United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Quick thanks to all potential replies!

I broke my clavicle about 5 weeks back. I noticed a numbness in my thumb and pointing finger right away. After a visit to the ER and going home, I noticed that if I raised my arm in a curling exercise motion, then trying to keep it raised, it fell flat. I just attributed it to trauma. But after 3 weeks, when I started using it again, I noticed that I could curl it a little, but when I try to flex the bicep muscle, the outside bicep flexed but the inside doesn't, it just hangs there like fat. I spoke to the Ortho about it and he said that I just tweaked the nerve and that since I have feeling in the muscle, numbness in the two mentioned fingers and numbness on the inside of my forearm, he thought it was a very good sign that it will completely recover. Though I do have full range of motion, I have considerable weakness in curling, because the inside biceps is not responding. What should I make of this and should I get and EMG?

Thanks,

James

Get an EMG and schedule a follow up with a neurologist just to be sure. Or neurologist first then EMG and a follow up is probably smarter. It sounds like it'll probably heal on it's own, but why risk it.

Good Luck,
Chris

I'm with Chris. Our son broke his clavicle very badly in a high-speed cycling accident last year and had it surgically repaired. After surgery he couldn't move his arm at all and had weakness in his hand.

Although the surgeon and his GP both said oh yeah, these injuries heal by themselves within 4-6 months, I wasn't willing to take any chances. Fouind this forum, and we got referrals to a physiatrist, a neurosurgeon and eventually to the trio at the MAyo.

At first it looked bad, but at each doctor's visit, there had been improvement. We saw docs about once a month at first. Then 2 months. In the end, he did not have surgery and now, one year later, he has about 85 percent recovery, which was the best any doc said he could hope for, given his injury.

It sounds like you'll be fine, but it's worth it to have an expert tell you that.