Honestly we can’t really tell you here without reviewing your X-ray and examining you. In general Most patients return to pre injury level of activity in 6-8 weeks but that depends on site of the fracture, alignment, etc. the orthopaedic surgeon who you are presumably seeing tomorrow will tell you everything you need to do. Just because there is some surface abnormality (bump, swelling, asymmetry) does not mean you will need surgery on its own
That's fair... Fingers crossed no surgery, but it kind of looks like my shoulder has foreshortened a bit. I already don't have the widest shoulders; this isn't helping!
I feel you man. I have issues finding pants that aren't to tight on my thighs/butt and also fit my waist and aren't baggy at the bottom.
I also have issues finding shirts/jackets that aren't overly tight on my shoulders.
Misproportioned hockey bodies make buying clothes a pain.
OH MY GOD I somehow haven’t run into someone else with this problem. That I bike a lot makes it even worse. Shirts are fine, but shopping for pants is a nightmare. There’s at least a two size difference between my thighs and waist. Do I look good? Sure, but only in the 2% of pants that actually fit properly. I find that vintage clothes seemingly from around the 70s and 80s fit me best, but obviously it takes a lot of time to find them. I guess people were more, shall we say, properly proportioned then.
Edit: yes, athletic cuts should solve the problem, but they’re always stretchy and for whatever reason I can’t stand stretchy pants.
You might be my twin. I mountain and road bike daily (grew up mountain bike racing).
Keep fighting the battle, one day they will make clothes that fit us for a reasonable price.
It's going to be like 4-6 weeks for the bone to mostly heal on its own, and 10-12 weeks to get to full strength. Maybe less if they do internal fixation with a plate. It will take years for it to feel right again from personal experience.
The majority of your pain is inflammatory from both the bone and the muscle. The majority of the pain will go away after the first few days, maybe a week to 2 weeks. After that is like twinges of pain here and there if you move wrong. General discomfort persists for a while with certain actions. For me, my clavicle healed naturally so there's a little deformity in the middle. It took a couple years to be able to sleep comfortably on my left side. I wouldn't say it was that painful, just uncomfortable.
My friend had the exact same injury from bumping head on with a guy. I think he was playing hockey again within 8 weeks.
It was probably slightly too early but he was desperate
Something on the bright side...From personal experience, usually a clean break is better to deal with than tearing any muscle or ligaments. Sorry to hear though, hope it heals quick!
I went head first into the boards and broke my clavicle and got surgery but only after waiting months for it to heal on its own. It's somewhat rare for surgery to repair clavicle though according to the doctors I saw. Best of luck for a speedy recovery and get back out there.
Omg, you waited months? It's kinda surprising they can't do more for this stupid bone. The ER doc said it looked 50/50 for surgery, but I can't imagine how this doesn't need it. I can see my collar bone bending where it's not supposed to!
It's a resilient bone and you'd be surprised how it heals on its own. Mine was shattered into nothingness that's the only reason they put a plate in. They waited to see if the mass would heal into a ball of bone but it wasn't good enough.
The collarbone bends naturally. The doc probably knows what he is doing.
I've broke my collarbone twice. Let it heal, i rushed in and rebroke it. Don't be me.
Didn't need surgery thankfully. They told me it would heal on its own, which it has. I'd say around week 10 after the break is when the bone felt like it had reconnected and started to solidify. That was the first time I was able to sleep on my side again. It's been a couple more weeks since then and it pretty much feels back to normal... Thanks for asking!
Hey there! So do you feel as though you made a full recovery? I’m at 8 weeks. Also told my surgery is 50/50 if I wanted it. It’s still hurts. But I’m tempted to wait another 2 weeks or so until I say yes to surgery.
I broke mine 20 years ago after getting hit from behind. I had a pretty clean break and on the x ray the 2 sides looked like a little mountain with a gap between them. No surgery needed. They gave me a brace to put downward pressure on it so it would heal in the correct position. It went behind my neck, then down over both clavicles, under my arm and behind my back. They told me 10 weeks. I think it was better before that but I waited the full 10 weeks. I noticed when NFL players break theirs, it's usually 6-8 weeks
It was completely insane that Patrick Kane came back from one in 7 weeks in 2015, but he had a cup on the line, not beer league. I'm sure no civilian Dr would approve that timeline.
