Anyone have experience of dislocated & fractured shoulder?

I’ve had a grade 4 dislocation without the fracture and I’m sorry to say that it’s a long road to full recovery and even now, 6 years later I still feel the odd twinge.
I managed to maintain some fitness using a static bike and then a road bike but it was at least 8-10 months before I felt like riding off road and then it was gentle bimbling.
Sending healing vibes and best of luck for a swift and full recovery.

Sorry to hear about the tumble and op - was there any damage to the rotator cuff?

i had a bad tumble 4 yrs back, dislocated it backwards, broken humerus, torn tendons incl rotator cuff. I had it put back in under a general and was braced for a month, however it wasn't setting properly so went under the knife and ended up with a plate and a reconstruction. Weekly physio and was off the bike for 10 months. I still have weekly physio on it and have about 80% movement, I can't lift much above shoulder height, but that doesn't have much of an impact on riding, though lifting the ebike is tricky in some positions. I swim 2k front crawl at least once a week which helps keep it mobile. It aches most of the time... Now age 57.

as sandboy says, they take a long to time to recover to 90%, and then even longer to 95%
done my AC joints (ligaments) a few times (grade 3 ?), long time off the bike, first time, 7-8 weeks then steady bimbles,
maybe a little less when done again.

I had a fracture without the dislocation 9 months ago, and it was pretty grim - I was advised that surgery to pin things back together wouldn't get me to a better outcome (plus there were loose bone shards, so nothing to drill into) at circa 10 years younger than you.

I still have minor discomfort and slightly odd movement patterns, but I am classed as having made a full recovery and I'm now being instructed to do as much gym/strengthening work as I can.

My recovery was help enormously by:
1) Being immobilised to let initial healing take place - and waiting about 6 weeks after the accident to do even the gentlest physio
2) Regular acupuncture while in the sling
3) Chinese cups, acupuncture and lots and lots of massage once physio was underway
4) Do the physio and do your exercises
5) Massage - as much as possible. I think this was the master ingredient for me.

Good luck. Sounds miserable, but there is hope.

I didn't dislocate mine - but fractured the ball joint from the humerus and impacted round by about 10 degrees. I had just recovered from a frozen shoulder - so the last thing I wanted was it strapped up.
But it was , not operated on ( and I am not sure it would have made any difference despite my consultant suggesting " If I had seen it at the time I would have done it differently" - thats as a bit like builders dissing other work.
6 or so weeks until it was knitted - but I was told not to fall on it again for 1 year - as that is how long it really takes to regain strength. At the time I did it I was 57, so you might heal quicker.
I routinely did my frozen shoulder exercises 4 times a day afterward - and most of the mobility has returned.
Didn't help that I separated the AC joint on the other side 18 months later ( and that has still not fully recovered).
I also fractured two ribs at the same time.
The morphine was nice for the day or two I had it - sleeping in a chair for two weeks rather less fun.

Many years ago for me. I did tendon damage as well as everything else. My main advice is do all the physio you are given. Plus once recovered keep working on shoulder strengthening exercises as mine is still weaker than the other unless I maintain the loading

Thanks, all. sounds like I could be off the bike for a while.

The head of my humerus dislocated about 7cm downwards and inwards towards my chest, fracturing the glenoid (socket) as it went. The medics haven't mentioned any rotator cuff damage but I have an appointment with a shoulder specialist on Tuesday so will find out more then. I am typing a list of questions so I don't forget.

I managed to come off riding down the Road of Death in Bolivia (something in the title should of given away the fact it wasn't the wisest thing to do hungover) - Dislocated shoulder with enough force that i pulled the head of humerus off, had to have it surgically pinned there, checked when home and told they'd done such a bad job, they had to re-dislocate it and re-pin!

Only advice from me would be to get a good sports physio on board from the off, NHS are ace, but physio is limited and often not hands on for much of it.

Try to get it moving as soon as you can, with sling taking the weight, so you keep movement and stop it freezing.

Keep doing the exercises and as above, sports massage seemed to help.

only other advice is, if you are going to do it again, do it Bolivia, surgeons were shite, but the painkillers were ace!

I’ve done pretty much everything bad that you can do to a shoulder (multiple breaks, AC joint, clavicle).
Get doing physio as soon as possible, then weights for the rest of your life to manage the discomfort and strengthen it.

