Latest member of the clavicle club

Taking it easy, minding my own business coming back down from Cocktail Rock and the next thing I know I'm being thrown over the bars and down the hill. Could feel the collarbone had gone just by touching it
Climbed back up to the trail and tucked my busted wing into the straps of my pack and went looking for the culprit. A little bastard rock in the grass on the side of the trail, front wheel had clipped it and the rest was history.

Managed to walk out back to my truck and drive myself home, big shout out to the e-biker that passed me (obviously broken) and didn't say a word. I'd call you a **** but well they're useful and quite frankly your not.

ER doc reckons I could get away with a brace and let it heal naturally but I think I'll see an ortho and see if I can get some titanium upgrades

Ah well, I was staring at no bike for a month with having to do a warranty return on my seatpost, guess now is the time to do it. Just have to figure out how I'm going to do it with only one arm.

 

That sucks......but it's the easiest bone to break, and the easiest to recover from.

 

Sorry, Man... That blows.

 

Bummer

 

Ah, that sucks man. It looks like it happened towards the end, which is good anyway. That would be a hell of a walk out from the top.

Heal up quick.

 

Sorry to hear it, Simon. Speedy and full recovery!

OTOH... Getting bit on occasion can be the price of admission. You have to admit you’ve been railing pretty hard for awhile. So one clavicle is not a bad reminder of mortality that could intercede a worse injury.

 

No bueno.

I think you must be doing it wrong. Heal up quick!!

 

Instant debilitation...mine was bad enough that surgical fixation was needed (comminuted fracture into 3 pieces, badly misaligned). I think the decision to sling or fixate is based on how close alignment is, my ortho mentioned what the limit was, can't recall I think was on the order of an inch or less. Yours sounds less severe if you were able to drive, while I did walk out about 3 miles, I would not have been able to safely drive. Anyway even with a big repair plate as shown, I was doing easy rides 7 weeks after surgery, and pretty much full recovery now 10 months on. I think I got stainless steel parts...and some permanent nylon straps left in place.

 

Sorry to hear kiwi....

 

Well Sh!t!

At least you weren't the pansy who received a helicopter ride instead of walking out.

And 1000 curses to the e-biker. I like your comment about a--holes though. i'm going to have to use it. The comment that is. Well and the... oh never mind.

Heal quickly and completely my friend. I will tell you that I feel my plate and screws all day every day. No pain, just a presence - bothersome at times in the same way an irritaing sound or smell can be. Not painful, just irritating.

Keep us posted whether you get surgical enhancements or go figure 8.

 

Sorry to hear about your injury. Hope you can keep your spirits up during the healing process.

 

Flat bit at the top of the last lot switchbacks before you get back to the car park. So the walk of shame wasn't to long.

Thanks dude, you are absolutely right! I was fully expecting to come undone on the Luge at some point, I probably wouldn't have minded if it was there. I should have taken a pic of the scene, its just.... nothing, flat wide trail.

TBH I probably shouldn't have driven but no cell phone reception at the parking lot so had no choice but to try. I'd got the nearly pass out/throw up phase out of the way getting my backpack off. Driving stick in a lowered truck in that state is not something I'll be rushing out and repeating again but once I got going I figured out a method that worked and to get home was on all quiet roads with little traffic. I actually started feeling like a proper Californian on the road as indicating became to hard most of the time so I just gave up .

@Ocpop took a look at my x-ray and reckons I'm up for a spot of surgery. He's been kind enough to share his Ortho so I'll talk to him tomorrow.

 

Its a bit like a magic eye pic for me. They took this upwards angle shot checking my ribs and apparently it shows the break best. Fecked if I can see it (clearly I'm not a doctor!)

 

I say old bean, looks to me like you've 2 left arms!

 

Even though I liked your original post, I really don't like it.
I'm still on the intact collar bone train = not a real cyclist.
Here's to good healing, no matter which route is needed.

 

Titanium rocks!
I used to think that collar bones were the worse until I fractured my pelvis.

6 weeks and you will be on the trail!

 

Maybe even less than 6 weeks if you get it plated
Heal up well Kiwi!

 

Translation: Don't follow @Mikie

 

Heal up fast Simon!
Sorry to hear about the break, but will be mostly good as new in 6 weeks. Then we can hit a trail! Not literally, but figuratively.

 

Bummer....both times I’ve broken something on a MTB, I was just “cruising along” on terrain that wasn’t particularly challenging and in places I’ve ridden many times. I do better and have less “issues” on sketchy terrain where I focus 110%. I hope that trend continues over the next week.

I’ve broke my collarbone, playing tackle football but was also much younger and after two weeks of wearing the brace, I was back in action. Good luck on your recovery....and your warranty story is a good lesson why everyone needs a minimum of two bikes

 

Guessing more like 8 weeks for a reasonable mt bike ride on semi-bumpy terrain, but what do I know?

He'll be breaking his Luge PR by the 4th of July!

 

Heal up fast!

Breaking our bodies is never enjoyable... recovery is the key...

 

Yeah.... He's right......

 

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone!

I've managed to get an appointment this afternoon to see someone so now I can get a proper assessment of where things are at, or more correctly not at

 

The ortho needs to know that you are an athlete looking to get back to your sport. If you are just another guy who happened to fall off a bike, they will err on the side of no surgery. If they know you are an athlete, they will consider surgery more seriously.

I’m happier with the surgery on my left clavicle than I am with the no-surgery on the right. My$.02. Talk to your dr....

 

Looks to me like you are about to sprout a pair of wings. Well played!

 

Nailing it.
I ALWAYS tell my doctor that he has to treat me like a Ferrari and not some Soccer Mom's van. I share it's easy to figure out where they live. I leave it at that and leave them wondering...

 

I went to ortho... Thinking cast... Next thing I know they wheeling me into surgery room and I'm off to lala land... Go home w thumb bandage up.. didn't even know I had fish hooks in my hand until couple weeks later...