Broken collarbones

• Broken collarbones (also called clavicle

fractures) are fairly common, representing
about 5 percent of all adult fractures. Clavicle
fractures are even more common in children,
representing between 8 and 15 percent
• Sports injuries, falls, and traffic accidents are
the most frequent causes of broken
collarbones.
 Causes
• The most frequent cause of broken collarbones is a
direct blow to the shoulder that snaps or breaks the
bone. This can occur in a downward fall landing on
your shoulder, or falling onto an outstretched arm. It
can also happen in a car collision.
• Sports injuries are a common cause of broken
collarbones, especially in younger people. The clavicle
doesn’t fully harden until you’re about 20.
• Contact sports like football and hockey can lead to
shoulder injuries, as can other sports where a fall
usually happens at high speeds or on a downward
trajectory, such as skiing or skateboarding.
• Newborns can have their clavicle fractured
during delivery. It’s important to notice if the
baby has any of the symptoms of a broken
collarbone, such as crying when you touch
their shoulder.
 signs
• a lot of pain and have trouble moving your arm
without causing more pain.
• swelling
• stiffness
• inability to move your shoulder
• tenderness
• bruising
• a bump or raised area over the break
• grinding or crackling noise when you move your arm
• forward sagging of your shoulder
 Treatment
Conservative, nonsurgical treatment
• Arm support
• Pain medication
• Ice
• Physical therapy

One complication of conservative treatment is that the

bone may slip out of alignment. This is called malunion. You
may need further treatment, depending on how malunion
affects your arm function.
In some cases, you may have a bump on your skin
above the break. The bump usually gets smaller in time.
• Surgery
If your broken collarbone is fragmented, fractured in more than one
place, or badly aligned, surgery may be recommended. Typically, treating
complex breaks involve:
• repositioning your collarbone
• placing metal screws and a metal plate or pins and screws alone to hold
the bone in place so that it heals properly
• wearing a sling after surgery to immobilize the arm for a few weeks
• taking painkillers as prescribed after surgery
• having follow-up X-rays to monitor healing
Pins and screws are removed once the bone has healed. Metal plates
are typically not removed unless there is irritation of the overlying skin.
There may be surgical complications, such as problems with the
bone healing, irritation from the inserted hardware, infection, or injury to
your lung.