3 months after the big break on the top of the arm I was in Morzine. I was only 35 or so then though.
My ROM is very limited, so my arm won’t rotate over 90 degrees forward and laterally it’s ridiculous, probably only goes 40 degrees up.

The good news is that it doesn’t really affect my riding too much, I do get a burning sensation in it after a days DH, and obviously I can’t do the YMCA dance anymore.

I forgot to mention physio, I attended the hospital,was given specific instructions each fortnight and followed the plan religiously. I am sure this made a big difference to the strength I have now. All on the NHS.
As others have said, it’s important to do exercises to strengthen the shoulder when you can. I still do a half hour weights workout each week.

Looks like you did a proper job, @colp.

This was mine before being relocated:

[img] [/img]

I dislocated mine several times before surgery to repair the lip on the glenoid, since when it’s been good. Shoulder specialist physio at the hospital after surgery was brilliant- a weekly circuit training type class for shoulder strength and stability and homework with theraband exercises- this was key to recovery I feel. There will definitely be some rotator cuff injury, and your glenoid fracture will likely cause instability and may need addressing (I am not an orthopaedic surgeon). Listen to the specialist, do the exercises and have patience!

Done a grade 4 acromio clavicular separation. Had surgery and then rest and physio about 15 months ago.

My advice would be to get started on physio as soon as you can and do it religiously. Really helped get my rom back and start strength back too. Then stopped physio and slipped a bit and although Rom good I have started some PT to get strength in it now.

Could have ridden quite early or about 5 months. but getting back on the judo mat fully is a target for the next 3-6 months.

I had a 4 part fracture of my proximal humerus in 2007. Plate and screws. 2 further arthroscopic releases. Was off work 12 weeks. Can’t recall how long I was off the bike… but the metalwork was fine when I crashed a few years later and broke the clavicle on the same side…

My specialist subject. Took the ball off the top of my arm and had an ORIF to bring it back to where it should be with metalwork that remains in there. Happened in 2007 and it was something else...

Anyways, it bothers me daily, my arm is sore, it's weak and I have limited ROM.

Do physio!!!

dove1
Full Member

Thanks, all. sounds like I could be off the bike for a while

Depends how much you want to ride. I rode one handed for a bit whilst waiting for surgery. Nothing techy but kept me sane. Once it had all calmed down a bit the pain was minimal.
After the surgery I had my arm strapped to me for six weeks, wasn't supposed to remove the sling at any time.
If I hadn't ridden one handed it'd have been 6 months off the bike.

@ojom snap!

I think it’s caused me some other crashes too. Left upper arm and shoulder is definitely weak and seems to fold under me in unexpected compressions.
I saw a physio every week or fortnight for 18 months after my surgery but I’m old now it is very clunky. Had my last surgery in 2020 which probably helped a bit but it’s the physio that is really important too.

I broke my scapula. It was 12 weeks before I was back on the bike. It took me 12 weeks to get back to riding after dislocating my elbow too.

I far from an expert, but I think that returning to hazardous activities too soon after a break/dislocation is asking for trouble, and could make for much longer time to heal properly.

My understanding is that 12 weeks is the typical time for bone to heal to full strength.

Derby protocol for that shoulder as soon as the fracture allows

Normally for a fracture it's min six weeks before loading that limb again (ie cycling), then another 6 weeks if you are confident of not having any hard impacts- no contact sports, risk of falling off your bike, that sort of thing

However yours is complicated by dislocation- is this your first one? That shoulder will be at risk of another dislocation now, and the more you have the greater the risk gets, so time to put your sensible hat on and do the rehab- including listening to any advice given to you by your ortho, physio etc

Ps you absolutely should be on a pathway now that includes NHS physio, if you aren't then start making phone calls! Sometimes you need to be a bit of a (ideally good-natured) squeaky wheel

I had multiple fractures on my scapula years ago..off work for 4 months because I'm in the building trade, if I was a office worker I could have been back much earlier...luckily I didn't need surgery...the only side affect was the constant boooredom of doing nothing

Visit to trauma clinic yesterday. More x-rays revealed that the fracture isn't the glenoid. It is the Greater Tuberosity and although it was almost back in the right place after my shoulder was relocated it has since been pulled around the head of me humerus and is nowhere near where it should be.
Going under the knife on Friday to get it put back in place!

Sorry to read that! Very best wishes for your op but at least you will heal properly as a result.
Have a look at the Netflix thread. 😀