Broke mine several years ago. It was pretty bad. Looked like a Z and the middle part was in tiny bits and pieces that they tied together with wire. Had a total of 3 surgeries on it. Second one was because the wound opened up and the titanium plate was sticking out. Had to go in, clean it out and stitch it back up. 3rd was to take the plate out. It stuck out like brick on my shoulder. It was a rough 9 months.
@Lennyeddy
Gruesome! 
Mine was fractured diagonally with lots of splintering. Took two plates and 11 screws. When i woke up after surgery they said it took way longer because they had to scrape out all the bone splinters. And, ya know, i felt exactly like someone had scrapped out the inside of my shoulder! still got all the hardware but the screws started to protrude so it looks pretty gnarly. 3+ years with it now so i guess ill just keep it in 
Had surgery on mine yesterday! Titanium plate. Hurts a lot today but not as much as it did before the surgery as mine was very close being a compound fracture - it was ātentingā a lot 
Looking to get back on the turbo after Easter. Onwards and upwards!
Should have upgraded to carbon fiber. 7 more watts.
just curious for those that posted that they were back on the bike within X weeks. was that indoor or outdoor? I know iāve been doing indoor rides for now to make sure the bone heals properly, but how long did you folks wait before doing outdoor rides?
with the weather getting better, iām being tempted more and more to ride outside
Oh, i started riding indoors shortly after surgery. It was a little over a month before i rode outdoors.
For my second collarbone fracture (typical non-surgical recovery, I think) I was on the trainer after probably 10-15 days, and back outdoors in maybe six weeks. My doctor prefers a figure-8 brace instead of a sling, and that made it easier to use the trainer. Yes itās uncomfortable on the trainer, but honestly riding the trainer was much more comfortable than putting on a shirt or trying to sleep.
My first collarbone fracture had been very stubborn and atypical, with zero progress healing for 12 weeks. My doctor suggested using ultrasonic bone stimulation as a last resort before surgery, and within a week of starting that treatment the bones were knitting together beautifully. Needless to say, for fracture #2, I had learned my lesson and started the bone stimulation immediately.
@SeanInDC how long were you in the sling dude? I had surgery 2 weeks ago and still in the sling for most of the day, but itās becoming really annoying. I was thinking of getting a figure-8 on Amazon.
Sorry, @DewiJ but my experience is not relevant to your situation, since I didnāt have a surgical repair.
For both of my fractures, I was only in a sling from the time of my ER visit to my first ortho visit; my ortho prefers to use the figure-8. I much prefer the figure-8, but again I have not had a surgical repair, and the figure-8 might be incompatible with surgery.
I broke my right collarbone this past Friday (7/14/2023). Wondering how long Iāll be out. Iām guess I can start doing light workouts on trainer in 3 weeks or so. Probably not on the mountain bike for quite a while.
John, sorry for just now seeing this. Looks like itās been a month since you posted thisā¦how are you doing? My break was not just a break but also a grade 5 shoulder separation, so I was not cleared to put weight through the arm (translation, no handlebars) for 6 weeks post-op. I bought a mesh āshowerā sling so I could sweat and rigged up a bar to lean my chest on (similar to Payson McElveenās setup post-break) for those 6 weeks. But my undercarriage would go numb in that setup so I could really only do about 45 minutes max on the trainer and couldnāt really translate much power to the pedals without leveraging the handlebars so I stuck to endurance rides. Hope that helps?
I had surgery on it on July 25th. So Iām now 3+ weeks out from surgery. It does feel too bad now. The range of motion is limited, but itās improving. I havenāt been back on the trainer yet, but I think I will in another week or so.
Just thought Iād share my experience hereā¦
I broke my right collarbone on June 10th this year at a local XCM race. My first doctor said it would be fine and would heal well on its own. This didnāt sit well with me, and I felt like things were much more off than they were seeing, so I looked for another doctor to take a second look. The second doctor took more X-rays and found that the bone was in three pieces (I later found out from my surgeon that it was actually in more than three), so we decided to put a plate in. After all of the back and forth, it ended up being more than two weeks before I had the surgery.
I was able to get on the trainer once with a sling on in that two-week span, but it was definitely a bad idea knowing what I know now about the injury.
Post-surgery, my shoulder was still really sore from the accident, and I had really limited mobility, although the bone was finally stable. I hopped into physical therapy and was actually able to get back on the bike in less than two weeks. Again, this was probably pushing things, but I live on a nice paved trail, so easy riding with lower risk was an option for me.
