Walt Hollis

Member
Apr 8, 2002
85
0
I landed after a nice double at LACR while practicing for this weekends Over the Hill Gang race and the guy in front of me just parked it. Hit the brakes to hard and crashed busting the old clavicle. Last time I broke one of these was 20 years ago. At age 38 I wonder how long I will be off my bike? Doctor says no sports at all for one month after he stopped laughing at me for racing MX at 38.

Anybody been there done this and be able to confirm or deny that it will take a month, longer? Shorter?

Thanks,

Walt
 

Zerotact

~SPONSOR~
Dec 10, 2002
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I snapped mine, this spring, I made sure I did nothing on it for 6 weeks. AS reccomended by my doctor. It was still quite sore when I rode the 1st time.
 

Pit Man

Member
Feb 16, 2003
14
0
I broke my collar bone July 27th this year. I'm 35 and it took me about 6 weeks to get healed up enough to start even putting pressure on the collar bone. Now nine weeks later I've ridden and have felt some soreness but not bad. I still don't want to get overly agressive on the track and risk a crash though.
So at our ages healing just takes longer.
My doc just shook his head at me-he thinks I'm a nutcase for riding and racing.
Good luck and let's get healed up for next year!
 

Walt Hollis

Member
Apr 8, 2002
85
0
It has been 3 days since I have broken this thing and I have to say it &%$#@!. I have broken many other bones, legs, arms, ankles, wrists over my life and nothing has hurt as much as this. When you break your arm, they set it which hurts like hell, but then once the cast is on, the pain pretty much goes away and you just have to deal with an annoying cast.

Collarbones don't really "get set" they get pulled back together over time by this brace thing I am wearing. There is really no way to sleep comfortably, driving is out, even buttoning my pants is a pain.

Is this the norm or am I just a wuss?
 

HONDAENDURO

~SPONSOR~
Jan 28, 2002
47
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I broke my collarbone the 17th of August and wore a sling until the 23rd of September when the ortho said to quit using it, but not to put pressure on the arm or lift with the arm. I also have a stiff upper arm from not using the arm for so long. My collarbone hurt more at first but never hurt as much as what a lot of other people have expressed. It seems that there is a lot of variation in pain with this injury. I have been racing for 20 years, riding for almost 30 and this is the only broken bone, aside from a broken toe, that I have sustained. I would like to blame it on my near new bell moto 7, which I have only worn twice. I was wearing an Arai with a movable chin bar before I started using the bell. My fall happened when the throttle stuck wide open and I layed the bike over and probably fell into the bike. I have read that it does not take much pressure in the right place to break the collarbone. I may consider riding the 16th of November but it is probably going to be next year. After losing this much time it makes me very nervous about getting hurt again and ever riding again, this is probably the worst part to me.
 

dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member
May 3, 2000
5,349
3
Walt - When I broke mine into 3 pieces, it started hurting pretty bad around Day 3, and it was quite painful for about a week.  Then it very gradually got better.  Was still sensitive to touch or wrong movements at 8 weeks, but I could ride then (but not 100%).

You may be better off trying to sleep in a Lazy-Boy recliner. 

I've heard that the majority of dirt bike related broken collar bones are caused by the helmet being forced into the bone.  Makes sense to me.  Not sure if mine was broken by my helmet or not.   
 

Jon K.

~SPONSOR~
Mar 26, 2001
1,354
4
Walt;

A collarbone is a major pain in the butt. EVERYTHING is connected to your collarbone. Your freakin' little toe on the opposite foot is hooked to your collarbone!

How do you feel about all the stories you have heard of people racing with a broken clavicle? The latest was the recent Tour de France guy who rode for two weeks with a broken collarbone. I say bull****!!

I broke one when I was 17. It took 6 weeks to heal, 7 weeks to race, 8 weeks to really start feeling right.

I broke one when I was 42. Same deal. 6 weeks to heal. I was astounded at how well it healed up.

If yours is like mine was; you will sleep in a chair for a week. After a week, move to your bed and sleep on your back for two weeks. After a couple of weeks on your back; you might be able to roll over on your good side. It will be a while before you can sleep on your bad side.
 

podia

Member
Aug 31, 2000
187
0
this is interesting, i broke my left clavicle on 6th july

and i havent got back into riding till today, 1st oct and
i going to ride on this sunday.

i have got this phobia in me now, i'm afraid i might hurt it again
and i got problem turning to sleep on my left
it still get sore after a while

i broke mine into 2 pieces, and i trying to stretch whenever i can
to prevent stiffness
 

DaleD

Member
Oct 3, 2003
1
0
Yeah, it was closer to 8 weeks for me, but I'm 44. I ditched the figure-8 after about a week. The first few weeks are critical to setting the bone properly, so do the right things early.
 

