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Broken Bone advice - any orthopedic docs here?

5K views 21 replies 16 participants last post by  goodprofessionaldoctor 
#1 · (Edited)
Had a crash yesterday, Missus has a broken clavical.

X-rays show a clean break 1/2 way along the bone, its a very clean break but the bones are nowhere near each other.

Egyptian docs have put it in a sling and say it will knit but I think they are too far apart, the piece nearest the neck is pointing downwards - I know nothing of this sort of shit but to me it looks like someone should go in there and pull it into postition.
.

Any ideas????
 
#4 ·
Broken collar bone? Routine motorcycle injury. Mine have lumps on from all the mends.
You get a sling and after the first couple you don't bother with it as it makes no difference to how long they take to heal. The sling just lines the ends up but if you don't put the arm in the right place it hurts to remind you to do it right.
I turned up for one orthopaedics session après break with no sling and carrying a motorcycle helmet. I got told off and was given a new sling. Like did they expect me to drive back to work one handed?
Don't worry about it. Collar bones just mend themselves. They're like ribs. Really.
 
#9 ·
I was going to write something all clever and medical but this pretty much sums it up. The sling will lead to a slightly better lining up of the bones, so probably a good idea unless you are feeling especially rebellious.

On your return to the UK your GP should be your first port of call to get you referred to fracture clinic to ensure all is healing well. If it makes you feel any better the clavicle is the fastest healing bone in the body, and when my mate hit diesel and followed his GS through a hedge the experimental operation he had to rejoin the bits actually delayed the healing process (the mate concerned is an anaesthetic pre-assessment nurse at our local hospital, the surgeon neglected to mention he was the first patient to udergo this new procedure, but thats another story; stick with the sling...)
 
#5 ·
My left collar bone was broken in a bike crash when I was 18, one half joins the other half which is off set, there is a lump where the two halves joined it has not made any noticeable difference to anything... a sling is all it needs, along with good posture and some pain relief...
 
#6 ·
No fetching for me, I tore my knee open to the bone and chipped bits of bone off it..... If we were horses they'd put us down!

But get this:

In Egyptian law both parties are to be treated equally until blame is apportioned, so after hospital yesterday I had 8 hours sat infront of a custody Sgt, then sent home after surrendering passport only to be put in handcuffs and put in a prison wagon this morning to be transported 100km to the nearest jail/courthouse.... kept in holding cells for 4 hours then released when they realised it was all the coach drivers fault and told to get a taxi home...... WTF - and they call this "Living the Dream"
 
#12 ·
I looked into this after a 'failure to fly' moment while mountain biking. The stuff I read didnt suggest much difference in healing time and suggested surgery wasnt worth it unless there was a significant displacement of the broken bits. Welcome to sling world.

This article was good, decent references if you can be bothered to follow them through. Do all displaced midshaft clavicle fractures need surgery?

I think the most interesting line in it is the bit where they say if things look like they might heal naturally, theres no downside to trying that even if you later need surgery (paraphrasing a lot).

Good luck.

ps. quacks love it when you do internet research, it makes their day ;)
 
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#15 ·
This article was good, decent references if you can be bothered to follow them through. Do all displaced midshaft clavicle fractures need surgery?
From my own experience* this explains the situation very well.

*In mid November 2011 I fell off a very large horse. I've had two operations so far with the possiblilty of a third coming up. It's still sore but I did my first (puddle) dive a couple of weeks back.
 
#13 ·
Hi Stevie,
In uk practice I would reckon less than 1in20 fractired clavicles end up with internal fixation not a nice op as well. Thos is for failure to heal about 6weeks down the line. I am not an orthopod bit have gassed trsuma lists most of my carreer. There ate a lot more clavicle fractures than I ever see. If it is still lose and painful in 6 weeks see an orthopod.
regards
Tim Digger
 
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#19 ·
Just and update.

She has had a titanium plate screwed into the clavical, after 3 weeks convalescing at home she went back to work and picked up an infection made worse by the heat, we had to send her back to the cold dark and damp UK to get her treated and let it heal - all is well know :teeth:
 
#20 ·
V pleased to hear that. Tell her to be oh so carefull. I pulled the screws out of my first plate and had to have it removed.

Anyway, to update those interested, 3 1/2 weeks ago I had another plate put in. This time instead of using artificial bone graft material they used the real thing. Scraping a load of goo out of the top of my pelvis (Iliac Crest). I had to stay in two nights before the bleeding from the shoulder wound stopped but I had the op on Friday and was back at my desk on Monday. The shoulder was sore but the hip wound was another thing. Even a week later it was taking me 10 minutes to walk 100m (much to the dog's disgust). I can now hobble around a little better and I've stopped taking loads of Tramadol.

The shoulder is good and the hip is getting better. Should be diving in a couple of months!

One weird thing is that for each operation they did things differently. The first was stitched up with blue nylon thread and never stopped bleeding. The second (done by a plastic surgeon) used dissolving thread and was perfect from day one. The third op was stuck together with glue. Bled for a day or so and then, after loving attention from a nurse who massaged the blood out, was dry and good. I would have thought they would have a standard procedure for these things? The hip wound was closed with 15 steel staples and ended up with a haematoma the size of my fist, now much smaller.

ATB
Ian
 
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