 Poster: A snowHead
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HI All
I broke my collarbone a couple of months ago. When my doc saw the 4 week x-ray he said that it was too misaligned and needed pinning. So I went to see a surgeon who initially said if it is no better in a fortnight then he was going to operate. A fortnight later it was no better, so he said to go and get a bone scan. Another two weeks passed and then armed with the bone scan, and the letter from the scanner saying that there was no evidence of healing he said to wait a month and get another scan.
I am not sure what to think, is he stalling becaues we are in france and he is about to have a months summer holiday? should I push for the op, should I wait? Does anyone have any experience in broken collarbones? I have just qualified both as an offshore rope access worker and as an international mountain leader, both of which need my shoulder in tip top shape, so I am not able to earn at the moment either.
Cheers for any advice
pics of the x-rays and scans here
http://philingle.com/mountain-bike/collarbone-issues/
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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That scan is awesome (in an impressive way) What is not impressive is that there is a big gap that is not getting any better. 2 months no healing something needs doing. If it was mine I'd push for the op. Best of luck 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Ouch, that does look like a hurty collar bone, with ends definitely not lined up.
Best of luck.
PS having seen your touring pics I am not surprised at you recent vocational qualification 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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A member of our race club has a similar story to yours - going to the docs about now with a non-healing collar-bone a couple of months after the initial break - so it sounds like the UK (NHS at least) is not much different. (I was one of the first-aiders there when he did it and it felt as if the displacement was similar to that shown on your X-rays - but I'm sure there are all sorts of break that feel similar to external touch). Don't know how that's going to end up. Apparently one bit of information was that many people operate perfectly adequately without a collar-bone. I have to say I find that very surprising, and I can only assume that only applies to a pretty sedentary lifestyle. I think I would have been jumping up and down making sure it got pinned.
But I am not a (medical) doctor.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Philingle,
I am an NHS A&E DR. Certainly if you presented to us we would treat you with a sling and painkillers acutely with orthopaedic follow up! From my experience non-union is more likely with distal[near the acromioclavicular joint] clavicle fractures, yours is mid shaft!
Traditionally midshaft fractures are not operated on and most eventually heal albeit sometimes withvisible deformity [a bump-due to the healing bone[callus]] but no worse then that of a scar following a ORIF[operative reduction and internal fixation]
Non union of the broken ends is not that common and usually the orthopaedic team give you a few months to allow your fracture to heal naturally -as appears in your case. Some are more interventional-I found this on the web :
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:SF7UZJjrHfgJ:www.orthosupersite.com/view.asp%3FrID%3D21065+when+orif+of+clavicle+fractures+non+union&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
I probably not been much use -good luck!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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retsil, I thought it was useful...
philingle,
.......but from my POV, in general, I wouldn't be waiting round for medical people to take the lesser option.
If I could be pursuaded by the medical people that waiting was the way to go...and it may well be, as posted above, then ok...but I would want the arguement made by more than one source.
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Too bad Phil, hope you fix up fast!
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philingle, I would push fir the op. If you can't weork without it being fixed it needs to be fixed - and properly. Are the docs paying your bills while you wait? Of course I have no medical quals, but also wouldn't be able to work in your situation. BTW I used to work in racing and the NH jockeys break their collar bones all the time. They get them opped though if there is separation. In the old days they used to ride just in clavical rings the next day.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Ha ha, you dont think I am going to fall for that one do you
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It got me!!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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philingle, My broken collar bone took 16 weeks to get a basic join. Then I had to be very careful for a few more weeks. I was advised to wait by 2 separate (private) orthopaedic surgeons. Their logic was that the knit would be stronger if I could stand the wait. Once you have a bone collar, it can take 2-3 years to disappear. Good luck with your choice.
