Broken Clavicle and Bruised Ribs - Crashed at Gordons Well

I just want to rant that over new years I crashed my dirtbike at gordons well and broke my right clavicle and bruised my right ribs. My orthopedic doctor told me I don't need surgery and that it will heal naturally but my ER and primary care doctors told me it was one of the worst clavicle fractures they had seen. I've sent my xrays and CT scans to another ortho for a second opinion.. I'm worried that it won't heal right and that I won't get back to 100%.

Have you guys had a similar experience with clavicles?

 

Yeah, its almost impossible to get a decent position to sleep in lol

 

Sucks dude. I dislocated my collarbone from my sternum and it sucked.

 

Sucks man! I've done my collarbones several times. The last time I was getting treated for 6 months before they finally decided to operate on it. I ended up with a plate and six screws. I've broken a lot of shit and still to this day the collarbone is the most painful thing I've ever broke.

Get well soon!

 

OP, was Winterhaven Fire or Rural/Metro there for the call?

that sucks tho..I go there all the time..

 

Yup, snapped my right clavicle jumping my BMX bike over a car. Made it, but landed squirrely. I rode a few miles home on it. I was in a shoulder brace for the whole summer. Sux for sure. I have 99% use of it now, it happened during high school, so 30 yrs ago. It still aches at times.
My advice now that I'm a little older, is take time to let it heal properly. Hard to due if you are really active, but it pays off better in the end.

Good luck

 

The important thing is you made the jump

 

I wrecked my Aprilia Shiver back in Oct'.

Race leathers saved my ass, but didnt stop getting thrown into the pavement.

The ER xray was hilarious. My clavicle looked like a grenade went off in my shoulder. I had a nice chunk of it tenting in my skin (didnt punch through, but it was sticking straight up)

I had surgery 3 days later. Mine was broken in multiple places, fragmented, and was tenting.

Now i have a titanium plate, various hardware, and a bitchin scar. If its broken in more than 1 place, or has fragments, that shit will not fucking heal itself back together. Your orthopedic surgeon is a dipshit if he thinks it will.

Get a second opinion.


Also, FYI, the medical expenses are fairly high for everything, including clavicle surgery. Just south of 20K, for everything, including physical therapy/er/ambulance/orthopedic surgeon/surgery/meds, ect
(thank god im military, so i dodged that bullet)

 

post your x rays. i have a steel plate and 8 screws in my clavicle.

 

eesh... I smashed some ribs and my sternum, among many other things, in a bike accident... my GSXR v Econoline 350... he won.

 

+1! I'm mostly titanium and plastic inside! hahaha

 

Ouch, I think cracking my sternum hurt worse than clavicles

OP I have broken both clavicles. The right side did not heal correctly and doesnt line my shoulder tendons up perfectly straight so I have problems dislocating my shoulder now. I think its a wise choice to get a 2nd opinion

 

this ^^^^

 

it is hard to see but it is broken in fragments. there is a big chunk facing up.
it never really hurt but i could feel it grinding around.
my ortho said surgey was the best thing for it. the next day i got some hardware


and a nice scar


my biggest problem after the fix was not using to much. it felt normal again the next day

 

mine was from rolling this... at my sons birthday party with an 8 year old kid on the back... not the best thing to do... the kid was fine i knocked him off before it flipped at 35 mph

 

My fracture looked similar to above but it overlaps a little more. I opted to let it heal naturally which in hindsight I think was a mistake. I think some of my shoulder issues are related to my broken clavicle.

 

Part of the reason the doc fixed mine is i shoot competition archery and having my shoulder out of normal position was not going to be ok. I also shoot gun a lot and wear heavy packs so there really was not much choice. All in all im glad i had the surgery.