Clavicle Fractures
What Should You Know About a Broken Collarbone?
A collarbone (clavicle) fracture is one of the most common fractures in the body, typically caused by a fall onto the shoulder or outstretched arm, a direct blow, or a cycling or contact sports injury. Many clavicle fractures heal well without surgery, though certain fracture patterns — significantly displaced, shortened, or comminuted breaks — often do better with surgical fixation.
Causes & symptoms:
Falls onto the shoulder, direct impact, and cycling accidents are among the most common causes across all ages. Symptoms include immediate pain and swelling over the collarbone, a visible deformity or bump at the fracture site, difficulty raising the arm, and sometimes a grinding sensation with attempted shoulder movement.
Diagnosis and Treatment:
X-rays confirm the fracture and show the degree of displacement and shortening, which are the main factors guiding treatment. Nondisplaced or minimally displaced fractures are typically treated with a sling and progressive return to activity as the bone heals. More significantly displaced, shortened, or comminuted fractures — particularly in active or younger patients — often do better functionally with surgical fixation using a plate and screws, which can also speed return to activity and sports.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do all clavicle fractures need surgery?
No, many heal well with sling immobilization alone; surgery is generally considered for fractures with significant displacement, shortening, or comminution, or in patients with high functional demands
How long does a clavicle fracture take to heal?
Most clavicle fractures show solid healing within about 6-12 weeks, though return to full activity, especially contact sports, typically takes longer and is guided by follow-up X-rays.
How are clavicle fractures fixed surgically?
Under general anesthesia, we make an incision over the clavicle and expose the ends of the broken bone. We line the bone up and place a metal plate and screws to hold it together. There is some pain from the surgical exposure afterwards, but many patients get quite a bit of pain relief with the bone put back together almost immediately.