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Wow, I'm thinking I was pretty damn lucky with my break...I was back on the snow after 2 weeks (possibly against medical advice - I seemed to struggle to understand the Austrian doctors  )
retsil, as the only one to post with any actual training, I'd say you were definitely useful! Out of interest, though, when I broke my collar bone I specifically asked about slings and was told not to on the grounds that it would cause the bone to heal with too much overlap (because my shoulders would be 'hunched'). Instead I got some kind of weird shoulder brace...do you know if this depends on the type of break, or does the advice just vary from place to place?
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi Phil,
when i broke my coller bone in Febuary this year, I thought it was the end of the world as i know it. Like you i am a european mountain leader, skier and mountain biker.
Your coller bone over time will do one of two, things, knit together or not. In my case it was so badly splintered that ther was no way that it would heal together.
The options open to me was to have a operation (pins and bolts) or not. When it was explained the pros and cons of an operation I decideded not to have an one.
With an operation they have to cut through muscule, sinew and nerves ( which will get damaged,and all heal in different positions) so you will not have the same articulation that you had before.
For all intent I don`t have a coller bone on my right side, but i can still carry a rucsack, ski and climb ( pulling up on a finger hold on a hvs is the only time i notice lack of strenght on that side)
My doctor said that if I had been in France they would have operated right away. So give the injury time, see how you go, and get an operation only at the last resort
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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philingle, I think it's very important to stress to the doctor how important your active lifestyle is to you. I also think you could consult a doc that treats sportsmen - skiers and rugby players come to mind. In my experience, it makes a difference, when i tore an ankle ligament i had to go to a doctor that treats football players (and to a physio he reccomended) as the "regular" ortho was not worried at all with the length of recovery ("as soon as you can walk to classes, it doesn't matter") or full motion range ("it's not woth the effort to restore it, you won't nottice the difference).
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Poster: A snowHead
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Having recently gone through a similar decision making process prior to a discectomy, the consulant was as interested in the impact the injury had on my work life as much as the specific medical need for the operation.
Basically you will not die (hopefully) if you have the operation or not, therefore your work issue should be a big part of your and your doctor's decision making process.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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sugardaddy, I would be surprised , looking at Phil's location in Haute-Alpes, if the doc concerned has no experience of people with active lifestyles or treating sporting injuries. Good luck Phil.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Helen Beaumont, Maybe they were expecting lots of other customers over the last three weeks and wanted to keep beds free.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I have got an op scheduled at last. 13th of August, which isnt a friday 
It generally came down to the french holidays making it drag on a bit. Hospitals in the hills, like Briancon, totally stop doing elective surgery for the whole of the summer period because they are run off their feet fixing people who have accidents in the hills. If you head out of the hills then you find everyone has gone on holiday, so the operating theathres are running on limited staff and have a reduced schedule.
Lesson learned is not to get broken just before the holiday season,
Anyway its going to get fixed now, so fingers crossed for some good painkillers,
Cheers for all the replies
Phil
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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philingle, best of luck.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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philingle, Good luck - that's my Dad's birthday. 
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http://philingle.com/uncategorized/pinned-it/
Well it all went fine, little plate and six screws.
He said before hand that he was going to take a graft off my hip, which i wasnt too stoked about, but then when i woke up after the op he said that it hadnt been necessary because of the shape of the break.
I was all fired up about spending a few days in a morphine haze but in the end all i got was some paracetemol.
I am really happy with how it feels solid again, after 10 weeks of funny shoulder.
Cheers for all the good wishes, looking forward to getting active again
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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philingle, hubby didn't even get much morphine when he had his broken neck repaired in Grenoble at New Year. When I left him after the surgery, there was no morphine, just a paracetamol drip. He also had ketoprofen I think, although he was offered oral morphine later.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Glad your fixed anyway. great metalwork.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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philingle, hooray, glad you've been put back together again.
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You know it makes sense.
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rayscoops, What would you have told her if you had 10 vodka and red bulls? 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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philingle, excellent news. Hope the recovery goes well.
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