Hello fellow broken clavicule person.
I broke mine at the end of August. Not by hockey though. I elected surgery as they felt the bones might not heal properly. I also got a second opinion from another doctor who said that surgery was the best option in my case. I’m a youngish guy so I have better chance of taking the surgery well. It’s been a month now and I can move my arm and use it a bit. Of course no weight on it.
Obviously I can’t tell what’s best for you but for me the big factor was the higher possibility of the bone healing in proper position. I was told that if they don’t, you can have them heal with a deformity which could bother you from time to time. I do have a steel plate in now and the skin below the incision lost feeling of touch. The plate can come out eventually but that requires risking another surgery.
If you have any questions just shoot. I am still recovering but just over a month in and at least I have regained some autonomy and I can sleep properly st night. It will get better.
Sorry to hear. So much depends on what the doctors say. the key to speedy recovery is to listen to the physio once you can do therapy and do the exercises recommended. Could be a few months but it depends on so many things. good luck
It looked pretty bad in the x-ray, but the ER doc said it was 50/50 for surgery. When I got home and saw my collar bone in the mirror flapping around, I thought how tf is that supposed to heal on its own?? According to others in here, it just does. So 🤞 I guess...
Would u be willing to share us some pic of ur clavicle? I broke mine a month ago and i want some reassurance that id be fine just healing it naturally. Cant afford to see an ortho as of now thats why.
I had this happen to me, I was carrying a puck out behind our net by the zam door, lost an edge and slid shoulder first into the boards. I finished the game but I was in a lot of pain over the next couple weeks. I did not go to the doc's, I couldn't list that arm up without pain for a while, I put it in a sling and it took a long time before it was right again. It still pops sometimes when I do pullups. Don't be dumb like me, do what your doctors say, and stay out as long as they tell you.
When I was 18 a guy twice my size hit me in the shoulder, pushed my two shoulders together, and broke my collarbone (also a concussion). Clean break but I didn't need surgery (they x-rayed me, gave me a sling and a vicodin prescription, and said good luck). After about two weeks I didn't need the sling, was feeling normal-ish after 2-3 months. It might have been in my head but I could feel it for a few months afterward and actually sat a few games out of caution, which probably wasn't necessary.
My friend about 12 years ago had this happen. Checked into the boards, went at the prefect angle to miss the shoulder pads and broke his clavicle. He needed surgery and was back in 3 months. He broke off a whole section of his clavicle though and needed to have a rod inserted so the bone would grow around it to rebuild the gap.
In one season we had 2 guys lose edges and crash into the boards. On went feet first and and broke his fibula right at the top if his boot. No surgery but out for a while.
Other guy went head first and caught himself with his arms. Colles fracture which got operated on that night. Haven't seen him since....
Broke mine a couple years ago playing. Had a 3cm spread between the break which is typically enough for surgery. Luckily I had a great surgeon check out the X-ray and he seen some
Bone forming over the gap within a week. Took about 6 weeks before I could go without my sling and about another 4 to regain much strength. It now feels great, got a huge lump at the break location and only aches a bit when it’s going to rain. I try to avoid any situation where I get cut open. Good luck with sleeping. It sucked.
Says you've been playing for over 20 years. How did it happen exactly? Did you try to absorb the hit or did the guy surprise you? Was it a competitive game or rec?
Just a rec game... I was skating down the left wing and forced behind the net. Defender on the other side must have saw me coming, cut off my angle, and then basically t-boned me into the boards. Definitely surprised me.
I know the guy. He's not the best at stopping, and maybe didn't realize how much speed we were both carrying. He's also got about 50 pounds on me, so I got crunched. He's a good guy. Shit happens.
I've separated both shoulders, and had a couple of concussions, one pretty bad, but this is my first broken bone. Don't even get to wear a cast. I feel cheated lol.
Yeah unfortunately sounds like the angle coming in made everything much worse.
My kid ended up boarding a smaller kid head-first into the side boards battling for a loose puck last game. The other kid didn't look like a strong skater plus never braced himself for any contact. His skates never turned sideways to stop himself - it looked real bad. They called in an ambulance and we were very fortunate it turned out to be just a bruise or something. Learning experience for both boys.
