rode my bike and broke my collar bone. Advice

[CurtEgerer]

Whoa, sorry to hear about the injuries!! But more importantly, is the bike OK?

At my frail age (57), I tend to ride in groups of 2 or less these days. Stress-free riding.

[intakexhaust]

Jeff- Just noticed the thread. Sorry to hear and hope your recovery is swift.

(Just a quick note on group rides. More so than cars its the unknown of other riders that's most discerning. Some may look experienced and have the gear, but are not who you want to ride with.

We've had a 'popo' female who also competes in tri events occasionally join in. Pretty tough but can't keep on the wheel safely. She went down hard while following another and blamed him. I didn't see it but heard both sides of the story. The front rider was adamant about it and let her know.

Anyhow, she ended fairly busted up, fractured ribs and who knows what else. Was on the way to healing, a few later joined in on another ride with us. I watched her and could see her lack of smoothness, lots of side to side, mixed cadence - shifting. Scary to ride near her. I don't doubt her competitiveness, has a high end bike and wheels, but does need major discipline or coaching in cycling.

It could be an unfriendly wall built between two, but that rider who took you down needs to be told and aware of how it happened.)

[look 171]

the damn bike is fine, not a scratch but dinged up the handle bar and a little scratched up lever. I wish the bike had some scraped to it, too bad it didn't. If it did, that means I would have been sliding, so no broken bones on me. This gentleman cross my wheel so fast that I didn't have time to react. I felt my shoulder hit the ground with my bike going over me. It might have landed on me, who knows? The wheels are perfect. The race pace group doesn't stress me out, but the getting drop on a fast hill does. it pisses me off, but I have to admit, the wippersnappers are getting stronger for some strange reason?

[Hayabusa]

Hey. Sorry about your mishap. Kind of a red flag to look within yourself and become a little better. Not with the riding, but maybe, but more about drawing within yourself to endure the new pain * sucks* , using your opposite arm/hand for all else, i.e., utilizing the other side of your brain where you just didn't before (brain lazy) lol. But as creatures of habit, that's what we do. Learning to manage yourself regarding pain, tolerance, discipline and compassion for others, those who have to put up with you, who are not in pain themselves. You know, those that wait on you, bring you soup, listen to you, drive you places, cook, etc., etc. I hope you have good support around you. It is immeasurable! Be sure to thank whoever is helping you, again, if you haven't already. They need that recognition!

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by look 171

How important is that figure 8 brace? She wants in on for 6-8 weeks. It kicks my ass as it puts strain on my upper body making it really tire.

How important is it that the bone heals and is the shape you want it to be?

The idea with the brace is to hold the bone in the position you want. If the two broken ends move too much relative to one another, it will have a hinge in the middle and stay two pieces instead of one.

Wear the brace, buy a back scratcher.

To open the CD with the films on it, you may be able to search the net to find the software to open it. I think you right click on it and it gives you a choice of ways to open the file.

[diverdan]

Feel your pain and frustration of not being able or able to do sports for a while. I have always been on the cautious side keeping lots of distance between myself and other bicycles or motorcycles. I've refused to run on pavement to keep my knees from going south. Then 7 months ago I fell hard while doing a spinning jump on my roller blades and broke my femur in exactly the wrong place. It was a while before I could drive or even swim. The doc says no more running ever and to even try it is very painful. No more 600 pounds on the leg sled because he says that will crush the nylon bushing in my new hip joint. Dang! I miss the diving board and running and Thai boxing all of which have never contributed to a break or serious injury in my 67 year old life. As we age, exercise becomes more and more important and I am not going let this slow me down for long. Since the operation, I've done a lot of cycling, hiking, and swimming through lots of pain and look forward to skiing next year and hopefully the springboard. Waterskiing will be done then with great care to make sure that any wrecks will involve synchronized leg action to avoid damage to the weak right side.

Get back up and spin!

[intakexhaust]

Jeff, don't be down on your mishap and think positive. You enjoy the sport of cycling but recognize the change and ability of yourself. Its still a healthy activity and in time will adapt to a different kind or less combative type of riding. Maybe you'll have to train in a different way but imagine you'll grunt on with competiveness of only yourself.

I guess we could chalk it up to the law of averages. One way or another, injuries are going to happen.

I like to look back and amazes to think from childhood to mid and later years of life, the amount of punishment a body takes from sports activities. And then how the mind pushes us on to repeat. (I'm limiting this to 'sports' as its voluntary and not like an accident or war injury.)

Not going to share my mishaps or scars, but do know the feeling. Dr. Frankenstein and installed hardware is not stopping me from carrying on

Hugh's story's are incredible! Good for him to still get out riding but in a different way. I suppose when the big incidents become life threatening and the mind says enough is enough, most will throttle back.

But then again, look at the Michael Schumacher incident. How does one explain it? Be safe all!

[Racerbvd]

Glad you are OK, does take longer to heal now

[Noah930]

She did not do anything about my rib(s). There isn't anything there would do anyway, so she claims they heal on their own if they were broken.
...
How important is that figure 8 brace?

