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AC Joint Reconstructive surgery

Original Post
Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

Took out my AC Joint in a downhill mountain bike crash...totally tooled on the the shouler, separated it, tore the ligaments and the clavicle is now floating around and pointing at the sky.

Has anyone had the reconstructive surgery and and idea what the recovery timeline looks like. I know I will miss the end of the rock season but would love to try to catch the remainder of the ice season this year.

thanks for any info you might have on this procedure.
Chris

Rik · · Tucson, AZ · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 5

I have a grade 5 AC separation, and I missed about 2 weeks of climbing before it didn't hurt to bad to climb. I decided not to have surgery, and it doesn't bother me at all after 3 years. Collar bone still sticks up though.

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

Thanks Rik.

I am seeing the surgeon tomorrow to go over some of my options. The pressure that I am feeling in my clavicle and the soreness in the shoulder after a month leads me to believe that surgery (at least in my case) is probably necessary. I guide, mountain bike, ice climb, tele-ske...so I think my Dr felt that this would probably be the best route to go...but...I am interested in seeing what the prognosis would be if I just left things alone!

Thanks bro
Chris

Richard Radcliffe · · Erie, CO · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 225

Line 11

Mike Anderson · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined Nov 2004 · Points: 3,265

I separated mine a few years ago, but I don't think it was as bad as yours sounds, and I didn't get surgery. I think I was in a sling for about a month, and it pretty much killed an entire climbing season, but since then it hasn't been a problem at all.

ascender30 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 180

Chris,

Had the bad separation, got the surgery: went for the kevlar thread wrap instead of the big screw. 2-3 weeks of NOTHING cause it hurts like hell and is weak. Then 4-6 months to get back to where I was before. DO YOUR REHAB!!

Arthur Gross · · Franklin, NC · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 25

i've separated my ac once and it took a few months to heal, And previously this winter i broke my collar bone and opted out of surgery. For recovery I decided I should learn the sport of climbing. For the collar bone to heal it took a solid 6 months. I still can here stuff grinding around in there but it doesn't hurt anymore during activity

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

Thanks guys!

We will see what happens with the conversation today and i will keep you posted on the results. I would rather avoid the knife, but after close to 5 weeks...there is still significant swelling, pain and crunching and squishing going on in there! Nasty!!!

~c

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

So it appears that I have torn two of the three ligaments holding my clavicle in place and thus my clavicle is out of posterior alignment. the ligament attatching the collar bone to the corocoidal process is still intact (albeit a bit stretched out and stressed). Still tons of inflamation around the injury itself, but my surgeon suggested three weeks of intense PT and then check back in before weilding the scalpel. We will see how things go...still bummed about how uncomfortable this thing is after close to 5 weeks following the accident.

Anonymous · · Unknown Hometown · Joined unknown · Points: 0
asset-usa.org/Guidelines/Mo…

I have a feeling this is the reconstructive technique the orthopod may be recommending. See the pdf link above. Although, the document is old and there may be a new and improved technique.

Here's a newer one, this one doesn't make me cringe like the other procedure did. It would reinforce the coracoclavicular.

deviceinnovation.com/index.…

I'd do the PT and wait it out. The coracoclavicular ligament can tighten back up, and the acromioclavicular could scar up and get a little stability back in that manner depending on how displaced it is now. If still having pain, I'd do the Munford (which is mentioned in the pdf article above) and with an intact coracoclavicular, just leave that ligament alone.

I sustained a grade 2 AC seperation bench pressing. :) I was only a cyclist at that time. Raced mountain bikes. It took 6 months to not hurt all the time and then felt it off and on for a couple years. I was a teen at the time. I did zero therapy.

Take care. Do your PT.
Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

Thanks Jen...yes, my surgeon was referring to the tightrope technique. It looks pretty cool...but I would certainly rather aviod any kind of surgery if I can. PT starts on the 26th which seems late, but the only time they can see me. I will definitely be religious with it. I had ankle reconstruction back in 1996 due to a basketball injury and I was up and walking in less than 2 months. I had a great PT team and went for treatment 3X a week.

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

going for a second opinion. I am currently being steered away from surgery, but I have been kicking ass with rehab, still climbing, biking, running and 8 weeks out and I can't seem to get past this plateau that I hit somewhere around the 4th week following the injury. Push ups still hurt like hell, crepidus is nasty..lots of popping and grinding going on in there and the joint itself just doesn't seem that stable still? Frustrated and a little disappointed in the recovery thus far.

Any suggestions or words of encouragement? :)
Chris

john strand · · southern colo · Joined May 2008 · Points: 1,640

Chris- I'm sure that ice climbing will take care of this !!!

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

LOL John...I am sure that would work...that and a bottle of 12 year old from the Mother Country!!!! ;)

Brian Croce · · san diego, CA · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 60

Hope youre good for Ice Season Man!

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

So do I superkick...I need the cash!!! lol :P

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

Going in this Thursday for a second opinion. Been pretty faithful with PT and have been climbing rock and trying not to baby the injury too much, but I seem to have reached a plateau and the discomfort is still pretty significant. I am bummed out...the bump is still rediculous looking...I hate it!!!

I am hearing that surgery may or may not correct it or get it back to close to as good as it was prior to the injury, so this is a difficult decision to make. Some have had it and wish that they hadn't and others swear by it...who to trust???

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

Turns out I have completely torn the three ligaments of the AC joint and have a partial tear of the labrum...so I will have open surgery on the AC and they are going to scope the labrum going in from the back of the shoulder. I am electing to have it at the end of February so I can at least get some ice climbing in this season. Pretty bummed out, but my Dr. seems to think that we can get this thing back to close to what it was prior to the surgery. We will see...

dannl · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 0

Good luck, get your doc to take some pictures while he's in there.

:)

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545
dannl wrote:Good luck, get your doc to take some pictures while he's in there. :)
I will. I would love to get some video footage! ;)
JChepes · · West Ossipee, NH · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 7,390

Chris,

I had a grade 2 separation in May when i took a slam on my skateboard.
After three months it was almost fully healed and then boom! Fell off my board again on the same shoulder! I'm 4 months into it agin and it's slowly getting better.

Being an arborist, the healing time has been greatly extended due mainly to one arming my chainsaw. Working through an injury, my favorite! Took PT for @2 months but had lousy results due to my inability to rest it.

Chris it sounds like your trying to rush it. Believe me, i've been trying like hell! This injury just needs rest and lots of it. I tore my labrum in my left shoulder and the doctor wanted to cut me open. I hesitated, did PT, tried taking it easy and it went away and does not bother me years later. If you've already gone under the knife i hope it works out for you. Let me know how things end up?

Good luck with ice season. We're getting a slow start so it's been helping my recovery time! And no i will never put down the skateboard....

John

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Injuries and Accidents
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