Anyone ever had a shattered elbow?

Surely your doctor would know better than we could. Recovery time almost certainly varies from case to case.

My mother got one saving me from running through a glass door when I was two. Her elbow was never quite normal again – it never bent as far as the other one or as it did before. I understand that the younger you are the more likely your elbow will heal quickly and without problems, but the elbow is a very complicated structure.

However, after about a year her elbow was as good as it was ever going to be. The same was true of foot bones I had to have surgically repaired – I could walk on them carefully after about six weeks, and run after 6 months, but thy didn’t feel fixed until about a year.

Just wanted to say welcome to Fluther, and ouch!

Hu shadoobi shattered.

My smashed elbow took about 4–5 years to heal.

In September, 1988 I fractured the head of the radius in two places, the physician said it looked like splintered wood but he set it and put a cast on it and did not have to do any surgery.

Cast came off three or four weeks later and I started physical therapy. I got about 80% usage very quickly and had to work fairly hard and consistently go to therapy in order to get the range of movement up to close to normal.

Now I almost straighten the arm, but not 100%. I am 59 and it is not going to get any better.

Screwed up my golf swing for a while but I adapted and managed to get my scores back below 110 within a month or two the following spring.

Not from anyone I know of. But ouch, that really sounds painful.
Not really my elbow, but my knee. I tore my left ACL a few years back, and it’s been one of my biggest regrets in life haha. I still do crazy stupid active stuff with it though. You just have to learn to adapt with it and respect it.
They say it’s easier to heal and replace bone than ligaments though.

@derekpaperscissors – Welcome to the club. I, too, tore my ACLs. Whatever you do, keep your quads strong. They can partially take over the role of the torn ligaments.

@Darwin Thanks for the tip. Some people question me why i still do sports and strenuous activities when they find out I tore mine up. Now I can say I’m working out the quads hehe.

Sure beats the dreaded wall squats!

I shattered my elbow on July 21st. I had surgery on Aug 2nd and the doctor put in16 pins and two plates. I’m in PT and will be for awhile. I’m wondering the same thing will I ever be near normal again. Some days I feel like I’m not making the progress I should..well probably most days. Are you having trouble sleeping? I haven’t slept a full night since the accident. Good luck on your recovery.

i shattered my elbow about 2 years ago, september 22, i had surgery a week later and they put 2 plates and 13 screws, i was in physical therapy for months, my elbow seemed like it was never going to bend straight ever again, well the scar tissue built up and i could barely move it so i had another surgery and they took out a screw and took out the scar tissue, i was back in physical therapy too for about 2 months. In all it took about 7–8 months for my elbow to get better, now i have almost full rotation, except if someone touches a certain part of my elbow its like hitting your funny bone nerve and it numbs my pinky and ring finger and all the way up my arm. shatttering your elbow sucks

I feel for ya! It depends on the severity I guess. Dr. said mine was like a jigsaw puzzle he had to put back together.I was drugged up and immobile for almost a year and did therapy for two years after that. I am a an electrician tradesman and thought I would never be able to work again, that was 6 years ago. I am back to work and can do all the things I used to do only a little slower. I cannot touch my nose with this arm when I bend it and the little finger and the one next to it has a constant feeling of ” dentist thaw” as I describe it. I also had plates and at least once a year I was going under the knife to have them removed until they were all gone. This is my normal, I hope you find yours.