 8 timeframe. However, I was just informed today that skiing / surfing fall under the Contact sports category, and that I should wait Feb - March to resume this. (WTF?!?!)

    I'm interested to hear of your personal experience w/ recovery times. I spoke to Tyrone and he said he was racing bikes in a month, and recovery in 6 weeks. The difference is that his broke in 2 pieces, while mine broke into 2 big pieces and 4 smaller pieces.

    I'd like to be back in action ASAP (in 8-12 weeks post-surgery, powder days only), but at the same time don't want to risk fucking myself up by not waiting the recommended 4-5 months it is fully healed. Can I have my cake and eat it too?
    First off Ty is a freak of nature and heals like nobody's business, lucky bastard.


    The real question you will need to ask yourself when you are jonesing for some ski action: Am I going out too early and going to fuck this shoulder up again?
    If you are hesitant to answer without a "fuck no, I feel fine". then you may want to think twice. Dude, it can be one hell of a mind game. Bottom line is you need to heal properly.

    If you pole plant too hard or get a basket stuck, holy ouch man.

    On the other hand, hit the bunny hill without poles.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Aspen, Colorado
    Posts
    2,645
    I have a friend who broke his collar bone in mid/late August. He has a plate with 6 screws and we are doing a tour/ski up Montezuma basin tomorrow. I do not know if he has his doctor's approval or not.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    648
    Our average return to sports for this case is six weeks.

  8. #8
    O G R E Guest
    "Oooooooooooo! My clavicle! I broke my cla-vi-cle! Mommy!!""

    --The SuperStar of TGR!


    Last edited by O G R E; 11-16-2009 at 05:02 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Sikskiyou's
    Posts
    1,549
    Timely bump.

    I fractured my clavicle in early September this year, so it's been about 8 weeks.

    My question is, how long before I can get out of bed in the morning before I can feel like my shoulder was NOT hit by a truck?

    It gets better throughout the day, but it is way more painful/stiff than I feel is normal for the injury. Of course, I don't know what is normal. But, for example, sneezing brings tears

    Feels like it is mostly the trapezious muscle on the injured side.

    Any recommendations?

    Is this normal?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    648
    Is it healed? Post the X-ray

  11. #11
    O G R E Guest


    Last edited by O G R E; 11-18-2009 at 11:28 AM.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Looking down
    Posts
    50,491
    Lance finished third in the Tour about two months after. But, he wasn't doing pole plants.

  13. #13
    O G R E Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Benny Profane View Post
    Lance finished third in the Tour about two months after. But, he wasn't doing pole plants.


    Punani's Thai fighting career is still fine because his fights are all fixed


  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Deep Playa
    Posts
    4,824
    Quote Originally Posted by drmark View Post
    Is it healed? Post the X-ray
    Yep! X-Rays taken at the 4 week mark showed that the bones have healed up.

    Cleared by ortho doc to ski/surf/bike in early Dec.

    didn't have my camera phone handy for the latest xrays but it looked like this with 6 screws:





    Now I just need to find a use for the Oxycodones, Percocets and Vicodin leftovers I have. I think they gave me too much!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Posts
    39
    I dislocated a shoulder surfing in 2003 and then went skiing 2 weeks later and dislocated the other one. Just don't fall on your left side. Its your surfing that is going to take awhile.

    Good Luck

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    CO
    Posts
    305

    thread jack

    So I broke my collar bone two days ago and here is the x -ray. Does anybody out there have experience with x-rays and can you give me an estimate on recovery time? I'm seeing an orthopedist on monday but I'm anxious to find out. I'm hoping to be doing mellow bc skiing in 3-4 weeks but I'm not sure....
    "I reckon i'm one of the only people who could ski this line" says my drunk friend

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    CO
    Posts
    305
    dammit. somebody play internet doctor already!
    "I reckon i'm one of the only people who could ski this line" says my drunk friend

  18. #18
    O G R E Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Yard Sale View Post
    I dislocated a shoulder surfing in 2003 and then went skiing 2 weeks later and dislocated the other one. Just don't fall on your left side. Its your surfing that is going to take awhile.

    Good Luck

    you mean like this??? Heeee's a Suuuuperstaaaar!



  19. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    2

    Angry Broken clavicle ends my spring skiing

    I broke my left clavicle on 4/5/14 when I went to stop I hit ice and landed on my shoulder. I was able to ski down but the result was surgery 3 screws and a plate. My spring skiing is over and my plan to ski into May is finished. The worst part was I wasn't in the glades or skiing a double diamond it was on a blue, well I guess after 40 years of skiing with no breaks my luck just ran out..hope to be on a bike by June.

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