Unknown Ctrl

Member
Jan 24, 2002
77
0
well...broke the left cbone this past Sundat at the SETRA/FTR Capitol City Enduro. can anyone say high speed get off....crunch...

see the Ortho tomorrow....not too much pain for now....just a pain in the azz. clean break on the xray mid way up....

any idea on the recovery time? 32 y/o...
 

oldguy

Always Broken
Dec 26, 1999
9,419
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I broke my collarbone on July 16 and altho there was little pain with it it is a pain in the ***. When I went in for a 6 week checkup there was no sign of calcification at the bone overlay. I go in tommorow for another checkup and fingers crossed I hope it has at least started healing as I now have very little discomfort and can actually sleep on it now.
Age sure does make a difference in healing my 14 yr old son broke his last season and was racing again in 4 weeks
As for the racing with a broken collarbone- last week at dirtweek Mick broke his just before the pro/a class and still raced 3 motos.
 

oldguy

Always Broken
Dec 26, 1999
9,419
0
Found out from the Dr today that there is a shadow of calcium forming at the break and he feels it will heal over the winter (now glad I passed up riding at DW). Noticed today after the first full day out of the figure8 brace that the shoulder really hurts and I am almost tempted to ignore the Drs advice to not wear it anymore so I can start strengthening the shoulder.
At least I should be good to go by ski season :yeehaw: :aj:
 

Jon K.

~SPONSOR~
Mar 26, 2001
1,354
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Unknown CTRL; sorry to hear about the clavical. Is this your first?


As for the racing with a broken collarbone- last week at dirtweek Mick broke his just before the pro/a class and still raced 3 motos. [/B]


Was that Mick Dundee? Really; I just don't get it. I have broken three, and in every case, there was just no freakin' way that any further competition was possible. I did ride out of the woods on two of the occasions, but to race? Had I tried, I would have had to pull over and throw up every few feet.

As it was, the ambulance guy pulled on one of them a couple of times, and I had to sit down before I passed out on the ground. Got dizzy, got tunnel vision, and my hearing shut down. Weird stuff!

But these stories persist. I have concluded that either;

A: I am a wuss,

B: These stories are a bunch of bull,

C: Men of steel do exist, or

D; Not all breaks are the same.

I am leaning toward either "A" or "D" :)

Old Guy; have you broken bones in the past? Did they heal slowly? Seems I have heard of people who naturally have trouble with bones healing slowly.
 

Smit-Dog

Mi. Trail Riders
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Oct 28, 2001
4,704
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Originally posted by oldguy
... Noticed today after the first full day out of the figure8 brace that the shoulder really hurts and I am almost tempted to ignore the Drs advice to not wear it anymore so I can start strengthening the shoulder.

My doc told me that once the bone has set up and started to heal, it will actually help the bone heal faster by micro-stressing it. As long as the bone has stopped moving around and you are fairly comfortable without wearing the figure-8, by allowing the bone break area to be stressed/tweaked slightly periodically throughout the week, it will cause more "bone glue" to form and set-up at the break.

Originally posted by oldguy
... As for the racing with a broken collarbone- last week at dirtweek Mick broke his just before the pro/a class and still raced 3 motos.
I believe that this happened, but I just can't believe that it was a complete and/or multiple break. I broke mine in 3 pieces, and couldn't even lift my hand/arm above waist level for the first 3 weeks. Loose, grinding bone fragments are extremely painful, especially along the collarbone where there are a lot of nerves and blood vessels that run along this bone. I couldn't drive a car semi-comfortably with 2 hands for a good 4 weeks; I can't imagine riding a dirt bike over rough terrain with a fresh break. :scream:
 

Unknown Ctrl

Member
Jan 24, 2002
77
0
Kemp,

you know that old SERA guys are tougher than nails....but riding out of that section with the broken cbone was a b*%&ch.

it is my first bad injury since 1985 when I tore my knee up at no other than your old race at Kentwood...LTR. G-OUT on a powerline and wrenched the knee.

