Treatment for broken ribs

[Bob Shanteau]

I have some questions about recovering from broken ribs, where the breaks
have separated.

In late February, I was on the Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose, CA, when
another rider fell in front of me during a training session. I ran into him
and went over the handlebars, landing on the right side of my head and my
right shoulder. I suffered a concussion and broke my right scapula and 8
ribs on the right side. I spent 7 days in the hospital, the last few with a
tube inserted in my chest to drain fluid. Due to my concussion, I don't
remember the crash or the events leading up to it. I am a 56 year old man
and my bones are more brittle and I heal more slowly than 30 years ago.

There was a thread a couple of years ago titled, "recovery from a broken
rib." That guy only cracked one rib, and he healed in a couple of months. I
am not so fortunate.

For me it has now been 12 weeks and my ribs have not mended. I am still in
enough pain that I cannot ride and sitting and standing are difficult. An
X-ray a couple of weeks ago showed at least 3 ribs that were still separated
(ribs 6, 7 and 8, IIRC). My orthopedic surgeon said that the ribs may not
ever form a union, in which case some fibrous tissue will from between the
ends. He said I have 3 choices:

1. Let the ribs heal as they may, probably ending in at least one non-union.

2. Have a specially trained physical therapist try to realign the ribs so
they will mend.

3. If we were in Germany, I would have surgery where the ribs are aligned
with plates and screws.

Has anyone here had experience with any of these 3 alternative treatments?
What were the results?

[Charles Beristain]

Bob
when i was just 60 yrs old, I broke 6 ribs and a vertabrae.. 3 ribs
were separated and three cracked. I was back on the bike in 6 weeks.
The separated ribs somehow got back together and mended... guess i was
lucky.

Last year at age 66 i cracked 2 ribs and did a local 3 hour X/C race
and the following week raced at Bromont. Lots of pain, but not enough
to keep me off the bike. I was pretty well healed by the end of the
4th week.

I don't know about the three choices you have... but the one where the
physically push the ribs back together sounds like the 'least worst
choice"

charlie


On Sat, 22 May 2004 00:59:17 GMT, "Bob Shanteau"
> wrote:

>I have some questions about recovering from broken ribs, where the breaks
>have separated.
>
>In late February, I was on the Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose, CA, when
>another rider fell in front of me during a training session. I ran into him
>and went over the handlebars, landing on the right side of my head and my
>right shoulder. I suffered a concussion and broke my right scapula and 8
>ribs on the right side. I spent 7 days in the hospital, the last few with a
>tube inserted in my chest to drain fluid. Due to my concussion, I don't
>remember the crash or the events leading up to it. I am a 56 year old man
>and my bones are more brittle and I heal more slowly than 30 years ago.
>
>There was a thread a couple of years ago titled, "recovery from a broken
>rib." That guy only cracked one rib, and he healed in a couple of months. I
>am not so fortunate.
>
>For me it has now been 12 weeks and my ribs have not mended. I am still in
>enough pain that I cannot ride and sitting and standing are difficult. An
>X-ray a couple of weeks ago showed at least 3 ribs that were still separated
>(ribs 6, 7 and 8, IIRC). My orthopedic surgeon said that the ribs may not
>ever form a union, in which case some fibrous tissue will from between the
>ends. He said I have 3 choices:
>
>1. Let the ribs heal as they may, probably ending in at least one non-union.
>
>2. Have a specially trained physical therapist try to realign the ribs so
>they will mend.
>
>3. If we were in Germany, I would have surgery where the ribs are aligned
>with plates and screws.
>
>Has anyone here had experience with any of these 3 alternative treatments?
>What were the results?
>

[Charles Beristain]

Bob
when i was just 60 yrs old, I broke 6 ribs and a vertabrae.. 3 ribs
were separated and three cracked. I was back on the bike in 6 weeks.
The separated ribs somehow got back together and mended... guess i was
lucky.

Last year at age 66 i cracked 2 ribs and did a local 3 hour X/C race
and the following week raced at Bromont. Lots of pain, but not enough
to keep me off the bike. I was pretty well healed by the end of the
4th week.

I don't know about the three choices you have... but the one where the
physically push the ribs back together sounds like the 'least worst
choice"

charlie


On Sat, 22 May 2004 00:59:17 GMT, "Bob Shanteau"
> wrote:

>I have some questions about recovering from broken ribs, where the breaks
>have separated.
>
>In late February, I was on the Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose, CA, when
>another rider fell in front of me during a training session. I ran into him
>and went over the handlebars, landing on the right side of my head and my
>right shoulder. I suffered a concussion and broke my right scapula and 8
>ribs on the right side. I spent 7 days in the hospital, the last few with a
>tube inserted in my chest to drain fluid. Due to my concussion, I don't
>remember the crash or the events leading up to it. I am a 56 year old man
>and my bones are more brittle and I heal more slowly than 30 years ago.
>
>There was a thread a couple of years ago titled, "recovery from a broken
>rib." That guy only cracked one rib, and he healed in a couple of months. I
>am not so fortunate.
>
>For me it has now been 12 weeks and my ribs have not mended. I am still in
>enough pain that I cannot ride and sitting and standing are difficult. An
>X-ray a couple of weeks ago showed at least 3 ribs that were still separated
>(ribs 6, 7 and 8, IIRC). My orthopedic surgeon said that the ribs may not
>ever form a union, in which case some fibrous tissue will from between the
>ends. He said I have 3 choices:
>
>1. Let the ribs heal as they may, probably ending in at least one non-union.
>
>2. Have a specially trained physical therapist try to realign the ribs so
>they will mend.
>
>3. If we were in Germany, I would have surgery where the ribs are aligned
>with plates and screws.
>
>Has anyone here had experience with any of these 3 alternative treatments?
>What were the results?
>

[R15757]

Dicing it up on the velodrome at 56. Racing mountain bikes at 66.

My bike hat's off to you guys.

Robert

[R15757]

Dicing it up on the velodrome at 56. Racing mountain bikes at 66.

My bike hat's off to you guys.

Robert