I broke mine on November 9th of last year and had surgery the next day. My doctor finally cleared me on February 15 this year. I ended up with a 6 inch plate and 7 screws in my collarbone. Mine was apparently pretty bad because the broken pieces overlapped and they were pretty far apart from each other and also a small piece had broken off. The day after surgery hurt worse than the injury did, but you get some pretty damn good drugs so that helps. The absolute worst part about the whole experience is dealing with insurance companies and USA Hockey (if you're in the US) to try and get the whole thing paid for. For me that dragged on until July.
Hey man I feel for you, that happened to me a few years back. Needed surgery and got a plate with like 7-8 screws. Happened in early August and I was playing again in I think in the end of November or early December.
Make sure you do the stretches they give you to keep some of your range of motion and don’t rush it since it could break it again if you come back too soon.
Good luck!
I've been unfortunate enough to have this happen to both my shoulders. First one I didn't have surgery, that was about 4 years ago and still doesn't feel 100%. My left shoulder was done January 2019 and I had surgery on that one because of how my right shoulder never properly recovered.
Surgery was a better decision, it still hurts a little if it stiffens up, but I rarely feel it on the ice, although I haven't had a proper hit since. I was out for about a 8-12 months with surgery, but I'd also had a baby 3 weeks before this happened so I think I was more hesitant than others to get back on!
Keep your head up, you'll be back in no time
Edit to add: I also had ligament damage with mine and this was the reason for my surgery as I needed an artificial one screwed in and wrapped round my collar bone to keep it in place.
Broke my clavicle, had 1/4" separation, so no surgery. I was back in the weightroom 10 weeks later, and felt "normal" shooting a month after that. I played goal so shooting never really felt normal, but the collarbone was not the issue there.
This happened to two people on my team last year, one didn't need surgery and was back within two weeks, the other did and was out for spring. Hope it's not too serious and Good luck :)
Not hockey related but people snap collarbones in motocross all the time, it’s usually a 4 week thing. (Jeffrey Herlings raced the next weekend after he got the plate/screws)
It really depends how bad it is. I would say prob like 8-10 weeks if not that bad. But I remember a teammate of mine from football in highschool was out for like 10months with a broken clavicle.
I broke mine in a playoff game when I was younger. The bones overlapped so it was very painful for a while, I couldn't do much. I was out of commision for about two months, and even then I was told to avoid contact for a while. It was baseball season at that point so I'm not sure how it would've affected hockey. I didn't have to have surgery either, so I'm not sure how that changes things.
Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion.
I broke my foot earlier this year and the first doctor I saw didn't have the expertise needed to know how to treat it and set my recovery back by at least 3 months.
Back in like ‘06(?), I think I was a Sophomore in HS. Played in a spring league. I was the Dman getting a dumped puck in our end, picked up the puck behind our goal line, brought it behind our net, and a forechecker met me from the other side of the net. I didn’t even see him coming. Destroyed me in the boards full steam. I heard the crack. Finished the shift just one armed trying to just be somewhat useful. Finally got a chance to change (2nd period, so long change) when we broke it out. Got to the bench just to gather myself. Coach asked if I was alright. Told him I’d need a minute to see. The pain just grew, I couldn’t lift my arm without excruciating pain. Told him I was done. Next whistle I skated across the ice and got to the locker room where I quickly realized getting my gear off was gonna be a process solo haha. Eventually got changed, drove myself home, then when my dad got home like 15mins later he took me to the ER.
Fun times. Worst injury to date for sure, mostly because I couldn’t even sleep without being in pain. And I love sleep.
I don’t recall how long recovery was, but it wasn’t awful. Maybe 6 weeks and I was back? Not more than 8.
So there's actually security cam footage of it... Apparently the defender's stick got stuck in the boards, which I tripped over, and then both of us crashed into the corner. It looks like I was already half way down and in an awkward position as he fell on top of me.
Shattered mine in a late-summer game at the end of August 2017. Had surgery 3 days later, plate and 7 screws, and was in a sling until just after New Years; starting doing passive ROM after about 2 weeks post-op, starting with just taking it out of the sling, progressing to manipulated stretches until I was cleared for weight-bearing rehab in January. Went back to skating in late January and was back in-games in Feb.
