Hi, caller,

Thank you for asking of Extension.

The following plant profiles may be accurate according to your plant's common name. 

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/prla.htm 

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/ST/ST50500.pdf

Not having a photo of your plant available, I would recommend that you prune the broken limb from the plant and modify it's structure accordingly. I understand that it has been established for a while and that you don't want to start the structure over again.

However, the plant is moderately fast growing, and reputed to sprout easily from the roots in most cases. This would avoid having a weakened structure which may fail again at a later time.

I recommend you call your Extension horticulturist in your home county for particular insight into this situation.