canklecat

I'm having shoulder surgery tomorrow, May 22. The doctor didn't pressure me into surgery but after checking the X-rays, MRI and CT scan it appeared the dislocations and fracture were enough that surgery is the best or least bad option. If one of the bones had remained in proper alignment it's possible the others would have some support, but everything was whacked out of place. So it'll be a screw and glue process to pull it all back together.

For me, the sooner, the better. If I wait too long I'll lose muscle tone, strength and flexibility since I can barely move the arm, let alone with any pressure or weight.

With luck I may be able to ride my bike again in 6-8 weeks. I'm hoping I can get cleared to use a trainer or recumbent bike on an indoor trainer sooner.

Biker395 

Whew ... glad you got that arranged. I would think that is the only good long term solution.

Good luck!

canklecat

Turns out my shoulder surgery had to be postponed. The anesthesiologist found a more serious complication. My thyroids are so swollen the esophagus and trachea have been constricted and shoved into a sort of "S" shape. I can't be safely intubated for anesthesia and maintaining an airway until that problem is fixed.

Initial images show the thyroid appears to be calcified, probably non-functional. I've been taking levothyroxine but it doesn't seem to make any difference. No immediate indication of cancer, just a golf ball sized useless lump. Presumably the thyroids can be removed and see if the airway straightens and opens. There's also a surgical process to open the airway somewhat by removing scar tissue, etc., from the trachea.

By the time that's done the shoulder will have set improperly, so eventually I'll need to have the shoulder rebuilt. But that may be months or years down the line.

Not exactly the adventures I was aiming for in my 60th year. But I had reached the best fitness I've had in decades, which should help with recovery from whatever surgery or treatments I'll need. I've always been skeptical about setting rigid goals and milestones anyway, so 61 will do well enough for resuming my cycling goals.

frogbiscuit

Thanks for that link. I hadn't done much research, just what the Dr. told me. I am pretty sure it's going to happen, one year out and I still suffer from some pain and weakness. I doubt it will ever be the same.

canklecat

Incidentally, regarding the OP's question about recovery time before it's safe to ride again...

A friend has offered to lend me his own injury recovery setup -- a recumbent with indoor trainer. He fell and broke both forearms last year! But he was able to ride his trainer safely without risk to the forearms. I noticed in the photo of his recumbent it has a high, adjustable bar and stem, so it should be possible to adjust to suit the limited range of motion for my shoulder. It doesn't need to be ideal for riding on the road, just enough to give my legs and lungs a reasonable workout safely indoors.

My shoulder surgery has been postponed due to other complications, possibly until the end of the year, so it'll be good to have some safe option for an indoor trainer. A recumbent sounds like a reasonable compromise.

GetUpnGo

Getting back to full regular (not reverse) shoulder replacement, there are two facts that we don't have control over: the time it takes the prosthesis to fuse to the bone, and the time it takes any cut and reattached tendons to be fully healed. In both cases, fusing and healing must be related to how well the prosthesis, bones, muscles, and tendons can withstand forces like leaning on the handlebar or falling off a bike.

It sure would be nice to have input here from a surgeon. My surgeon told me it takes 1 year for the prosthesis and bone to fully fuse, and 4 months for the tendons to be solidly attached. Surgeons may vary in their opinion on this, I suppose, but I would not want to be dealing with a surgeon who claims you can have the specific procedure I'm talking about (see first sentence) and get on a bike two days later. Either the surgeon is a quack or the procedure wasn't the one I'm referring to.

canklecat

In the 50+ age group recovery from ortho surgery has too many variables to generalize or speculate. If and when I do have shoulder surgery I'll ask for follow up imaging -- X-rays, MRI, CT scan -- part way through the anticipated recovery period to evaluate my progress before getting back on a conventional bike on the road. A recumbent, maybe -- shorter distance to fall. But I'd still want to see some follow up images a few weeks after surgery to evaluate progress.

Right now I'd expect my own recovery to be delayed by an apparent auto-immune disorder (thyroid), but I might be wrong. Even now I'm pleasantly surprised by how quickly my body seems to recover from physical damage. My abrasions from the recent injury healed quickly. The shoulder is still separated, crunching and painful, but seems to be progressing reasonably well with moderate physical therapy. It isn't drooping quite as badly as it was the first week. Follow up imaging within the next couple of weeks should be interesting -- it'll give some indication of whether I'm healing satisfactorily enough to avoid surgery, or at worst to give an indication of my prospective recovery time if surgery becomes necessary.

One surprising thing I've noticed with some of my older family and friends who've had joint replacement surgery -- knees, shoulders, hips -- is how quickly they're pushed into physical therapy. There's no laying around immobile for months, weeks or even days. In most cases they get patients up and moving the next day, sometimes the same day. As a result my now-75 year old friend was able to go home very quickly after her knee and hip surgeries within the past couple of years -- less than a week of in-patient rehab. But she'd been reasonably active all her life, never one to sit on the sofa all day.