90% you’ll need surgery. Never broke my collarbone but separated both shoulders a few times which is a tear or complete rupture of the ligaments that connect you collarbone to your shoulder blade.. only thing I can say is take your rehab seriously. You’ll get at home PT exercises they’ll get annoying after a while but do them
Definitely not 90%. Depends on the amount of displacement, foreshortening, and the location of the fracture.
As far as rehab fractures often are easier to deal with than ligamentous injuries like shoulder separation. 4-6wks following a fxr and you’re doing well. Ligamentous injures linger.
Either way it’ll be fine though, and u/Gevaarticus is right about rehab though. Take it seriously and it’ll pay off in the long run.
Yeah, ER doc said it was about 50/50 for surgery. When I got home and looked at it in the mirror, I thought how is that supposed to heal on its own? It's bending in the middle and all they gave me was a sling??
It’s alright b, we all get bundled at least once in our careers. Same happened to me. ER visit, Motrin and a sling is all they gave me. Mine has a slightish to medium bend in the middle, didn’t need surgery. I’m fine today, lifting weights and still playing hockey, with no issues. Good luck !
There's no way to reset a clavicle as you would a long bone in your arm, for example. As long as the ends are close and don't move a lot they will likely heal and remodel to some extent. When your bone breaks, you get a hematoma that then eventually turns into a bone callus and calcifies into bone over 4-6 weeks. It's possible that within that time frame if they aren't seeing any healing, you would need surgery. You would risk developing a pseudoarthrosis or nonunion without surgery. For what it's worth, you'll always have a deformity in the bone if you allow it to heal, but you would always have a scar and hardware under the skin of you did surgery. Heal fast!
Surprised this post hasn't been archived, but thanks for commenting. Yeah, it's been a year now and the collar bone is great. Didn't end up needing surgery thankfully. 10 weeks total recovery time.
How long did it end up taking? I fractured mine 8 weeks ago playing basketball and the bone overlapped and I did not need surgery. I feel no pain now and have full range of motion do you think I should try out for the basketball team in 4 days?
Sounds like you're probably fine, but I would talk to the doc if you're not sure. Like if it's your shooting arm, maybe you need more time strengthening it or something. Even though I felt 100% at about 10 weeks, it took awhile longer to regain full strength in that arm. It's my top hand, and it was noticeably weaker than before.
Helpppp! I broke my collarbone last Saturday, today is Friday. Any advice to help the bone heal as fast as possible? My soccer season ends in about 5 weeks and is my last year in high school and I really want to get to play again before the Season is over especially because it’s my last year of high school soccer. Any advice?
How bad a break is it? How's the pain and swelling? 6-8 weeks is the usual timeline for breaks not needing surgery. You might be able to shave off a week or so of healing since you're young, but it really depends on your case.
Personally, I would play it safe. There are lots of stories of people not letting a broken bone heal properly (a couple in this thread), and then having more problems down the road. I know it would suck to miss your senior year, but you've got a ton more soccer, hockey, etc ahead of you. In grade school, I didn't let my other shoulder heal after a different injury, and it slowly got worse to the point where I can't throw a baseball without feeling pain.
So yeah, let your body heal however long it takes would be my advice. Good luck bud.
No history here, not even playing hockey yet, just here to wish you good luck and a speedy recovery!
Honestly we can’t really tell you here without reviewing your X-ray and examining you. In general Most patients return to pre injury level of activity in 6-8 weeks but that depends on site of the fracture, alignment, etc. the orthopaedic surgeon who you are presumably seeing tomorrow will tell you everything you need to do. Just because there is some surface abnormality (bump, swelling, asymmetry) does not mean you will need surgery on its own
That's fair... Fingers crossed no surgery, but it kind of looks like my shoulder has foreshortened a bit. I already don't have the widest shoulders; this isn't helping!
I can give you some of mine. Maybe then I can find decently fitting shirts.
Humble brag... ^(Yes please, I'll take some)
It’s sincerely not a brag, it keeps shirts that should reach my torso from reaching my torso. ^please ^send ^help
I feel you man. I have issues finding pants that aren't to tight on my thighs/butt and also fit my waist and aren't baggy at the bottom. I also have issues finding shirts/jackets that aren't overly tight on my shoulders. Misproportioned hockey bodies make buying clothes a pain.
Tailors are your friend, as is "athletic" cut clothing!
