Clavicula

As the title suggests, I broke my clavicle about two months ago. I had surgery, but a month later, the bone and the metal rod shifted. My doctor told me it would be fine—just a bump on the surface—so I didn't think much of it. Everything seemed to be on track until my checkup two days ago. Looking at my X-ray, the radiologist noted: "7mm fracture line, irregular fracture patterns." Of course, I didn't catch this until after I left the office, because the doctor had already assured me everything was perfect. I know this specific bone doesn't control much movement elsewhere, but I'm still worried—can it heal incorrectly? All I really feel is the rod irritating my skin whenever I move my arm (or so it feels). If anyone here has gone through something similar, I’d really appreciate your insight.

Thanks in advance

The bones certainly serve a specific purpose 😁
Based on what you've described, we're looking at poor positioning, which leads to unstable healing... there is a significant risk of nonunion here...
It would have been much more helpful if you had included the full X-ray report so I could see exactly what we are dealing with

You should definitely get a second opinion on this. Honestly, the whole thing sounds a bit sketchy to me, and I’m not feeling great about it. The last thing you want to deal with is pseudoarthrosis—that's when the bone fails to knit back together properly and ends up forming a "false joint." Not only is it painful, but it opens a massive can of worms for future issues. That little bump they mentioned? That’s the least of your worries...

Alright, let me see if I can breathe some life back into this thread.
Back on November 5th, 2010, I had surgery on my Clavicula (it snapped during a car wreck). For the most part, everything's going fine.
They set the bone using a plate and six screws. I'm supposed to check in with my doctor in about four months to talk about getting them removed. What I really want to know is: am I forced to have them taken out just because the doc says so, or can I decide for myself when I feel ready?

Melissa Barrett54 said:So, I'm gonna try to breathe some life back into this thread.
Back on November 5th, 2010, I had surgery on my Clavicula (it snapped in a car accident). For the most part, everything's going fine.
They fixed the bone using a plate and 6 screws. In about 4 months, I'm supposed to check in with my doctor to talk about getting them removed. What I'm wondering is, do I *have* to get them out just because he says so, or can I decide for myself whenever I feel ready?

You get them pulled when it's necessary, and honestly, your doctor knows best...

Generally speaking, once you hit the two-year mark post-surgery, those plates and screws come out. If they stay in longer, the bone starts growing right over them—meaning if you want them removed later, a surgeon has to actually chip away at the bone, which often causes more harm than good. So, it’s either an extraction or they stay in for life. Personally, I’d lean toward removal; having foreign hardware sitting in your body isn't exactly ideal, regardless of which way you slice it.

Hi there. I had a nasty break in my Clavicula in four different spots, so I ended up having surgery at Mayo Clinic under Dr. Nikica Daraboš. He installed a plate secured with eight screws. It’s been six months since the procedure, and I have a follow-up appointment coming up where we'll likely discuss scheduling the hardware removal. Currently, I'm pain-free and can move almost anywhere I need to. My doctor did advise me to avoid heavy lifting, though. My question is: during this next six-month stretch, is it safe to get back into some light physical activity? Specifically, I’m thinking about light weight training for muscle tone, or maybe swimming and jumping into a pool since summer is around the corner. I just want to make sure I don't cause any damage.