The pathology for clavicle fractures is still changing today, with evidence suggesting that there is no need to operate on types of fractures they would previously operate on.

I shattered my clavicle on my bike, many pieces, bits were floating in the middle of nowhere, it was pointing in all the wrong directions. It would have typically been suggested for surgery, but my hospital is a research hospital and so my case was cause for heated debate and I was eventually recommended not to get the surgery.

During the process I met with many doctors for checkins and most of them were extremely surprised it wasn't operated on, but by the end of the healing process the surgeons said that if they had gotten that result from surgery they would be elated. So it all worked out and I've healed just fine without surgery, plates or follow up operations.

There is a difference in time though, I was in a sling for nearly 8 weeks, whereas my friend who had surgery and plates put in was using his arm again in much less time.