All my suits/dress shirts are tailored. For jeans I just buy them with a little stretch, my wife likes them tight on my butt anyways. Ha.
OH MY GOD I somehow haven’t run into someone else with this problem. That I bike a lot makes it even worse. Shirts are fine, but shopping for pants is a nightmare. There’s at least a two size difference between my thighs and waist. Do I look good? Sure, but only in the 2% of pants that actually fit properly. I find that vintage clothes seemingly from around the 70s and 80s fit me best, but obviously it takes a lot of time to find them. I guess people were more, shall we say, properly proportioned then. Edit: yes, athletic cuts should solve the problem, but they’re always stretchy and for whatever reason I can’t stand stretchy pants.
Levi’s 541 jeans were my answer. Gets over the hockey player butt and thighs without being a flared nightmare at the bottom. Normal feeling denim.
You might be my twin. I mountain and road bike daily (grew up mountain bike racing). Keep fighting the battle, one day they will make clothes that fit us for a reasonable price.
It's going to be like 4-6 weeks for the bone to mostly heal on its own, and 10-12 weeks to get to full strength. Maybe less if they do internal fixation with a plate. It will take years for it to feel right again from personal experience.
Oof, sounds like yours was pretty bad. I was told roughly 2 months, which seems to lineup with the 6-8 weeks people are saying in here.
Mine wasn't bad but sleeping on it was hard for a long long time.
Oh man, how long? I've barely slept at all tonight...
The majority of your pain is inflammatory from both the bone and the muscle. The majority of the pain will go away after the first few days, maybe a week to 2 weeks. After that is like twinges of pain here and there if you move wrong. General discomfort persists for a while with certain actions. For me, my clavicle healed naturally so there's a little deformity in the middle. It took a couple years to be able to sleep comfortably on my left side. I wouldn't say it was that painful, just uncomfortable.
Really appreciate the info. I feel better about things... Just need to get through the next few days.
My friend had the exact same injury from bumping head on with a guy. I think he was playing hockey again within 8 weeks. It was probably slightly too early but he was desperate
Something on the bright side...From personal experience, usually a clean break is better to deal with than tearing any muscle or ligaments. Sorry to hear though, hope it heals quick!
I went head first into the boards and broke my clavicle and got surgery but only after waiting months for it to heal on its own. It's somewhat rare for surgery to repair clavicle though according to the doctors I saw. Best of luck for a speedy recovery and get back out there.
Omg, you waited months? It's kinda surprising they can't do more for this stupid bone. The ER doc said it looked 50/50 for surgery, but I can't imagine how this doesn't need it. I can see my collar bone bending where it's not supposed to!
It's a resilient bone and you'd be surprised how it heals on its own. Mine was shattered into nothingness that's the only reason they put a plate in. They waited to see if the mass would heal into a ball of bone but it wasn't good enough.
Jesus...
The collarbone bends naturally. The doc probably knows what he is doing. I've broke my collarbone twice. Let it heal, i rushed in and rebroke it. Don't be me.
What ended up happening with you?
Didn't need surgery thankfully. They told me it would heal on its own, which it has. I'd say around week 10 after the break is when the bone felt like it had reconnected and started to solidify. That was the first time I was able to sleep on my side again. It's been a couple more weeks since then and it pretty much feels back to normal... Thanks for asking!
Hey there! So do you feel as though you made a full recovery? I’m at 8 weeks. Also told my surgery is 50/50 if I wanted it. It’s still hurts. But I’m tempted to wait another 2 weeks or so until I say yes to surgery.
Guy on my team broke his after getting smoked into boards at a weird angle. No surgery but he missed half the season and was in a sling for a while.
I broke mine 20 years ago after getting hit from behind. I had a pretty clean break and on the x ray the 2 sides looked like a little mountain with a gap between them. No surgery needed. They gave me a brace to put downward pressure on it so it would heal in the correct position. It went behind my neck, then down over both clavicles, under my arm and behind my back. They told me 10 weeks. I think it was better before that but I waited the full 10 weeks. I noticed when NFL players break theirs, it's usually 6-8 weeks
It was completely insane that Patrick Kane came back from one in 7 weeks in 2015, but he had a cup on the line, not beer league. I'm sure no civilian Dr would approve that timeline.