But that's not true for everyone. My now-79 year old mom's recoveries were extremely slow. Between osteoporosis, slow recovery from injury, illness and surgery, and years of being sedentary and having poor baseline fitness, my mom needed full time assistance. She resisted physical therapy. And her recovery was complicated by dementia. With each surgery she experienced worsening confusion, disorientation and memory loss. It took months to recover from knee and shoulder surgeries. And now she's in a nursing home full time because of severe osteoporosis and an infected spot from a December surgical incision that won't heal. In her case it's a hen/egg dilemma -- it's hard to say whether her sedentary lifestyle exacerbated her slow recovery, or whether her sedentary lifestyle was an unavoidable complication of having so many lifelong illnesses. But that's a fairly extreme example that most of us won't be forced to cope with.

Even with my own health problems I'm inclined to regard my efforts to stay fit as money in the bank. It may not guarantee faster recovery from shoulder surgery, should it become necessary, but it won't hurt.

OldTryGuy

Your surgeon has HIS RULES and mine has HIS RULES determined by their experience, expertise and the knowledge of the patient. My full regular shoulder replacement has served me well without issues from the 3 days after implant and me riding. JUST BECAUSE your surgeon is uncomfortable with the time frame of my fusion and suture healing does not mean that IT CAN'T HAPPEN.

GetUpnGo

Look, this isn't about rules, it's about SCIENCE. I think your insistence that what you did, or what your surgeon told you to do was OK is dangerous for people who might actually believe this is OK and attempt it. Since virtually 100% of all clinical information you will find on the internet disagrees with you, please provide some proof of your claim. Can you find even ONE responsible source that confirms that biking is safe 3 days after a full shoulder replacement?

You refer to the "timeframe of your fusion." Are you claiming that your prosthesis was fused to the bone and all your muscles and ligaments were repaired after 3 days? What proof do you have of this? What's special about you that your body was able to miraculously defy science? It's impossible and irrational.

I think what you mean is that your surgeon gave you permission to bike in spite of the compromised status of your body. Fine, but that points to his irresponsibility and your gullibility.

Take a look at this list of the top 28 shoulder surgeons in the US: https://ryortho.com/2014/02/the-top-...lder-surgeons/ I had my surgery done at one of the clinics on the list. The wait time that I reported isn't my surgeons "rule," it's the professional opinion of a top orthopedic clinic.

OldTryGuy

Patients from around the world fly in for his services as with those on the list. Martina N. had a choice of any ortho in the world and chose him as have numerous other professional athletes and Performing Arts individuals in ballet/dance etc. Just because others disagree does not mean it can't be.

GetUpnGo

Alright, it's time to put an end to your absurd claim that it's safe to bike 2 days after a full shoulder replacement. You've provided no proof whatsoever, even though there's a ton of information on recovery from this procedure all over the internet. No one in this thread who has had this specific procedure has agreed with your claim---we've all said our doctors told us 3 months.

You've basically admitted that your surgeon is a lone wolf out of step with the medical profession, which points to malpractice. Your claim is irresponsible, sending a message to uninformed people that they don't need to take great care after surgery and let their body heal.

"Just because others disagree does not mean it can't be"? Yes, it can't be, if 100% of experienced surgeons disagree. You can prove me wrong by offering evidence to the contrary. For now, either your surgeon is a quack, you misunderstood him, or you've misrepresented the procedure you had. Less likely: your surgeon used an amazing procedure that the rest of the profession is unaware of and your body healed miraculously in 3 days.

OldTryGuy

Not sure what proof I can provide other than no issues with my recovery including no use of pain medication following the procedure and also completing a 100 mile bicycle ride 5 weeks after the installation, also without issues. As with religion and politics, sometimes there is simply nothing that can be said that will change one's view.

OldTryGuy

GEEEEEEE, referenced article dated 2014 with ADVERTISEMENT in my link.

rockkyle11

What Causes it?Traumatic Shoulder Instability

The ball can dislocate out of the socket after a traumatic injury such as a rugby/football tackle, hard fall or accident. When the shoulder dislocates it can cause a tear in the labrum (labral tear). This ‘soft tissue bumper’ surrounds the socket and usually prevents the ball from coming out of
the socket. If the shoulder dislocates with an extremely heavy force the socket itself can also crack as well as a labral causing bone loss.

Both a labral tear and/or bone loss can cause recurrent dislocations without any significant trauma.

Non-traumatic Shoulder Instability

A few patients present with shoulder dislocation without any trauma. This is usually due to the natural tissues being extremely loose and stretchy.

Post-Traumatic Arthritis

This is seen in younger patients who have suffered an injury to the shoulder such as a fracture or a dislocation. The effects are seen several years after the injury and frequently come on slowly in the period following the traumatic event.

rockkyle11

Shoulder replacement is a surgical procedure in which all or part of the glenohumeral joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant.