AC Sep

**Tryingtostaywarm** · 08-08-2020, 10:06 AM

Went to Trestle, got a little too send on Search and Seizure, went way over the bars and landed straight on left shoulder. Winter Park doc says Grade 3 separation though my PA ortho friend says it could be a Grade 5 depending on distance of the CC..more to follow on that one. Have a surgery consult on Monday.
What's the deal here? I have done lots of research on this. Seems like Grade 3's are all over the place, some say get it done corrective , some say don't get corrective surgery. Many of the medical journals do recommend surgery if lifestyle is active, and job is active. Which, it is. I'm a firefighter so obviously I will be putting this thing under severe strain for the next twenty years.
What's the deal here people who have had this done before? I'm already planning for 8-12 weeks out of work.

**splat** · 08-09-2020, 08:33 AM

I did my shoulder getting spit off the lip and into the beach, doing that level of damage and didn't get surgery. Took 17 years to heal fully. I counted. First five were brutal.

There was an ortho here for a while promoting his book on shoulder injuries. I think his name was strider_x or something strider. Do a search. He said no surgery in most cases, that hanging would pull the a/c back to position. I have to admit, I hang a few minutes daily and my shoulders love it. My gf bought his book. I'll try to remember to ask her the name of it.

**donutlynx** · 08-09-2020, 12:21 PM

Dang. Positive vibes because that injury is painful. Did mine a year and a half ago. Grade 3, but also had the conversation about it being Grade 5 due to the displacement. Did they make you do the X-ray standing up holding the 20# weights? Ouch.

Anyway, I talked to the ortho about it - he did his skiing 20 years ago. Similar displacement, etc. He never got the surgery - said I could get it now, get it later, or get it never. I chose the latter. The first 2 months were not great. I was thinking it would never get any better, and was regretting the no surgery choice. Once I started working harder at PT and getting out on the bike and skis (uphill charging on both...slow, slow baby steps on the way down), I started to see a lot of improvement. At 5 months, I did an enduro race with no issues (no crashing either), and then slowly got back into rock climbing. At 9 months there was a noticeable change in strength and mobility, starting back to jumping stuff on the bike and climbing 11's, but still it felt a bit tweaky in certain positions/movements.

This past ski season, I probably felt about 90%, but it was definitely in the back of my mind the whole time. The ortho's number one rule was DO NOT fall on that shoulder again. A year and half out, and it is still progressing. Stretching, PT, and like splat mentioned - I hang every day on the hangboard. I have also found that push-ups and pull-ups are good for strengthening the area. From months 6 to 15, the opposite shoulder developed constant pain - I think it was an imbalance due to the injury. The pull-ups and push-ups have (at least I think so) helped, and that pain is pretty much gone.

I was 40 when it was injured. I don't regret going the conservative route, but I think that it will take years of consistent attention to PT, posture, and not falling on it again to bring my body back into balance. And it may always be in the back of my mind...which is probably a good thing.

**Dantheman** · 08-10-2020, 12:38 PM

Shitty. Mine was Grade 2 and took about 12 weeks for ~90% and 6 months for 100%. IANAD, but I'm pretty sure there are no clear guidelines for Grade 3, you need to see an Ortho who specializes in shoulders. In the meantime, I've heard of people having pretty good success using kinesio tape to pull the end of the clavicle down and they heal up with little or no "bump."

**plugboots** · 08-10-2020, 12:56 PM

I'd have to go look up what surgery I had or the grade, but it was the full AC tear. ER doc was telling me that some people get the surgery some don't. He said not to. My boss at the time didn't get it done, and said to do it, because after 15 years or so he had a ton of arthritis where the bone was scraping on the other bone, (he was a basketball player). Sports medicine doc at Palo Alto sports medicine walks in the door, and says: "When do you want to schedule surgery?"
Fast forward, to now 15 or so years later, and definitely glad I did the surgery. Kinda forget I had it. Cool scar. I was throwing 80 mph on the speed gun after about 6 months. I one-hand skate-skied with my arm in a sling for the first month? or so, rode the rollers, (pre-peloton), etc. Shoulder looks normal and matches my other one as well.

OK, I looked it up. I had a grade 3. I remember saying it was a grade 5 or something to someone, (who turned out to be a nurse), and she rolled her eyes, (since the highest is grade 3). Yeah, I was more injured than you!!!! I can stand pain!!!
Doc did a Distal Clavicle Resection. Took sutures and pulled the thing back together. cool.

**Dantheman** · 08-10-2020, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by plugboots

OK, I looked it up. I had a grade 3. I remember saying it was a grade 5 or something to someone, (who turned out to be a nurse), and she rolled her eyes, (since the highest is grade 3).

The scale officially goes to VI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separated_shoulder

**jackattack** · 08-10-2020, 01:22 PM

Grade II for me. I'd say 10-12 weeks before I could do "normal" things, like ride a bike, but in reality it was closer to 9 months before it felt strong again.

I haven't worn my pole straps since the injury, I'd rather lose a pole than risk injuring that shoulder again.