Clavicle Fracture, two weeks in;

Clavicle fractures are a common injury for cyclists, commonly the result of a blow directly to the shoulder. The clavicle, commonly called the collarbone, acts as a strut between the rib cage and shoulder blade. The bone facilitates shoulder mobility in all directions.

Breaking the bone didn’t hurt too bad, but I had plenty of road rash which may have overwhelmed the pain of the broken bone. I’ve heard plenty of cyclists say that when you break your collarbone, you’ll know. They report a loud noise and feeling a pop. My fall was loud, dragging the bike on the ground, so I can’t verify that. I can tell you that when your collarbone is broken (and displaced, as mine is), you’ll know. You should go to the ER and have the diagnosis confirmed. A clavicle fracture puts you at risk for a long list of other injuries, from lung punctures to severe bleeding, so get it looked at.

The X-ray above is two weeks after the fall. For the first week, your shoulder will be swollen and movement will be painful. That will last for a few days, but it’s an important stage of healing. There’s conflicting research regarding the effect of Non-Steroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAID) on fracture healing; I’ve seen plenty of people suggesting that continued use of NSAID’s slows the healing of fractures, but most studies are conducted on animals and many have mixed results.

There’re a few things that you can do to speed fracture recovery. First, smoking and alcohol consumption will slow the healing process, so it’s a good time to quit smoking and switch the suds with a water bottle for a few weeks. You want to get back to a healthy diet as soon as possible; there are several vitamins and minerals that have been found to slow fracture healing when deficient in the diet. Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Calcium are all important. The best way to make sure you’re getting all these necessary vitamins and nutrients is to focus on eating whole fruits and vegetables, as well as drinking plenty of water. See this review of fracture healing research for more: https://online.boneandjoint.org.uk/doi/pdf/10.1302/0301-620X.89B12.19671 

The stages of bone healing are Inflammation, Soft Callus formation, Hard Callus Formation, and remodeling. For what it’s worth, the inflammation stage took a week. I don’t know yet the healing time for a soft callus to form but will continue to update as possible. I am in a sling to prevent shoulder movement and have good range of motion with no pain. My fracture is mid-shaft, displaced, and has one butterfly fragment.

If you’re reading this because you’ve suffered a clavicle fracture, I hope you have a speedy recovery. It’s been three weeks since I took my fall and fractured my clavicle. As a cyclist, it’s going to be hard. You’re going to get slower. Your friends are going to keep getting faster. The best you can do now is heal and do it quickly and correctly.