The precautions needed after discharge from hospital after clavicle fracture surgery include rest and position, medication, diet, functional exercise, review time and so on.
1. Rest and body position: in the early stage, bed rest is the mainstay, and you can get out of bed intermittently. Don’t do strenuous activities within half a year to avoid re-fracture.
2. Medication: Take medication on time according to the doctor’s instruction.
3. Diet: 1~2 weeks after surgery, due to the stimulation of gastrointestinal tract by trauma, light, tasty, easy-to-digest semi-liquid or soft food should be given priority to; 3~5 weeks after surgery is the period of scab formation, it is advisable to eat more high-protein food; 6~8 weeks after the injury is the period of maturity of scabs, it is necessary to increase the calcium of the food. Eat more vegetables and fruits to prevent constipation.
4. Functional exercise: keep the affected limb in the functional position, avoid lifting and carrying heavy objects too early, and for those who are externally immobilized, avoid forward flexion and inward movement. After releasing the external fixation, focus on practicing shoulder forward flexion and shoulder rotation activities, such as rowing. The strength of the exercise should be moderate to prevent re-injury due to excessive force.
5. Review time: 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery, X-ray should be conducted to understand the healing of the fracture.
After clavicle fracture surgery, you need to recover gradually under the guidance of your doctor.