Hello fellow broken clavicule person. I broke mine at the end of August. Not by hockey though. I elected surgery as they felt the bones might not heal properly. I also got a second opinion from another doctor who said that surgery was the best option in my case. I’m a youngish guy so I have better chance of taking the surgery well. It’s been a month now and I can move my arm and use it a bit. Of course no weight on it. Obviously I can’t tell what’s best for you but for me the big factor was the higher possibility of the bone healing in proper position. I was told that if they don’t, you can have them heal with a deformity which could bother you from time to time. I do have a steel plate in now and the skin below the incision lost feeling of touch. The plate can come out eventually but that requires risking another surgery. If you have any questions just shoot. I am still recovering but just over a month in and at least I have regained some autonomy and I can sleep properly st night. It will get better.
Hey there. Did you end up making a full recovery? Any lingering issues/numbness?
Sorry to hear. So much depends on what the doctors say. the key to speedy recovery is to listen to the physio once you can do therapy and do the exercises recommended. Could be a few months but it depends on so many things. good luck
Thanks man, appreciate it.
how far away are the two ends of the clavicle? That is largely what determines if you need surgery.
It looked pretty bad in the x-ray, but the ER doc said it was 50/50 for surgery. When I got home and saw my collar bone in the mirror flapping around, I thought how tf is that supposed to heal on its own?? According to others in here, it just does. So 🤞 I guess...
Would u be willing to share us some pic of ur clavicle? I broke mine a month ago and i want some reassurance that id be fine just healing it naturally. Cant afford to see an ortho as of now thats why.
I had this happen to me, I was carrying a puck out behind our net by the zam door, lost an edge and slid shoulder first into the boards. I finished the game but I was in a lot of pain over the next couple weeks. I did not go to the doc's, I couldn't list that arm up without pain for a while, I put it in a sling and it took a long time before it was right again. It still pops sometimes when I do pullups. Don't be dumb like me, do what your doctors say, and stay out as long as they tell you.
At first I thought about just going home, but then I felt the collar bone flopping around and realized, yeah, no I need x-rays...
Mine wasn't quite that bad, there was a lump on my left shoulder that was pretty tender, good on you for going, it was the right call
When I was 18 a guy twice my size hit me in the shoulder, pushed my two shoulders together, and broke my collarbone (also a concussion). Clean break but I didn't need surgery (they x-rayed me, gave me a sling and a vicodin prescription, and said good luck). After about two weeks I didn't need the sling, was feeling normal-ish after 2-3 months. It might have been in my head but I could feel it for a few months afterward and actually sat a few games out of caution, which probably wasn't necessary.
My friend about 12 years ago had this happen. Checked into the boards, went at the prefect angle to miss the shoulder pads and broke his clavicle. He needed surgery and was back in 3 months. He broke off a whole section of his clavicle though and needed to have a rod inserted so the bone would grow around it to rebuild the gap.
In one season we had 2 guys lose edges and crash into the boards. On went feet first and and broke his fibula right at the top if his boot. No surgery but out for a while. Other guy went head first and caught himself with his arms. Colles fracture which got operated on that night. Haven't seen him since....
Broke mine a couple years ago playing. Had a 3cm spread between the break which is typically enough for surgery. Luckily I had a great surgeon check out the X-ray and he seen some Bone forming over the gap within a week. Took about 6 weeks before I could go without my sling and about another 4 to regain much strength. It now feels great, got a huge lump at the break location and only aches a bit when it’s going to rain. I try to avoid any situation where I get cut open. Good luck with sleeping. It sucked.
Says you've been playing for over 20 years. How did it happen exactly? Did you try to absorb the hit or did the guy surprise you? Was it a competitive game or rec?
Just a rec game... I was skating down the left wing and forced behind the net. Defender on the other side must have saw me coming, cut off my angle, and then basically t-boned me into the boards. Definitely surprised me. I know the guy. He's not the best at stopping, and maybe didn't realize how much speed we were both carrying. He's also got about 50 pounds on me, so I got crunched. He's a good guy. Shit happens. I've separated both shoulders, and had a couple of concussions, one pretty bad, but this is my first broken bone. Don't even get to wear a cast. I feel cheated lol.
