Locked arm Need help.

3 weeks ago i was in a car accident. I broke my left collarbone and have been in a sling for 3 weeks. The same day I crashed laying in my hospital bed I could not move my lower left arm past a 90 degree angle, it was just locked up. It is still locked up and I am getting worried. I am trying to excercise it a little bit each day to loosen it up. It feels as though the tendons on the inside of my elbow are going to tear or snap if I push it too hard. I havent gone to see a PT yet but I plan on it very soon. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. I had a metal plate put in my collarbone so I do not have full range of movement back yet.

[abhijeet v ghosh]

hello cmallen,
it looks like we have some problem here. I couldn't understand whether the metal plate was put on your collar bone 3 weeks back (following this accident)? If yes, then it's natural to have restricted range of motion.
Also we need to be careful about shoulder dislocation / subluxation , which might have occurred following the fall in the hospital.
So you can upload your X-ray on the photo section of your collar bone. I can help you on that.
Any other querries, you are free to contact me by posting.
regards
abhjeet

[cmallen]

thanks for your response... the metal plate is in my collarbone, and I am not to move it for another 4 weeks. The thing that concerns me is from my left elbow down to my hand is very very tight. I cannot flex my lower arm much at all. It is pretty much locked in a 90 degree angle. Keeping it in a sling only tightens it up more. It has loosened a little bit since I stopped wearing the sling, but I didnt know if this was a common injury or if I may have damaged some tendons etc.

Thanks for your help.

[abhijeet v ghosh]

hello cmallen,
thanks.
Well this looks like post operative stiffness as well as stiffness due to immobility.
Please keep any doubts away from your mind as they can trigger variable response to stress.

Once the waiting period is over, doctors will subject you to physiotherapy/rehabilitation, and be sure, you will attain the functional range of motion.

Regards
abhijeet