Phil Ingle

Back on the 28th of May I broke my collarbone. It was after finishing a gnarly technical ride, I was back on a forestry track and was cruising back to my car when my front wheel shot under me and I did a big superman into a tree.

Initial Collarbone X-Ray

After a month I was all excited about it being nearly better, really looking forward to getting the uncomfortable ‘figure of eight’ contraption off my back, and generally upbeat about getting my life back. But my control x-ray, rather than showing a nicely consolidated bone, showed a big gap.

second x-ray four weeks in

I saw a surgeon who told me to wait ten days and get another x-ray and he would think about operating if it still showed no consolidation.

Third X-ray six weeks in

So by the time I got this x-ray and got another appointment with the surgeon it was six weeks in and still showing no consolidation. This time the surgeon told me to get a scan because the x-ray wasn’t foolproof and could miss some bone growth.

3D bone scan

It took a couple of weeks to get a scan. The scan was pretty impressive; it pieced together all the slices into a 3D model of my shoulder, spine and ribcage. The doctor could spin it round in real time and zoom in and out. Unfortunately it still showed no consolidation or bone formation in the gap.

So back to see the surgeon again and he now says to wait a month and have another scan before deciding what to do. I am not sure what to think I can’t work as either a mountain leader, or a rope access technician while it is like it is. I am keen to hear comments from people who know about broken collarbone operations.