Collarbone break and 5 surgeries including Pin, Graft, and Plate

April 16, 2010 through June 18, 2011
14 months, 5 surgeries, 17 weeks of infection, rashes, 50lb weight gain.... surgery #6 July 11....to be continued

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• collar
• bone
• clavicle
• clavical
• pin
• surgery
• break
• broken
• rod
• plate
• graft
• infection
• collarbone
• sternoclavicular
• rockwood
• dislocated
• shoulder
• horse
• buggy
• accident
• pop
• zit
• fracture
• MRSA
• staph

[echoer]

yeah dislocated shoulder is even harder to recover than a broken collarbone, i really dont know the damage in mine, i guess one the bone heals i'll eventually have to address it....you sure went through a rollercoaster! :S you should totally post a picture of your necklace/throphy!

[kevink18]

@echoer I sent you a private message

[echoer]

good to hear that! so in a way, it all kinda worked itself out, some people break their collarbone, have no surgery at all and the result is a lowered shoulder and a reduced range of movement...you endured a lot of pain though.... I broke mine practicing downhill longboarding with no protection at all, i got really fast and the board threw me away to the paviment, i also broke my hand in that accident and had pins in it till 2 weeks ago. Im at 80% of motion now, and the collarbone is healingwell

[kevink18]

@echoer oh wow just saw this - HOLY CRAP - must have been painful - right side or left? Are you lefty or right? The whole protection thing is sucky... you pay eventually. Hope you heal up well and get back to boarding. It's been 18 months since I've done much - no sports, no work, and NO horses. I only began using my arm really about 3 months ago when the plate was removed. But the pain - well it sucks and I can stand more pain than most and it still sucks. LOL

[echoer]

i had a surgery from a broken collarbone 2 months ago, they used a titanium plate with 8 screws, I broke it in 4 places (similar to yours but with another vertical little piece) ... i've been told that the rock wood pin surgery is only used when it is not a comminuted fracture (like ours) i even had one of the extra pieces joined with another screw (outside of the plate). Anyway, i just read that the plate also didn't work! I'm stunned, how is the fracture now? i hope you get better!

[kevink18]

@echoer however @ 18 month post accident, Im still in EXTREME pain w/nerve problems & numbness... & I still need to have my shoulder fixed. There was so much attention to clavicle that dislocated shoulder wasnt even addressed yet. The other problem is my sternoclavicular joint POPs and HURTS like a biotch! I avoid any motion that will do it but cant control things when I sleep. Could be worse; considering what I went through, I'm happy I'm even this good. Thanks for the kind words. Write back.

[kevink18]

@echoer so when they did the graft, by that time I had gained about 40 lbs! So they put the plate in w/9 screws (not like there were any other options anyway). But the plate also got forced up & out so 1 week short of a year, I had it taken out. BEST DECISION! My bone had healed pretty well and looks GOOD with no bumps (symmetrical to my other clavicle) and I wear the plate as a necklace. After have the plate out, I went back through PT and gained some motion back that the plate prohibited.....

[kevink18]

@echoer Tell me how you broke it! I need to make part 2 of the video. They used the rockwood pin at first because they were afraid I was too thin to use the larger plate and feared it would erode through and that there was no muscle or fat in that area to cover it (so they say). I believed that to be true. The hospital is also a teaching hospital so who really knows. Maybe they just really wanted to do a pin LOL. When that failed and I eventually needed the graft... ('cont)...

[kevink18]

some people's bodies reject foreign objects. Some people can never wear earrings and some can't wear metals for jewelry. I was told my body just 'rejected' the rod.... AND it happened with the plate too, but the plate was screwed in (so instead, it began to GROW out of my collar). I have bad allergies and am diabetic, which was blamed for the pin erosion. Maybe I am dumb, but I believed what I was told and still dont have a concrete answer on WHY it happened.

[kevink18]

but he said all was ok, yet there was a hemotoma developing and I had a bandage over it 'just in case'... I didnt even know it came out (nerve damage) until my husband saw blood all down the back of my shoulder and shirt when he pulled in the driveway. I got very scared at that point. What I can say is DO NOT move your arm and IF you really get worried demand they do xrays or something. It does seem to be rare, but heck, it can & does happen..... oh and also (more...)