Breakthrough or bust?

I recently suffered an injury to my shoulder, and I find myself in a rather perplexing situation. While my physician has assured me that there is no fracture, I cannot help but notice that his assessment seemed focused primarily on the clavicle; however, the clavicle itself is not where I am experiencing any discomfort. Instead, the pain is localized at the very highest point of my shoulder—as you will see in the attached images. Given that a significant amount of time has passed and the intensity of the pain remains unchanged, I have been reviewing my own X-rays. I noticed something in the imaging that I cannot quite identify, and I am left wondering if it might actually be a fracture. Might I ask those of you who possess genuine expertise in this field to please examine these images?

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/2706/slika3zk8.jpg
http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/8876/slika2kd8.jpg
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/6362/slika1lr5.jpg

The first image is provided clearly so that you may have a better view. In the second image, I have marked two specific areas with circles; could someone tell me if my joint appears to be correctly aligned, and does the second circle indicate what might be a fracture? I have included the third image simply to provide more anatomical context regarding the location of the issue.
The most acute pain is located precisely where I have placed the second circle, occurring whenever I attempt to move my arm or even when I simply stand up from a seated position.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who takes the time to respond.

Edward Morris9 said:Here’s the situation: I had an accident and injured my shoulder. My doctor claims there isn't a fracture, but from what I could tell, he was looking at the clavicle on the X-ray and saying nothing was broken there—except my clavicle doesn't even hurt. The pain is located right at the highest point of the shoulder (you can see exactly what I mean in the photos). Since quite a bit of time has passed and my arm still hurts with the same level of intensity, I took another look at the imaging myself. I spotted something on the X-ray that I can't quite identify as a fracture or not, so I am asking anyone with actual expertise to take a look at these images.

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/2706/slika3zk8.jpg
http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/8876/slika2kd8.jpg
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/6362/slika1lr5.jpg

The first image is clear so you can get a better view. In the second image, I’ve marked two circles. Is my joint sitting in the right position? The second circle is questioning whether that rounded area indicates a fracture. I included the third image just so you can orient yourselves to where specifically this is happening!
The pain is most acute right where I placed the second circle. Every single time I move my arm or even just stand up—any movement at all—it flares up.

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to respond!

To me, that looks more like a hairline crack than a complete break, but regardless of the distinction, you'd likely need a cast or a splint. You should head back to your primary care physician and ask them specifically about the spot in the image that is bothering you; it shouldn't take much effort to get a straight answer, and you'll get much more certainty. It's possible that initial doctor was just glancing at it too quickly. You really ought to follow up, especially if the pain is persisting.

It appears that the injury has finally fractured, yet I find myself in a rather distressing situation where, even five days later, the pain feels significantly more intense than it did initially. Is this truly how recovery is supposed to progress? It is simply overwhelming.🤷

It’s not a fracture ☕

What you’re looking at there is just the bone mass—you know, the trabecular structure of the scapula and the humeral head.
Does it hurt? Yeah, absolutely. A soft tissue contusion and damage to the shoulder joint capsule can be incredibly painful—and trust me, the mobility issues from something like that can drag on for a long time.

It’s probably not a fracture. That specific section of the bone is naturally curved and has a bit more texture, so it can look a little strange in photos... It might just be some minor ligament strain or maybe the joint capsule is a bit stretched in that area. But honestly, if you’re feeling pain, the best move is to head over to your doctor and let them know exactly what's going on... 😉

Oh, please, don't even get me started on my own clumsiness; it happens to me far too often, much to my chagrin. Just the other day, I was actually having a good, cynical laugh at some guy in my neighborhood because he managed to break his little toe—truly pathetic, right?—but then, as if the universe were punishing me for my mockery, I went and tripped and wedged myself into a damn closet. Now, here I am, limping around in absolute misery because the whole thing has turned this hideous shade of bruised purple. And to top it all off, I have an aerobics class scheduled! As if! Do they expect me to just show up and sweat through the agony? Honestly, I can't be bothered to deal with an ER visit; I heard those doctors just wrap it up with some tape and call it a day, which seems like a monumental waste of my precious time. Pffft...
Is there any chance I might actually make things worse if I just keep walking normally? 😢

I think you should probably get an X-ray... just so you can see what's actually going on. If it's a broken finger, there's a chance the bone could heal crookedly, and then you might be stuck with that permanently...

Goodness, just a few years back I went and shattered my ankle, so I’ve been dealing with endless X-rays and various aches and pains for the rest of my life... honestly, how much could it possibly be? It's just a tiny little finger... (which, mind you, is hurting like absolute hell right now!) 😠 Heh, I have this friend who has all sorts of crooked fingers and she claims it's no big deal, though I still think... well, one really shouldn't invite these kinds of problems later in life... ugh...

Fine, I suppose I'll go tomorrow? Right after my classes at NYU... goodness me...

Hey,

Went snowboarding today (still a total newbie) and I definitely wiped out at least 100 times. Some falls were minor, others... not so much.

One hit was pretty rough, though. I took a fall at maybe 31 miles/h right on my elbows and my left one really started aching. But, being me, I just kept going and ended up slamming that same elbow a bunch more times. About three hours later, we headed down for some beers and I realized my arm was swelling so much it was tight against my jacket. When I went to the restroom to change, I was actually shocked—my arm was super swollen, probably looks pretty bad 🤣. Obviously, I wasn't about to go back out and kill myself on the slopes, so I just called it a day. Currently icing it with some gel.

Just wondering if it’s just a bad bruise and swelling? I can still move my arm through all its usual motions, it just hurts like hell.

Thanks 🙂

Nicholas Cox50 said:Hey there,

I went snowboarding today—still pretty much a beginner—and I definitely wiped out at least a hundred times. Some falls were minor, but others definitely stung a bit more than others.

One fall in particular was pretty rough; I hit the ground on my elbows at about 31 miles mph and my left one really took the brunt of it. But being stubborn as I am, I just kept going and ended up landing on that same elbow plenty of times after that. About three hours later, we headed down to a pub for some drinks, and I could feel my arm swelling against my jacket. When I went to use the restroom and took my jacket off, I was actually shocked—my arm was completely swollen. It honestly looked pretty bad 🤣. Obviously, I wasn't about to go back out and risk killing myself on the slopes, so I just called it a day and headed home. I've applied some ice gel to it now.

Now I'm wondering if it's just bruised and swollen, because I can still move my arm through its full range of motion, it just hurts like hell.

Thanks, 🙂

Don't look to an online forum for medical answers. My advice is to get an X-ray so you know for sure what you're dealing with. If it is broken and heals incorrectly, it’ll cause lasting pain, and doctors might have to break it all over again to reset it properly so it heals in the right position.

Good luck!

Went to see my doctor today and she said my arm isn't actually broken. She put me on some antibiotics and told me to soak a cloth in apple cider vinegar and water to wrap around it. I have a follow-up in two days. She was pretty shocked when she saw what it looked like 😁