Clavicle fracture (warning for climbers)

Posted this as I wish I had read something like this earlier (but can’t say I would have done anything different). I broke my clavicle in August MTN biking in Moab (like you do). It needed surgical repair and it was plated (single plated). My PT made a quip saying “you are one of those guys that think they will rehab in half the time”. Check. Anyhow at week 6-7 my doctor took an X-ray and cleared me for climbing which is about 50% of what you read. I started gym climbing only during weak 6-8 and was able to climb “easy” into the 11’s. I was totally cleared by PT and ortho during this time based on an X-ray.. In week 9 on an easy multipitch my clavicle was a little sore and I noticed it was hyper mobile. I asked for an X-ray and somehow cracked the plate in half. I spoke to a bunch of physicians and what likely happened is that the clavicle never fully healed and either belaying or wrapping the rope created a repetitive motion that “paper clipped” the plate because the collarbone had some mobility from not healing. Anyhow had to get the metal out and have surgery again (double plated and bone graft). A few take aways 

1. Listen to your doctor on recovery BUT climbing stress isn’t normal stress.
2. I believe belaying was worse than climbing so there is that
3. I saw a sports medicine ortho surgeon who was amazing but if I had to do it again I might have started with a trauma ortho surgeon
4. I am going to push for a ct scan instead of an x-ray prior to clearance this time
5. Think about how optimization in a 5-10 year span not a season. I missed all of the fall season and should have written it off 100% to leapfrog into ski season but I was pushing hard to get back and sneak in a month of outdoors. Suboptimal decision.

anyhow I hope you don’t need this advice but if you break some thing consider it 

Josh 

I’m sorry… that sucks. Out of curiosity, distal or mid-bone? I have a non-union distal fracture that I’ve learned to live with (scar tissue, plate, and as much muscular support as I can) but it was *years* before I could do much of anything. My understanding is that distal fractures tend not to heal well… and I do wish I knew that earlier. 

Wow, that's crazy, I've never heard of that before. I had a collarbone fracture too but mine healed exactly on the timeline as prescribed. I stopped wearing a sling after a few days; the doctor said there was little danger of breaking the plate or bone again and non-impact activities would be unlikely to hurt it. By week 6 I was climbing, by about week 9-10 I was back to full strength. I was pretty aggressive with my PT. I was also doing finger exercises the entire healing time (not sure if that was smart). I wonder if a couple differences matter:

- I mainly boulder these days, so I can't remember if I was doing much belaying. For sure I was not doing long multi-pitch belay sessions.

- I had a mid-bone fracture, which are relative straightforward.

Re pt 2- I’m just coming off a shoulder separation and TR belaying put the most stress on it. I was definitely surprised by this. 

Mid shaft

for non-union look into the Exogen bone stimulator. May be too late but it is “indicated” and prescribed for non-unions. There is some clinical support for it