Broken collarbone // Middlesex Health

Overview

A broken collarbone is a common injury. The collarbone, also known as the clavicle, connects the shoulder blade to the breastbone. Common causes of a broken collarbone include falls, sports and traffic accidents. Infants sometimes break their collarbones while being born.

Seek medical help quickly for a broken collarbone. Most heal well with ice, pain relievers, a sling, physical therapy and time. Some breaks might require surgery to put plates, screws or rods into the bone to hold the pieces in place during healing.

The collarbone connects the breastbone to the shoulder blade. A broken collarbone is a common injury that causes pain and swelling at the break.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a broken collarbone include:

• Pain that increases when moving the shoulder.
• Swelling, tenderness or bruising.
• Skin over the break might look like a tent when gently pinched.
• A bump on or near the shoulder.
• A grinding or crackling sound when moving the shoulder.
• Stiffness or not being able to move the shoulder.

Newborns often will not move their arm for days after breaking the collarbone during birth and will cry if someone moves the arm.

When to see a doctor

If you notice symptoms of a broken collarbone or enough pain to prevent using the arm as usual, see a health care provider right away. Waiting to be treated can lead to poor healing.

Causes

Common causes of a broken collarbone include:

• Falls, such as falling onto the shoulder or onto an outstretched arm.
• Sports injuries, such as a direct blow to the shoulder on the field, rink or court.
• Traffic accidents, from a car, motorcycle or bike crash.
• Birth injury, usually from a difficult vaginal birth.

Risk factors

Teenagers and children are at higher risk of a broken collarbone than are adults. The risk goes down after age 20. Then it rises again in older people as they lose bone strength with age.

Complications

Most broken collarbones heal without difficulty. Complications, when they occur, might include:

• Nerve or blood vessel injury. Rarely, the jagged ends of a broken collarbone may injure nearby nerves and blood vessels. Seek immediate medical attention for numbness or coldness in an arm or hand.
• Poor or slow healing. A badly broken collarbone might heal slowly or not all the way. Poor joining of the bones during healing can shorten the bone.
• A lump in the bone. As part of the healing process, the place where the bone knits together forms a bony lump. The lump is easy to see because it’s close to the skin. Most lumps disappear over time, but not all.
• Osteoarthritis. A fracture that involves the joints that connect the collarbone to the shoulder blade or the breastbone might increase the risk of later developing arthritis in that joint.

Diagnosis

During the physical exam, a health care provider inspects the area for tenderness, swelling or an open wound. X-rays show where the break is, how bad it is and whether the joints are injured. A CT scan might give more-detailed images.

Treatment

For healing, any broken bone must be kept still. People who have a broken collarbone usually need to wear a sling. Bone healing usually takes 3 to 6 weeks for children and 6 to 12 weeks for adults.

A newborn’s collarbone that breaks during delivery typically heals in about two weeks with only pain control and careful handling of the baby.

Medicines

A pain medicine that you can buy without a prescription might be all that’s needed to ease pain. Some people might need a prescription medicine with a narcotic for a few days. Because narcotics can be habit-forming, it’s important to use them for only a short time and only as directed by a health care provider.

Therapy

Exercises to restore movement begin soon after treatment starts. It’s usually important to begin moving to lessen stiffness. Later, other exercises or physical therapy can help the joint move better and build muscle strength.

Surgery

Surgery might be needed if the collarbone has broken through the skin, is out of place or is in several pieces. Broken collarbone surgery usually includes using plates, screws or rods to hold the bone in place while it heals. Surgical complications are rare but can include infection.

Children and teenagers younger than 16 rarely need surgery because they heal more quickly than adults do.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Applying ice to the area for 20 to 30 minutes every few hours during the first 2 to 3 days after a collarbone break can help control pain and swelling.

Preparing for an appointment

Depending on how bad the break is, your health care provider or a provider in the emergency room might recommend a surgeon who treats bone injuries, also called an orthopedic surgeon.

What you can do

It might be helpful to write a list that includes:

• Details about symptoms, what caused the injury and when it happened.
• Information about past medical problems.
• All medicines, vitamins and dietary supplements you take, including doses.
• Questions to ask the health care provider.

What to expect from your doctor

Your provider might ask:

• Have you broken a bone before?
• Have you been told you have weakened bones?

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Clavicle Fracture

Your child has two clavicles (collarbones). Each clavicle extends from the top of the sternum (breastbone) to the shoulders (Picture 1).

A clavicle fracture is common in children after a collision or fall onto the shoulder. Most clavicle fractures that occur in children can be treated without surgery.  

Treatment

Depending on the type, place and severity of the fracture, the medical practitioner (doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant) will decide the proper treatment.

Clavicle fractures do not need to line up perfectly to heal properly. On many fractures, the ends overlap (are shortened) and/or the pieces are displaced (not touching) (Picture 2). A ball of bone (callus) will form around the fracture to heal it. That ball of bone will smooth out (remodel) over time (Picture 3). Please ask your child’s provider for further information on fracture healing and bone remodeling.  

