So I’m 14 and broke my collarbone over 3 months ago whilst riding. I got discharged from hospital at around 3 months (NHS). They said that it hasn’t fully healed so I need to be careful for the next few months. They also said (reluctantly) I can ride a bike now 🙂
When I first did it, they said id probably need surgery, but a few days later I was told that it wasn’t necessary due to my age.
Looking at the x rays, I could tell that it healed a bit wonky. The way that its healed means that the larger bit of bone is pointing slightly outwards. The annoying part is that I can feel this on my skin whenever anything touches it and is quite uncomfortable and sometimes painful. Also, whenever i move it in a certain way, it clicks a lot every time which I didn’t expect
My question is basically just asking if that is going to go away as it heals and gels up, or if I’m just going to have to live with a spiky bit of bone sticking out my shoulder for the rest of my life? Is correction surgery an option?
Has anyone else experienced this? Any information is be appreciated. Thanks
[X-RAY](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ABLVV85bIZ5Fenf8_QGRhoA4zFCL4Lfb9AWpQce194aWqwNwJBxPwUV4LakiqwOGpK5U5x_o1PJo5M6RrxX4VqZ-ztvvXKMaz3CB6bgh4Y8RTB_r5MlfHia6LXD72Of8fN7OGhblPJjbrp_in0GA-pMMJ82Q9bmI8ZWsbxeiqiRa_LVEM4zLS60PniX9L5MTt05M-D-zUigyYvUAb-uTyDsOR3xrXAb-2YPzLmUG2EXlOmZqNwLjXdOz4DnfCrFc_gKCPsNUS83d6HbOzlJboN8OwEzQ6p4kg97b3DkCUyE1-wYpmBTlN7CQhZejK-FqDP7OyXj_F4U1RrTdyaIoenITGKXCKXWrETTey1i0YV4Z_iPBOLDbx8V8eAN9sD-PayXOLa3HD96exvTPXiZE1SLZw6XlfYPz5tLpzo96zx8W-ZfiInm1hO4t4o1bdjDoRxJnTNsNV-2xNxZ5fzlQ0M9XTC76RHJoPHU0JKmxZxdspqBz4Anu-HgQV4jsYwUY8kQ9zoHq5A1dTQ04ujtKnjWmUG3A2RzS44k2YnnqjRxJlU9Gma-2nfjqCKHIdGLi_6RMBkm0BRrYeAIVGUFD_e-D6Mz_mOt5RHqEj6PVuaDGA5FFetgJtTwnKYkVPhy53oUWLrCaW3oy61kWn3wlH_3MSaJoklMfbc2OPYUdYo8LZMAQJwPvtXN5RtawhdmU1pTGTUwDnzsv4W4VcDhzkZzrGbRcQfD4tIPPfPFRv8Gm39_3mY1wNCMEHZ189B0N2xggW1xOvkHUnkuzu8bgACtU7NunIU_yDdqlx1bVkXtHY8UgZV5-0RO3DCQlNeTKzwUSML-Q7DPuT-TDUuyTYeyGIFj1YIqawlCVTSN1YaVqktzBbhhKLPw1Bdoj8o2Yk1_55HQ=w718-h957-s-no-gm?authuser=0) from the day I did it.
by MattyBoy_10
8 Comments
You can surgery to shave the spike off if it stays troublesome down the track. That’s a small easy op but rarely needed. First is to get the break healed- clicking feelings might mean it isn’t healed yet
I’m just one dude on the internet, but if I were you I would work with my parents to get another opinion. You’re 14, try your hardest right now to not live with annoying or painful things for the rest of your life. It might be surprising how long it is.
3 months of healing time at 14, how it is now is probably how it’s going to be forever.
I’ve shattered my collarbone, had reconstructive surgery on it, and more recently cleanly broke it (again), and I am concerned about what you are describing.
Second opinion
Do you have a check up X-ray?
Eat tons of fruits veggies nuts and lean proteins.
My experience : 35 years old. 3 screws in my left hand, 2 pins and a wire in my right elbow, and 11 screws and a plate in my right leg.
I’ve broke both collar bones on my bike and gotten surgery both times. One time it happened the doctor that initially saw me recommended I didn’t need surgery if I didn’t want it. In fact, he was strongly pushing me in that direction but ultimately it was my choice. I went with my gut and decided to get surgery anyways and very glad I did. The surgeon who worked on me told me that it was a complete mess and was ridiculous that the doctor recommended no surgery. Needless to say, sometimes you don’t always get good advice from a doctor. If your bone is sharp and poking the skin you should go speak to a surgeon about having it corrected. They can also break it and reset it properly with hardware. You don’t want a lifetime of problems due to this, especially at your young age. While surgery kind of sucks, once it’s healed you are better than ever minus some cool looking scars. Letting it heal naturally is taking more of a gamble. Just something to consider. Another opinion from an orthopedic surgeon would be extremely valuable for you, just to make sure you are doing the right thing. The sooner the better.
Both times after having fixation surgery, I was in the gym bench pressing heavy weight 8 weeks out from surgery, with the surgeons approval. This would not have been the case had I gone the natural route. I’m not saying that every break warrants surgery, but I’m just emphasizing the need for a second opinion from someone that specializes specifically in orthopedic surgery.
I broke mine in the same spot and did not have surgery. Recovery really sucked and I had a lot of pain jogging 8 months or more out and pushups still feel weird today. No the lump will not go away and that’s what you have to live with. Unless you are a top athlete it probably will not affect your life much in any way. The surgery to repair it would be the same as the one you would have right after so there’s no risk seeing how it goes and changing your mind later. It definitely taught me a lot about risks and reward with my riding… Good luck.
How’s your shoulder compared to the other? I’ve heard that letting it heal can result in some assymetry from one shoulder to the other. Hopefully you can get surgery to get it repaired properly. I was thankful that a REALLY broke mine. I clipped a tree with the end of the handlebar at high-speed and 100% of that energy went straight into my left shoulder and broke my collarbone into 5 pieces. 9 screws and one large plate later, that collarbone is stronger than it was before. Always get the surgery on collarbone injuries if you can. Hopefully it works out for you.
I’m pretty sure I broke my collarbone around 17 and never got an x ray or anything. It hurt for 3-4 weeks pretty good and I’m pretty sure the bones fused back together in a weird way because there is a raised bump on the middle of the collarbone and it’s hard as bone. It’s not symmetrical compared to the other side. Either way always get a 2nd opinion because you never know what injuries may come back to bother you 20-30 years down the road.