Sources: Cowboys QB Tony Romo intends to shave clavicle rather than attach plate
By David Moore , Staff Writer Contact David Moore on Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN
When Tony Romo undergoes surgery next week, the plan is to shave off or remove a portion of his clavicle rather than attach a plate, sources said.
Romo has stated repeatedly in recent months that his goal is to strengthen the clavicle in a way that will allow him to finish his career without this becoming a recurring issue. There have always been three options in play: no surgery, shaving the clavicle or attaching a plate.
The Cowboys quarterback underwent the latest in a series of CT scans Wednesday to determine the level of bone growth and regeneration. After reviewing those results, surgery was scheduled for next week.
Before that scan was administered, Romo told reporters that he was leaning toward having a plate attached. Several reports have surfaced since late Thursday evening that state the quarterback will opt for the plate.
But sources insist that's not the first option. They stress the intent of the surgery, based on the location of the fracture, is to correct the problem by shaving or removing a portion of the clavicle.
Known as a Mumford procedure, this reduces pain and discomfort where the clavicle meets the shoulder. An argument can be made that the procedure is preferred because it will place less long-term stress on the collarbone than attaching a plate.
Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith underwent this procedure while with the Cowboys in the 1990s.
As with many surgical procedures, there's a chance the surgeon will encounter variables that dictate a different approach. That keeps the option of a plate in play. People close to Romo acknowledge while the plate remains a possibility, it's a slim one based on the information gathered to this point.
Romo missed 12 games in 2015 after fracturing his distal clavicle on two separate occasions. He told reporters two days before last month's Super Bowl that he was going through this process to see what procedure "ensures, most likely, that it never happens again. That's really what you're trying to do.
"We're asking a lot of people to get enough data to figure out. The reality of it is, it's a collarbone, and if the collarbone doesn't hurt, I should be good to go to play out the final four to five years. That's all we're trying to ensure.''
Either procedure has a six-to-eight week recovery period, which would clear Romo to take the field for the start of organized team activities in May.