Your child may always have a bump where the fracture was, but this should not affect their ability to participate in all activities. Most clavicle fractures do not need surgery. If the clavicle can be treated without surgery, the practitioner may use a clavicle strap or a sling (with or without a chest strap), or both. This helps protect the fracture and provides comfort.

The strap helps keep the two parts of the bone lined up to reduce painful movements of the parts of the bone. Your child may need it for 3 or more weeks.

When to Call the Medical Practitioner

For the first 24 to 48 hours, your child may have some swelling in the arm. Swelling happens if the arm hangs at the side too long. Gravity pulls fluid into the hand and fingers. This leads to swelling, discomfort, numbness, tingling, coolness and color changes.

If the medical practitioner does not limit your child’s activity, the child should do the following movements 5 to 6 times a day. The movements prevent swelling and stiffness and help circulation.

Elbow:

1. Straighten and bend the elbow 10 to 15 times.

Wrist:

1. Wave the hand up and down 10 to 15 times.
2. Make 10 circles starting to the right, then 10 circles starting to the left.

Fingers:

1. Wiggle fingers for 20 seconds.
2. Make a fist, then spread fingers wide apart; repeat 10 times.

If your child’s symptoms do not improve using the arm movements, contact their practitioner. The practitioner may need to see your child to evaluate them.

If Your Child Wears a Clavicle Strap

• Tighten the strap so that the shoulders are pulled back and down (Pictures 4 and 5). Check the strap several times during the first day to be sure the closures are fastened securely.
• Starting on the second day, tighten the straps every other day for 7 to 10 days. Do this because the straps will stretch. Make sure your child’s shoulders are pulled back when you tighten the straps
• Depending on the severity of the fracture you may be instructed not to remove the strap. If that is the case, your child should sponge bathe until allowed to remove the strap.
• Your practitioner will tell you when you may remove the strap for bathing. Put the clavicle strap back on right after bathing.  

Clothing

• Your child should wear clothing that closes in the front or back – not pullover shirts.
• When helping your child get dressed, put the arm with the broken collar bone into the sleeve first. When helping them undress, take the good arm out of the sleeve first.

Skin Care

• Look for signs of skin irritation from the strap every day.
• If there is redness and pain or the skin becomes raw, call your child’s clinic or practitioner.

Activity

• Your child should not play any sports and should not lift or pull anything with the injured arm.
• Your child should be lifted by the chest or waist only, not by the arms and not under the arms.
• When holding your child’s hand, hold the hand on the uninjured side.

Follow-up Appointments

Make an appointment with your child’s practitioner or clinic now, for 1 to 2 weeks after the injury.

If your child needs to see an Orthopedic practitioner, call the Orthopedic clinic in Columbus at (614) 722-5175 or in Toledo at (419) 251-2061.

If you have any questions, be sure to ask your medical provider.

Clavicle Fracture (PDF)

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Clavicle fracture (fracture): causes, symptoms, signs, treatment, diagnosis, prevention

03/28/2016

Symptoms

• Joint pain
• Pain or discomfort
• Visible deformation
• Neck tension
• Bone fracture (one fracture)
• Swelling

Show more

Overview

Clavicle fractures are predominantly the result of a blow to the shoulder. They are often associated with traffic accidents involving motorcycles. In most cases, a clavicle fracture heals on its own. Serious fractures may need surgery to restore the connection between the broken parts of the bones. Most people recover from such an injury completely.

What to expect

Some clavicle fractures heal on their own. Others need surgery to repair the connection between the broken parts of the bone. In any case, the clavicle must be fixed in a stationary state. It may take several months for the collarbone to recover and be able to return to normal life. A small lump may remain at the site of the former fracture of the clavicle. The prognosis for full recovery is high for most people.

May be worsened by

Smoking or diabetes.

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask the patient about the injury and examine the shoulder. He may apply some pressure to the area of ​​injury to check for pain. X-rays and, in some cases, CT scans are done to check for any damage you may have experienced.

Treatment

— In most cases, a clavicle fissure needs to be fixed with a sling bandage. The sling bandage should be worn continuously until the pain subsides, preferably for 2 to 4 weeks in the case of children and 4 to 8 weeks for trauma in the adult.

– Over-the-counter pain medications are usually enough to relieve pain. If these do not help with pain, your doctor may prescribe stronger pain medications.

— If the fracture occurs in the area of ​​the collarbone near the edge of the shoulder, surgery may be necessary.

– Once the bone begins to heal, your doctor will likely advise you to begin light shoulder and elbow exercises. These exercises will help prevent the development of real estate in the joints and muscle weakness. More intense physical exercises can be started after the fissure has completely healed.

Self-medication

If you think you may have broken your collarbone, it is important to get qualified medical help.