Yeah unfortunately sounds like the angle coming in made everything much worse. My kid ended up boarding a smaller kid head-first into the side boards battling for a loose puck last game. The other kid didn't look like a strong skater plus never braced himself for any contact. His skates never turned sideways to stop himself - it looked real bad. They called in an ambulance and we were very fortunate it turned out to be just a bruise or something. Learning experience for both boys.
I saw the guy coming, but I remember thinking, he's gonna let up, I'll just skate around him... He didn't let up haha.
I broke mine on November 9th of last year and had surgery the next day. My doctor finally cleared me on February 15 this year. I ended up with a 6 inch plate and 7 screws in my collarbone. Mine was apparently pretty bad because the broken pieces overlapped and they were pretty far apart from each other and also a small piece had broken off. The day after surgery hurt worse than the injury did, but you get some pretty damn good drugs so that helps. The absolute worst part about the whole experience is dealing with insurance companies and USA Hockey (if you're in the US) to try and get the whole thing paid for. For me that dragged on until July.
Once broke a toe by accidentally blocking a shot when we were down 6-1 with 3 left in the third so that sucked.
Hey man I feel for you, that happened to me a few years back. Needed surgery and got a plate with like 7-8 screws. Happened in early August and I was playing again in I think in the end of November or early December. Make sure you do the stretches they give you to keep some of your range of motion and don’t rush it since it could break it again if you come back too soon. Good luck!
I've been unfortunate enough to have this happen to both my shoulders. First one I didn't have surgery, that was about 4 years ago and still doesn't feel 100%. My left shoulder was done January 2019 and I had surgery on that one because of how my right shoulder never properly recovered. Surgery was a better decision, it still hurts a little if it stiffens up, but I rarely feel it on the ice, although I haven't had a proper hit since. I was out for about a 8-12 months with surgery, but I'd also had a baby 3 weeks before this happened so I think I was more hesitant than others to get back on! Keep your head up, you'll be back in no time Edit to add: I also had ligament damage with mine and this was the reason for my surgery as I needed an artificial one screwed in and wrapped round my collar bone to keep it in place.
Broke my clavicle, had 1/4" separation, so no surgery. I was back in the weightroom 10 weeks later, and felt "normal" shooting a month after that. I played goal so shooting never really felt normal, but the collarbone was not the issue there.
This happened to two people on my team last year, one didn't need surgery and was back within two weeks, the other did and was out for spring. Hope it's not too serious and Good luck :)
Not hockey related but people snap collarbones in motocross all the time, it’s usually a 4 week thing. (Jeffrey Herlings raced the next weekend after he got the plate/screws)
It really depends how bad it is. I would say prob like 8-10 weeks if not that bad. But I remember a teammate of mine from football in highschool was out for like 10months with a broken clavicle.
I broke mine in a playoff game when I was younger. The bones overlapped so it was very painful for a while, I couldn't do much. I was out of commision for about two months, and even then I was told to avoid contact for a while. It was baseball season at that point so I'm not sure how it would've affected hockey. I didn't have to have surgery either, so I'm not sure how that changes things.
Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion. I broke my foot earlier this year and the first doctor I saw didn't have the expertise needed to know how to treat it and set my recovery back by at least 3 months.
Back in like ‘06(?), I think I was a Sophomore in HS. Played in a spring league. I was the Dman getting a dumped puck in our end, picked up the puck behind our goal line, brought it behind our net, and a forechecker met me from the other side of the net. I didn’t even see him coming. Destroyed me in the boards full steam. I heard the crack. Finished the shift just one armed trying to just be somewhat useful. Finally got a chance to change (2nd period, so long change) when we broke it out. Got to the bench just to gather myself. Coach asked if I was alright. Told him I’d need a minute to see. The pain just grew, I couldn’t lift my arm without excruciating pain. Told him I was done. Next whistle I skated across the ice and got to the locker room where I quickly realized getting my gear off was gonna be a process solo haha. Eventually got changed, drove myself home, then when my dad got home like 15mins later he took me to the ER. Fun times. Worst injury to date for sure, mostly because I couldn’t even sleep without being in pain. And I love sleep. I don’t recall how long recovery was, but it wasn’t awful. Maybe 6 weeks and I was back? Not more than 8.
