Hi there... I took a nast fall while sprinting and impacted my shoulder and it compressed my collarbone and it snapped. I have had it broken for about 20 days now and the doctor says I can take off my sling. Im curious how long it will be before I can play something like tennis gain. He is predicting 10-12 weeks and that seems alittle high to me from what Ive read. Is he just preparing me for the worst. I am young and think I should heal faster, however the bones are over lapped about half and inch. Im debating surgery right now because he says it will be 8 weeks as opposed to 10 or 12. Is it reasonable to hope for an even faster recovery?

You age has a lot to do with healing..but not necessarily everything. So, dont be so certain that just because you are young, that you will sail thru it without complications. It depends on what type of surgical procedure they do. I am 42 and had a total knee replacement last year and thought that I would sail right thru it and have nothing but complications. So...it really does depend on the severity of the surgery..how much scar tissue accumulates. You can talk to the doctor about a bone growth stimulator. It also depends on where the fracture is and the amount of stress that it will assume when it is fixed. More than eighty-five percent of clavicle fractures occur in the middle of the bone. This type of fracture rarely ever needs surgery, except in special circumstances. Instead, the bone is allowed to heal on its own, and your doctor will be able to suggest ways in which you can ease the pain and discomfort. Adults can take up to 4 months to heal from this type of fracture. Fractures that occur very near the A/C joint are also a special type of a break. Sometimes these fractures heal so slowly that surgery is often preferred. If the fracture does not heal by itself, doctors describe the situation as a "non-union," which means that the bones have not grown back together. When this happens after a clavicle fracture, the patient may experience long lasting pain and discomfort. In this situation, surgery may be offered as a way to realign the ends of the bone and encourage them to heal by holding them there with a plate and screws. Dont rush yourself into healing. Allow the body to do what it needs to do so that you can get back to the life that you were used to. With surgery, you have to allow for the bone to heal and it will fuse together, even though it is being held together with screws and plates. It will be important to complete a course of physical therapy to rebuild muscle mass that you have lost from misuse. I wish you the very best and hope that you can get back to your tennis game
Be well