Has anyone had a broken collar bone plated? How painful is it and how was the recovery?

[R2D2]

I got bucked off my idiot horse two weeks ago and broke my collar bone. It was painful, but not the blinding agony I expected a broken bone would be, and was rapidly improving. I have now been told it needs surgery as the bone is sticking out under the skin. I keep hearing horror stories about how the surgery is worse than the original injury, and am now a little bit terrified. I m guessing there are a few people on here who've had this done, so I was wondering if anyone would care to share how the surgery compared to the initial break, and how long i took to get over?

 

[Hallo2012]

i broke my collarbone at the shoulder end and smashed the tip of my shoulder off, had to have it all plated.

the surgery was fine, i was only on painkillers for 4/5 days and back on a quiet horse 2 weeks and 5 days later.

i had it out after 6 months as it was too proud and consultant was worried if i fell and landed on it i would split the whole shoulder and need a skin graft to close it.

having it out was a doddle,, i was putting fencing up the same afternoon!

get yourself to a private physio who specializes in rugby players and NH jockeys within a week of surgery. NHS will say immobile for 12 weeks, i was moving mine after 48 hours. it is SO worth the money.

 

[R2D2]

Brilliant thank you, that sounds a lot more positive. Hopefully my experience will be more like yours, and I will definitely look into early physio.

 

[JillA]

Mine was never reset - it was almost 20 years ago and I still have an overlap of one end of the bone over the other, the sides fused. And that shoulder is obviously shorter than the other and can still ache. If it had been offered to me I would have jumped at it (someone told me the medics are reluctant to interfere due to the amount of nerves in that area) especially if I had known the long term effects of not having it done

 

[Abi90]

Mine was never reset - it was almost 20 years ago and I still have an overlap of one end of the bone over the other, the sides fused. And that shoulder is obviously shorter than the other and can still ache. If it had been offered to me I would have jumped at it (someone told me the medics are reluctant to interfere due to the amount of nerves in that area) especially if I had known the long term effects of not having it done

Same! Mine causes me problems every day and I get shooting pains up it which I think is nerve damage. It got broken at the shoulder end and all the ligaments went with it. I wish they had plated it as it took nearly 4 months to heal as well

 

[Shay]

Mine wasn't plated either - I don't think the surgery to do it was that developed at the time. Although I have very little pain (possibly becuase of the constant pain from a later broken and pinned back!) The shoulder is visibly deformed. Bra straps do not stay up and I cannot carry a bag on that side. In contrast I have known 2 or 3 riders in recent years who had broken collar bones plated who have a much better outcome - both cosmetically and physically. Hallo 2012 is absolutely right about getting a suitable physio - which will probably have to be private. When I was recovering from breaking my back the NHS were adamant I would not ride again - and in fairness they did a good job of getting me walking at all! - but it was an equine sports physio who got me the rest of the way and back on a horse.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I know someone whose collarbone would not heal, there was a gap between the ends of the bones. Local hospital kept telling her to wait, 'it takes time' but there was no progress. Eventually she paid for a private consultation at a different hospital and was told that it would never heal, she needed a plate putting in. She had that done on the NHS at the 2nd hospital and has not had a problem since, although she often uses crutches because of a different issue.

 

[Celtic Fringe]

My younger son (age 21) had his collarbone fixed with a plate last week - the two ends of the bone were overlapping quite a lot. He flung himself off his mountain bike before he intended to! He says the injury isn't too painful and he isn't taking any painkillers. He didn't react brilliantly to the general anaesthetic but was fine in 24 hours once he'd had enough food and fluids and a good sleep at home. Our local hospital has given him a whole booklet of physio exercises to do, some starting immediately. The surgeon said that in younger people and those who are physically active it is worth having it pinned as the long term outcome is much better.

 

[R2D2]

Thanks for the replies. Definitely sounds like I am better off having it done even if it does make me nervous. To be fair I currently have a very unattractive spike of bone sticking up on top of one of the bits of my collar bone, and I would not want to be left with that.

 

[Abi90]

The surgeon said that in younger people and those who are physically active it is worth having it pinned as the long term outcome is much better.

Ah so that’s why as a 27 year old with a physically active hobby and a job that requires you to retain a certain level of fitness that not having it plated despite them umming and erring has left me in chronic pain

 

[irishdraft]

I had my collar bone plated 6 weeks ago on the shoulder end . There was no chance of the bones coming together so although I was reluctant I had to have it done . I haven't had much pain and saw the consultant yesterday who couldn't believe I hadnt had any physio. The movement of my arm is unaffected compared to my right arm where I broke the shoulder in January my movement is still restricted despite phsio. I started riding after 2 weeks of it being plated but I have only been hacking as yet .

 

[R2D2]

I'm liking the sound of being back riding in two weeks!