Plate it. I broke mine last September. Doc gave me the usual speech with the positives and negatives of plating and not plating. Then, he said given my hobbies, my work, and the fact I spend a lot of time in the gym that there really wasn't a decision to be made. He looked at me and said, "If we don't plate it, you're going to be MISERABLE for 6 weeks...". I said, "Good, I'd planned on basically DEMANDING that you plate it". The appointment was made, plate installed, and I raced 3 weeks later with the blessing of the Doctor. 'Nuff said. Now, 8 months later, I'm ready to have the plate out. It's nothing terrible but it's a bit annoying. I can feel the screws and the edges of the plate and would just rather not walk around with a hunk of metal in me. So, as soon as I can afford it, the thing is coming out. If I ever break another clavicle, I'd do it again. I literally went from having one relatively useless arm to going to the gym (no heavy lifting) overnight. :up:
As I am typing this I am set for surgery this Thursday to plate mine. One thing I suggest is make sure you do your research on your Doctors. Get more than one opinion (I got 4) and send your film to the ones you know who are recognized for being the best in their field. Most of the people who race are active athletic types. So find a good Orthopedic who does alot of athletes and has done this surgery 100's of times. I was fortunate my Dr. does all the Miami Dolphins & Florida Marlins. I am certainly against surgery and will only choose it as a last result. After researching and discussing my options I will go with the plate. Everyone is different make sure to do your Dr research, get the best information possible and make your own decision. For the rest of you fellow platers; How long after plating did you get back to full range of motion?
My doctor also wouldn't plate mine so I found a sports doctor. he was the doc for the Atlanta Thrashers. Pilot drilled the bone and inserted a stud with self starting threads on one end and machined on the other. Tightened two nuts against each other and screwed the stud in then took some bolt cutters and cut off the access. 8 days later I was racing and won both my Kawi money races that day.
My ortho told me that the one thing that he's learned in his 17 years of "practice" is that the less he does to a collar bone the better. Now mine happened when I was in my late 30s at VIR. He said if I were say a young guy and worried about getting back to action in sports(ie, high school QB, etc) he could plate it for a quick return but would be much greater potential for complications. I opted for no surgery and I'm glad I did. I have a bump on the shoulder but the collar bone is not a problem at all.
Why plate it when you can just replace it like Lance Armstrong. Besides, the replacement is carbon fiber.... http://www.bikerumor.com/2009/04/01/lance-armstrongs-carbon-fiber-collarbone-replacement/
Plate that shit and come to Pueblo...... In all seriousness mine was fubared, I broke it 2 times in 30 days... Let is "heal" on its own, it didn't take any force to snap it in half 29 days later.... Had it plated, never looked back.
My doctor is the one for the broncos and avalanche here in Denver. I think this main concern is one of me crashing again, hes not to involved in the sport but said it was a concern he was going to call up to the steadman clinic based in Vail that just did mellisa paris.To see what her doc recommended but right now im leaning towards no plate but we will see tomorrow all in all i know the doctors are the best this state has to offer but my mental state is leaning towards a metal free body
You pussy... chicks dig scars, and the metal will make the bone that much stronger..... you have to look forward to snapping the colar bone on either end with the plate, doesn't that sound fun. Lee in all honesty, if you don't plate it... I'd stay off the bike for the season. Unless your drinking gallons of milk a day. Mine didn't feel like it had healed at all in 4 weeks, and like I said, took a 2' fall to snap it in half... but your body, your choice. :up:
Broke my right clavicle on the dirt bike last year. It was almost a compound fracture poking through the skin. Broke in 4 pieces. The doctor said I had no choice but to plate it with 8 screws. I was in quite a bit of pain a few days after surgery, however after the 1st week pain subsided substantially. It still took about 2 months before I could ride again, however plating will def speed up the process. You can always remove the plate, but my doc said it shouldn't be an issue if left in.
I voted to plate it. But, I (IMHO) wouldn't race on it. I had my femur and humerus plated at the same time and did not race until the plate was removed from the humerus.(one year later) Ortho said it would be too rigid and may break near the joint (don't want that) I wasn't a pro though, just an addicted club racer. Got the plate removed from the femur the day after I won my first expert race.... way back in `92. Had many happy years racing after that. 16 years more with no breaks, (couple `o sprains,and contusions though.) Good luck in your decision my friend.
PLATE IT! Yours, like mine, will likely never heal back to one solid piece without something keeping it correctly in place. You usually can remove the plate after the healing is complete - I'm planning on getting mine out this fall when I can spare a couple months from sports + etc to allow the holes in the bone to fill in. (Currently playing rugby.. don't really wanna weaken the collarbone for that lol.) I was back in the weight room exactly six weeks after my surgery, and felt confident enough with my shoulder to have gone in three or four weeks after, just didn't want to risk anything. For re-breaking concerns, I brought that up to the doctor and he said that the plate is actually quite flexible. If I were to break the bone again, the plate would simply bend along the break (as opposed to remaining stiff and possibly ripping screws out or causing a compound fracture). He said they have to be flexible, for them to be able to form the plate to the bone. If you look closely at it, you'll notice it has thinner sections in between the screws, much like tire weight strips - that's where it bends.
Here is a pic of my friends dads collar bone, her dad smacked a concrete retaining wall while he was out riding his KTM. He also broke the opposite arm in this wreck.
Mine don't look that trick... `course it's been 19 years since. They were made from stainless, but don't seem anywhere near as flexible as bone. FYI, I ran like a gimp until I got the plate removed from my femur. Now I just run like a gimp because I'm a gimp.
Guys, I'm having 2nd thoughts about my opinion about not plating it. It's been two months now and though I can rotate my arm around I'm constantly feeling a pinch at the base of my neck, front & back of my shoulder right above my armpit, and pressure where the two bones have fused together. Is this normal for those who didn't plate yours? I'll give it another month and if it continues to bother me I'm going to ask the Dr. to break the bone and plate it.
Have you had it checked out to see if it's healing? Maybe you have a non-union. My non-plated break took a LONG ASS time to feel "normal" again.
Being a motorcyclist you should already know that you are not going to leave that arm alone enough to let that bone set properly. Mine looks like a boomerang but on the good note I can open a beer with it now. Plate it and then have the plate removed two years later. That way both collar bones will be equal in length and your shoulders will be the same height.
I say if there is a chance in hell it will heal, don't do it. I regret it everyday. The second time I broke it, they left it alone. So now I have a jacked up clavicle and and a piece of useless metal in my clavicle. I've always wanted to get the metal removed. From my ankle, leg, and clavicle. But I don't know if they will.
I had another x-ray done last month and Doc said it looks good. I look at the x-rays and there's a inch gap between the two bones. He grabs my fingers and says, "Feel it? It's healing fine and you'll have a nice big thick ball between the two bones." ^^^ Oh shiet...I just re-read what I typed and damn that reads funny! Anyhow, next appointment is in Aug. I'll ask him about the pinching nerve. It's sorta hard to stay asleep at times.
