Shoulder separation advice?

Hey everyone, about three weeks ago I took a nasty spill on my bike... went right over the handlebars and landed hard on the outside of my shoulder.🙂
Regarding the specific type of injury I sustained:

It turned out to be an AC joint injury involving both cartilage and ligaments. My coracoclavicular ligaments were torn and stretched—it was pretty obvious on the X-ray when they did the imaging under a 10lb load.
The trauma specialist told me I was right on the borderline. I had that classic "piano key" sign where the clavicle would just pop up when pressed. According to the surgeon, an injury like this can be managed conservatively, but since I'm still relatively young (35) and active in sports, he recommended surgery. He argued that going under the knife allows for much more precise fixation of the collarbone position.

Ultimately, the call was mine. Surgery comes with its own set of risks—anesthesia, potential infection, all that—just like the conservative route has its downsides. I decided to go through with the operation, and based on the X-rays, everything looks great. Right now, I've got two Kirchner wires in my shoulder; the procedure was three weeks ago.
As for how it feels—whenever I have to move it while showering—the shoulder feels quite stiff. Though, I’m sure that’s mostly due to the hardware currently sitting in there.

So, I'm wondering, since I'm getting closer to starting rehab in a month or so... has anyone here dealt with this exact injury? Maybe some physical therapists here who work with athletes, or perhaps a surgeon or orthopedic specialist? What does the shoulder eventually feel like once you reach the end of the "road"? Like, what activities are back on the table and what should I stay away from?😕

The thing is, you can't really "reconstruct" the AC joint itself; eventually, the connection between the clavicle and the acromion just ossifies together.
What are my realistic prospects for things like tennis, badminton, swimming, or hitting the gym? It's my right shoulder, and I'm right-handed. 😕 🙂

Thanks in advance to everyone for any kind responses or advice you can offer.

Hi there. I’m not a doctor just yet—hopefully soon—but I wanted to share a few observations from my time rotating through the clinic. Honestly, you made the right call going through with the surgery; the end result is going to be significantly better. Regarding that stiffness in your shoulder, it's actually a standard physiological response. Your body treats the hardware as a foreign object, and as the bone remodels itself around the wires to stabilize the rupture, things are going to feel tight. As for rehab, if you’re already in decent shape, you shouldn't face any permanent limitations on your range of motion. Just keep in mind that physical therapy doesn't officially end when your scheduled sessions do; the real work happens at home. If you stay disciplined with those exercises, you'll see much better results. Best of luck!

Thanks so much for the response. 🙂

Regarding the surgery itself, I was really torn about it at first. But then I figured there’s probably a better shot at proper bone healing if they actually pull the AC disc out and clean up those torn ligaments. From what I gathered during the procedure, they basically "open up" the end of the clavicle, which should make the ossification process faster—plus, hopefully, the bump or deformity left behind won't be nearly as noticeable?

I had the procedure done over at Mayo Clinic, and honestly, they did an incredible job. The incision is clean, and you can barely even see where the cut is—hardly any sign of stitches, really. So, I'm just crossing my fingers for a smooth recovery.

Thanks again 🙂

I’m certainly not an expert when it comes to surgical precision, but the resulting bump should be significantly smaller in your case. Since the focus is primarily on the bone itself rather than allowing a large callus to form—which usually creates that noticeable protrusion—you'll likely see a much smoother outcome. Even if a bit of extra mass develops, the body eventually absorbs it, though that takes considerably longer than if the bone were perfectly aligned via surgery from the start.🙂 Anyway, I’m always happy to weigh in whenever I can.🙂