Looking back at the calendar, Iād say it was between 3 & 4 weeks after surgery when I felt really good on the bike and started pushing things again.
Shortly after the accident, I, like many others, did boatloads of research on fractures and recovery, only to find that the situation is usually unique to the individual. On one hand, you have people like Ted King, who got back to racing a couple of weeks after his accident, and on the other, there are some with more complicated fractures, secondary injuries, slower healing times, less access to high-end medical care, etc. I had no idea where I would land on the spectrum, which was certainly concerning (especially for a late spring injury), but Iād say I ended up somewhere in the middle of that spectrum.
Physical therapy worked wonders and did way, way more for me than I had expected. There were a lot of scary moments along the way when I thought there was likely a rotator cuff injury or something that would take much more time to heal, but I followed the doctorsā orders, and Iāve been happily surprised by the results. Currently, Iād say Iāve been around 90-95% back to normal for the past couple of weeks. 
My takeaways here are:
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Listen to your doctor! If you have concerns, donāt be afraid to get a second opinion. Had I not seen my second doctor, things would be so much different for me right now, and Iām not convinced that things would have ever healed properly.
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Get into PT as soon as you can, and be diligent with your home exercises.
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Take things slowly. Donāt be too eager to get back on the bike. Long walks/hikes and easy jogs are great to keep base fitness up and even get some cross-training in. I feel like theyāre also much less risky than cycling.
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GIve your body time to heal. You can burn 15-20 calories per pound of body weight EXTRA while your body is generating new bone and healing. Get a really good healthy diet going, and EAT. Leafy greens, bone broth, and a high-quality calcium supplement help quite a bit, as well as some time in the sun or vitamin D if need be. Donāt try and bury yourself in exercise ā again, take things slow (this is hard for active people, but so important).
Iām, of course, not a doctor, but again, this is just my unique experience that I thought Iād share. Keep your head up! There might be some dark moments throughout the process, but things can work out with some determination!
Broke my clavicle AND my pelvis 33 days ago. Had surgical plate put on the clavicle and a 5-inch screw put in the pelvis 20 days ago. Every clavicle fracture is different, but I have full range of motion today and am hopeful that Iāll be allowed to ride the trainer in a few more weeks. Hang in there. Itās mentally difficult being sidelined, but the fitness will come back.
Today marks 7 weeks since I broke my collarbone, 5 1/2 week since surgery. On the trainer for the first time today. I think I just 45 minute endurance rides for the next week or two. Then start of on polarized plan. Itās still a little tricky, canāt bare weight on my arm, and getting on and off the trainer without putting weight on the arm is a little challenging. I sat up most of time, and sometime on the bars, with the left arm in the center and resting of my right arm on left elbow.
They thought mine was a clean break, but when I had surgery, it were actually four pieces.
I have injured by leg tibia and distal 3rd clavicle fracture about 2 months ago. That time misssed clavicle fracture no treatment till date. Now Dr. said first healed leg then clavicle surgery.
I am depressed when time passed. Will it redulted clavicle non union and should I go for surgery. Surgery risks here. Many examples here not opt surgery for 15, 20 and 25 years.
Please help
Many clavicle fractures donāt need surgery, but some do. I broke mine two years ago and the first doctor told me that it was fine and would heal on its own.
It did not feel right to me, so I got a second opinion, which showed me x-rays (both those they took and the ones from the first doctor) of the bone broken into multiple small pieces. They got me in for surgery the next week.
I canāt imagine how Iād be feeling had I tried to let this break heal in the shape it was in.
My lesson here is to trust your gut and get a second opinion in serious medical situations when you feel the need.
I canāt see too many downsides to the surgery in your case, but get a second opinion if youāre unsure. Itās your body that you have to live with, and itās better to get things fixed properly now than to skip the right procedure just to get back out there sooner.
Talk to your doctor(s) and Iām sure youāll figure something out. 
ALWAYS get a second opinion, and even a third (or fourth)! Buying healthcare procedures is no different than buying any large purchase, except for the long term consequences if something doesnāt go well.
For those who broke collarbones, has anyone noticed anything weird when doing dips?
I broke mine years ago and I canāt really tell except when I do dips, that shoulder does all weird things then. It also ended up being way more hairy than my other shoulder, I assume the road rash with it made it extra hairy.