I will defer to the advice of those with the credentials here...and they seem to be in somewhat disagreement. Lee, is the MD you are with a G.P. or an orthopedic specialist? More opinions certainly can't hurt. Might confuse more, but can't hurt. Boy, whatever, I hope you heal fast, regain good use of your arm.

On the plus side, at least you don't hear the dreaded opening words I hear too often from M.D.'s these days: "At your age...":rolleyes:

Have the surgery. I broke my collar bone when i was 14. It never healed properly and I do have some limitations on that side.

My nephew broke his this summer at camp. I believe his fracture was similar to yours. He had the surgery and the follow-up to remove the hardware. He is doing well and has been playing baseball and has been back on his road bke with me for several long rides.

Good luck

I thought I'd post an update as it's been nearly six months since the break. I'm starting to get the feeling this damn thing doesn't want to heal!

There was a lot of differences in opinion and in the end I decided to take my doc's advice and see if my body would heal on it's own. Well it still hurts and gives me problems so after a bit of pressure I got a referral off base to go have a CT scan conducted. The results are in and I'm no doctor... but it don't look good.

So, it looks like I may end up electing for surgery after all. That means a bone graft and lots of stiches... D A M N! And cycling season is upon us too!!!!!


It's pretty cool how the CT scan takes shots in slices of bone.
I did a few screen shots and figured I'd post 'em here:http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1175294034.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1175294045.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1175294057.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1175294068.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1175294079.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1175294089.jpg

Lee,

Sorry to hear about it. Get it done right and it will be right the rest of your life. If not you will not be happy with it, and it very well may slow you down, so do what the Doc's say is best.

Joe

Bummer....BTW, I don't see where you have a heart.....

Yup, pseudarthrosis is the name (not the heart-stealer's...).

My qualifications: 10 yrs as a PA with the Army airborne and special operations community and in civilian emergency medicine and primary care (physician assistant - Master's in medicine, I see all the follow up from the surgeons, and manage the reality that remains after all the surgery done or not done...) ; YMMV.

My personal opinion, were it me: get surgery. Complex, comminuted (fragmented) fractures of the clavicle do better in terms of short term healing and long term complications when managed with internal fixation. Simple, minor clavicle fractures indeed heal well "as long the the two bone ends are in the same room" as previously mentioned by someone. Those almost require no treatment; yours is not the case, IIRC. Your fracture would be easily managed with a pin or two placed along the long axis of the bone.

My advice is given in an informal and non-medical capacity and is not to be construed as a substitute for the advice of your primary care provider, your orthopaedist, and/or your common sense...can you tell we are almost more concerned with getting sued than anything else these days...?

First, I would get a second opinion. Secondly, I would get a cold beer. AT least you can still shift.
C

Key-RAP! Lee, just wishing you the best...glad you decided to go off base.

Hmmm... interesting.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1175407461.jpg

After 7 months of waiting for this sucker to heal I finally gave up and had the surgery. It's only been five days and I already feel better. I am not even using a sling.

Plus I now have a no-**** piece of titanium in my body.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1181425058.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1181425083.jpg

Holy moly! I thought my clavicle was never going to 'stick'- kept asking the doc to graft a piece of cadaver bone in there so it'd stick. Mine finally did stay together, after attaching/re-breaking several times. Doesn't bother me now. (Neck and shoulders do, but that's what you get for landing on your head hard enough to break a hard hat!) I wish you a speedy and full recovery!

Cheers,

Paul.

Glad you got it done. Pretty soon you will be hoisting two beers, one in each hand and enjoying life!

Joe

Dayum, nice scar.

Rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab takes off the betadine, do it sooner rather than later. As for the titanium, don't worry as the novelty will soon wear off, you may even want to have it taken out one day.....

Feel better soon.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1181447297.jpg

Chicks dig scars (or so I'm told - I have none...)