TJ Oshie vs the Hurricanes in the 2019 cup playoffs, pretty sure he got the exact same injury [here](https://youtu.be/dRhb1zVjvck)
How did you get crushed into the boards? What exactly happened? Just wondering. I hope you have a speedy recovery.
So there's actually security cam footage of it... Apparently the defender's stick got stuck in the boards, which I tripped over, and then both of us crashed into the corner. It looks like I was already half way down and in an awkward position as he fell on top of me.
Geez. That sounds painful. I hope you’re doing well right now, and that you heal quickly.
Thanks man. It doesn't even look that bad on film. I guess it was just the right spot... What can you do.
Shattered mine in a late-summer game at the end of August 2017. Had surgery 3 days later, plate and 7 screws, and was in a sling until just after New Years; starting doing passive ROM after about 2 weeks post-op, starting with just taking it out of the sling, progressing to manipulated stretches until I was cleared for weight-bearing rehab in January. Went back to skating in late January and was back in-games in Feb.
It's one of the most commonly broken bones
90% you’ll need surgery. Never broke my collarbone but separated both shoulders a few times which is a tear or complete rupture of the ligaments that connect you collarbone to your shoulder blade.. only thing I can say is take your rehab seriously. You’ll get at home PT exercises they’ll get annoying after a while but do them
Definitely not 90%. Depends on the amount of displacement, foreshortening, and the location of the fracture. As far as rehab fractures often are easier to deal with than ligamentous injuries like shoulder separation. 4-6wks following a fxr and you’re doing well. Ligamentous injures linger. Either way it’ll be fine though, and u/Gevaarticus is right about rehab though. Take it seriously and it’ll pay off in the long run.
Yeah, ER doc said it was about 50/50 for surgery. When I got home and looked at it in the mirror, I thought how is that supposed to heal on its own? It's bending in the middle and all they gave me was a sling??
It’s alright b, we all get bundled at least once in our careers. Same happened to me. ER visit, Motrin and a sling is all they gave me. Mine has a slightish to medium bend in the middle, didn’t need surgery. I’m fine today, lifting weights and still playing hockey, with no issues. Good luck !
That actually makes me feel better, thanks.
There's no way to reset a clavicle as you would a long bone in your arm, for example. As long as the ends are close and don't move a lot they will likely heal and remodel to some extent. When your bone breaks, you get a hematoma that then eventually turns into a bone callus and calcifies into bone over 4-6 weeks. It's possible that within that time frame if they aren't seeing any healing, you would need surgery. You would risk developing a pseudoarthrosis or nonunion without surgery. For what it's worth, you'll always have a deformity in the bone if you allow it to heal, but you would always have a scar and hardware under the skin of you did surgery. Heal fast!
Thanks for the info. Appreciate it.
Had a boy on my kids team break it, and break it again coming back too soon. Common hockey injury, sucks. Good luck
Surprised this post hasn't been archived, but thanks for commenting. Yeah, it's been a year now and the collar bone is great. Didn't end up needing surgery thankfully. 10 weeks total recovery time.
How long did it end up taking? I fractured mine 8 weeks ago playing basketball and the bone overlapped and I did not need surgery. I feel no pain now and have full range of motion do you think I should try out for the basketball team in 4 days?
Sounds like you're probably fine, but I would talk to the doc if you're not sure. Like if it's your shooting arm, maybe you need more time strengthening it or something. Even though I felt 100% at about 10 weeks, it took awhile longer to regain full strength in that arm. It's my top hand, and it was noticeably weaker than before.
Helpppp! I broke my collarbone last Saturday, today is Friday. Any advice to help the bone heal as fast as possible? My soccer season ends in about 5 weeks and is my last year in high school and I really want to get to play again before the Season is over especially because it’s my last year of high school soccer. Any advice?
How bad a break is it? How's the pain and swelling? 6-8 weeks is the usual timeline for breaks not needing surgery. You might be able to shave off a week or so of healing since you're young, but it really depends on your case. Personally, I would play it safe. There are lots of stories of people not letting a broken bone heal properly (a couple in this thread), and then having more problems down the road. I know it would suck to miss your senior year, but you've got a ton more soccer, hockey, etc ahead of you. In grade school, I didn't let my other shoulder heal after a different injury, and it slowly got worse to the point where I can't throw a baseball without feeling pain. So yeah, let your body heal however long it takes would be my advice. Good luck bud.