anyways...should be good to go in January, just bumbed about missing Perry Mtn.
 

oldguy

Always Broken
Dec 26, 1999
9,419
0
My break as well as Mick's may have been less painfull because they were ones in which the bone ends overlapped and didn't grind together. Mine for all practical purposes was not painfull when it occurred. I was thrown over the bars and landed on my head which drove the lower edge of the helmet into the collarbone breaking it. As I laid on the ground I started the whole routine of toes work, knees work, legs work, on up until it was right arm works, Left arm doesn't. I could feel the bone ends moving but was able to walk back to the truck, drive home, get changed and then head to the hospital. I was able to use the arm altho not with weight. I really felt that the fracture was far less painfull then when I tore the rotator cuff away a couples years back. I actually went ATVing and Whitewater rafting in Colorado 10 days after the fracture and it hurt with impacts but not anymore then smashing my good shoulder against rocks.
My son also fractured his collarbone last year in an almost identical style and had very little pain so my guess is you can rule out being a wuss and lean towards all breaks are different- altho now that I think of it of the 10 or so collarbone breaks I saw at DW all were up walking around still partaking in non bike activities except for Mick but I wouldn't rule out insanity in his case.;)
As far as previous bone fractures yes I have done at least 10 I remember and all healed in routine times- this one just seems slow whether due to age, or other factors I don't have a clue.
 

Smit-Dog

Mi. Trail Riders
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Oct 28, 2001
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Originally posted by oldguy
... altho now that I think of it of the 10 or so collarbone breaks I saw at DW all were up walking around still partaking in non bike activities except for Mick but I wouldn't rule out insanity in his case.;)
10 or so people broke their CB at DW '03?

.... wow ...
 

Jon K.

~SPONSOR~
Mar 26, 2001
1,354
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Originally posted by oldguy
I actually went ATVing and Whitewater rafting in Colorado 10 days after the fracture

Wouldn't that be a critical time for the healing? Perhaps you did some damage to the process.
 

2023maple

Member
Oct 20, 2003
7
0
I am 36 and broke mine 6/29 in Walnut, IL. Displaced and 3 pieces. It took about 6 weeks before I could use the arm/shoulder for anything and 2 months before I tried riding the bike around the yard. Finally, in late Sept. I raced a harescrambles and felt good, just the expected soreness. I still wake up every morning stiff (only the shoulder!), but I hope that will slowly get better. I suggest you get good x-rays when you break it, mine did not show the displacement and now I have a good size lump.

Bryan
 

BigSchafft

Member
Apr 20, 2000
84
0
Im 28 and broke my collarbone into 3 pieces 2 years ago. I remember it being very painfull and difficult to sleep. 6 weeks is the magic number for the bones to have begun fusing back together. I think the biggest thing is to wear the figure 8 brace until you feel like the your shoulder posture has lined back up correctly, then you can get rid of the brace, and then do a good amount of Physical Therapy (PT or Pain and Torture). When I ride I have only felt pain through the clavicle once on a hard landing from a jump but it just went numb momentarily and went away.

Now Im rehabbing my torn acl and meniscus in my knee waiting to relearn how to walk properly so I can go buy my 04 CR250. Good Luck with the healing.
 

Psalm31.24

Member
Dec 5, 2002
147
0
Dirt Bike Dave said: I've heard that the majority of dirt bike related broken collar bones are caused by the helmet being forced into the bone. Makes sense to me. Not sure if mine was broken by my helmet or not.

Does this mean neck rolls (or whatever they're called) help?
 

HONDAENDURO

~SPONSOR~
Jan 28, 2002
47
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I broke my collarbone the 17th of August, and it was my second ride with a neck roll as well as a new Bell full face helmet. I wonder if the Arai with a movable chin piece, like I previlusly wore, would have been less apt to have broke the collarbone? When you look at helmets some are flatter across the bottom as you set them on a flat surface, and some have a bit of a rise in the middle.
 

jsned

~SPONSOR~
May 17, 2000
468
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Broke mine oct 25 2003, two days ago. All they gave me was a regular sling no kind of figure 8 thing. Says on the paper they gave me wear the sling most of the day but take it off a few times. fof 1 week. I am at work it doesnt hurt to bad and the doctor said just take it easy for a couple of weeks it would be okay. It is sticking up quite a bit. I am going to call and ask about the figure 8 thing. Maybe mine aint so bad but it seems to be 10 times better already.
 
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