Broken shoulder blade symptoms

Micahdogg
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6/17/2021 1:42pm
Thanks for the replies guys. Mine is fractured horizontally just under the glenoid. The ball and socket feel good for all of the positions I can rotate my arm in, but I haven't really moved it over my head yet. Arm is tender and sore in the shoulder area...guessing some muscle trauma. After 2 weeks of the sling, my elbow was getting really sore so I'm not really wearing the sling anymore. I'm not sure how much the sling really helps for the healing process anyway.

Would be nice to ride again this fall...my bike is on point and its killing me to sit here. Smile
1
Micahdogg
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6/25/2021 11:05am Edited Date/Time 6/29/2021 6:46am
Figured I may as well keep some updates going in this thread for anyone who does a similar search in the future.

I just hit week 4 and the pain is about the same if not worse. The actual break of the scapula isn't giving me any sharp pain...just dull/headache type pain. I get resistance in the shoulder blade and tension if I try to move my arm too much. I haven't been wearing the sling for a good week now....it was making my elbow extremely sore by keeping it in the 90 degree position. The elbow is still pretty sore, but at least I can straighten my arm again.

My mobility is noticably better with my arm. I can get my arm above my head and I can actually use it to open doors and stuff. I'm not doing as much lifting of my bad arm with my good arm so that is nice.

I have been overdoing it a bit...some odd jobs around the house, climbing on the roof to patch some damage from a storm. Went camping this past week and rafted for 6 miles. I wasn't doing a lot of strenuous rowing, but I'm sure the overall activity took some of a toll on me.

Last but not least, the x-ray today didn't show a whole lot of progress with new callous where the break is. The doc wasn't too surprised.
swatdoc
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6/29/2014
Location
Temecula, CA US
6/28/2021 9:10pm
broke mine in half a year and a half ago. Pain was really bad. Just turning my head would cause the bones to shift and I'd go from a number 3 pain level to a number 9 instantly. This would happen 70-80 times a day. Luckily Dr Alexander, who is kinda the orthopedist to the MX stars (he's on the Alpinestars medical team) is right in the same town as me. Had surgery a week after the break. About 8 screws holding the two bones together. Did rehab for a couple months, and now my shoulder feels just as good as it did before. That's surgery number 8 on my shoulders. Hopefully there wont be a number 9!


jeffoff
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138
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3/1/2019
Location
BE
6/29/2021 9:30am


Took me 6 months to recover from this one, stupid fall just before 180deg corner. Front wheel washed out...
Could not use the arm/shoulder multiple weeks, daily life was a hassle.
Surgeon opted to not operate, took long time to heal because parts shifted. I needed to rest and avoid moving. Hard times Angry

The Shop

Micahdogg
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7/29/2021 7:19am
Another update, at the 7 week point I did a pushup and didn't do any damage. I just passed the 8 week point and mobility is MUCH better. I have a good 80% mobility in most directions. Scapula has no pain. Cracked ribs seem to be better as there is no pain when I take deep breaths.

My arm from the shoulder to elbow has lots of twinges of pain all over. Feels similar to if you worked out and over did it on the bench presses - next day your arms are garbage. Its more dull pain all over. Not sure if that's due to the muscle atrophy or what.

I rode a YZ250F on week 6 and when I went to power wheelie the bars went to the right because my left arm is so weak!!! I didn't do anymore wheelies...just tooling around the yard. At week 8 I took the two stroke out...250SX and was able to power wheelie and muscle the bike around more. I was griping the shrouds for life with my legs though Smile

The 8 week x-ray showed 3/4 of the crack in my scapula was filled in...but I still have some gaps. I guess there was some decent separation. I can start working out now and I'm scheduling another riding trip for Sept 25th so that's the timeline that I seem to be on.
Micahdogg
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5/17/2023 9:35am

Just to post an update on this....the riding trip that I was hoping to make on September 25 got scrapped, so I didn't do any riding again until April 2022. By that time I was pretty much all healed up and had a good weekend. I'm glad I didn't ride at the 16 week mark because I think it would have been too early. Unless I went out and just took it easy - but we know how that usually goes Smile

I ended up almost as good as new, excellent range of motion. The scapula healed with a 1/2 inch protrusion, so my shoulder blade looks different on the left - more flat - less pronounced as the right. The muscles feel a little weird, different. By week 44 I was normal feeling. I did 25 pushups. From experience I would have told myself to not seriously try and ride for 6 months. But at the 4 month mark I could have ridden single track, just taking it really easy and not wrecking. 

 

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