There's not much to do for broken ribs other than to give them time (6-8 weeks) to heal on their own. It may help to clutch a pillow to your chest when coughing or sneezing. Remember to take deep breaths to keep the lungs inflated to prevent pneumonia. If you don't have an incentive spirometer, you can use a child's pinwheel to blow on, which forces you to take deep breaths.

The figure-8 brace serves to hold the ends of your unstable, broken clavicle in proper alignment for healing. The clavicle serves as a strut to keep the shoulder held out from the body. Everything in nature wants to collapse. Without a stable strut to locate the shoulder away from the body, the shoulder will want to pull forwards and inwards, towards your sternum. It'll probably heal, but not necessarily where God intended. You're better off wearing the splint.

[slodave]

I thought the clavicle wasn't really needed and is left over from our ancestors? Since my clavicle I realize that I only have a 3rd degree separation of my clavicle from my shoulder, but I get along just fine, as do most hockey players. In fact, my clavicle isn't fully connected to my sternum anymore either. Aren't mice and rats without them? Partly how they squeeze through small cracks.

[Tobra]

Mice never try to lift anything over their heads though.

Good point about the pneumonia risk with broken ribs.

[Noah930]

Most clavicular fractures are treated nonoperatively. Most heal by themselves. Occasionally they don't (non-union), which may be a problem.

There are studies that compare use of the figure-8 brace versus using a sling. The sling may be more comfortable. While there may be some shortening of the bone when it heals, supposedly there are no real functional differences in outcome in using the figure-8 vs a sling. So if you find the figure-8 intolerable, ask your orthopedist if it's OK to substitute with a sling. But what you don't want is a non-union.

[Joe Bob]

Sorry to hear about your mishap. I ride alone as the group rides tend to be scary, just like Porsche fun runs. There is always one or more idiot.

I still ride in the street.......heal fast.

[winders]

Originally Posted by Noah930

Most clavicular fractures are treated nonoperatively. Most heal by themselves.

I guess "heal" is open for interpretation. As a motorcycle road racer, I have seen many racers with non-union breaks that end up with the "healed" shoulder looking different than the non-injured shoulder. Some guys that had broken both clavicles that used to have broad shoulders ended up having narrow looking shoulders.

When I broke my clavicle, I didn't have a choice. Surgery was the only option since it was broken into 5 pieces. But, I would still look at the surgery option fro non-union breaks....

[Tobra]

You might get a delayed union to heal with a bone stimulator too, but if you don't do a decent job of immobilizing it, it will not work

[dlockhart]

Originally Posted by winders

I guess "heal" is open for interpretation. As a motorcycle road racer, I have seen many racers with non-union breaks that end up with the "healed" shoulder looking different than the non-injured shoulder. Some guys that had broken both clavicles that used to have broad shoulders ended up having narrow looking shoulders.

When I broke my clavicle, I didn't have a choice. Surgery was the only option since it was broken into 5 pieces. But, I would still look at the surgery option fro non-union breaks....

I wonder what % of a expert grid has at least one broken clavicle. 50%?

[intakexhaust]

^^ two wheeling with a motor... snickering. For awhile during healing, resorted to a small cc two stroke (RZ-350LC) sans electric start. Right leg was a mess with surgical installed titanium thingies and cast. But, could start the bike without kick or slight downhill grade. Simply used my hand Ride on!

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Noah930

There's not much to do for broken ribs other than to give them time (6-8 weeks) to heal on their own. It may help to clutch a pillow to your chest when coughing or sneezing. Remember to take deep breaths to keep the lungs inflated to prevent pneumonia. If you don't have an incentive spirometer, you can use a child's pinwheel to blow on, which forces you to take deep breaths.

The figure-8 brace serves to hold the ends of your unstable, broken clavicle in proper alignment for healing. The clavicle serves as a strut to keep the shoulder held out from the body. Everything in nature wants to collapse. Without a stable strut to locate the shoulder away from the body, the shoulder will want to pull forwards and inwards, towards your sternum. It'll probably heal, but not necessarily where God intended. You're better off wearing the splint.

Ahhh, so I must have it tight? Should I wear it to sleep also?

Ribs are not so sore anymore today, pain is still there but much better this morning. Its the first day I can get out of bed on my own power without my wife dragging my fat ass up and out. I am able to move my right arm again if I am careful and slow, but when I go and move it, I can feel my bones moving making sound in there. Freaky if you ask me.

Here are the x-rays from the ER on Saturday.



Thanks guys

[look 171]

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

^^ two wheeling with a motor... snickering. For awhile during healing, resorted to a small cc two stroke (RZ-350LC) sans electric start. Right leg was a mess with surgical installed titanium thingies and cast. But, could start the bike without kick or slight downhill grade. Simply used my hand Ride on!

Man, I wanted one of those Kenny Roberts specials.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

Sorry to hear about your mishap. I ride alone as the group rides tend to be scary, just like Porsche fun runs. There is always one or more idiot.

I still ride in the street.......heal fast.

Thanks Mr.Z. I just might have to join you on a ride down in OC sometimes.