Collarbone Injury
Frank Vanderlugt
The clavicle or “collar bone” connects the scapula bone in the
shoulder to the sternum in your chest. It functions to hold the
shoulder upward and backward.
Clavicle fractures are common bone injuries. A break in the
clavicle bone is usually a closed fracture that normally takes
approximately 6 weeks to heal in an adult, 4 weeks in a child.
The injury rarely requires surgery.
There are some common causes of a fractured clavicle. It may be
due to a birth injury, as the clavicle may fracture during
passage through the birth canal. The fracture is frequently not
noticed until the healing bone callus is noticed as a hard lump.
It usually needs no treatment and the lump will disappear as the
baby grows.
In older children and adults, accidents such as falls against
the shoulder or on an outstretched hand are a common cause of
fractures of the clavicle. These fractures are also sometimes a
result of a blow from a blunt object or a collision of some
sort.
The symptoms of a fractured clavicle are pain, swelling,
tenderness, bruising, and a deformity or bump at the fracture
site. Patients with a broken clavicle cannot lift their arms
without extreme pain.
When a patient presents with a fractured clavicle, the
attending physician will examine the fracture site for
neurovascular damage and take x-rays of the injured area,
including the joints above and below the primary injury site.
A patient with a broken clavicle will have to wear a simple arm
sling for about 6 weeks. Children with broken clavicles are
often fitted with a figure-8 clavicle strap to keep their
clavicle immobilized until it heals, usually in 3 to 4 weeks.
Most adult fractures are treated with a figure-8 splint or
strap and will have to sleep in a chair or in bed with extra
pillows because the fracture takes a week or two to set and it
is vital to prevent rolling onto the bone during sleep. Usually
patients will be able to start exercising their shoulders after
three weeks of immobilization.
Healing is considered complete when there is no motion at the
fracture site and x-rays reveal complete bone union.
A less common injury is separation of the acromoclavicular, or
AC joint, where the clavicle meets the acromion process of the
scapular. It is a bony protuberance on the top of the shoulder.
The ligaments of this joint can be injured by falling onto the
shoulder, elbow or an outstretched arm. Symptoms can range in
severity from slight pain to a complete rupture of the joint
resulting in a lump where the collar bone sticks up out of the
neck.
Symptoms include pain and tenderness the end of the collar
bone, as well as pain upon moving the shoulder joint,
especially when raising the arm above the shoulders.
If the injury is a minor partial separation, it can be treated
with ice compresses and rest. However, more serious separations
may need to be taped down in order to heal. A complete
separation will require orthopedic surgery. AC joint injuries
should be evaluated by a physician, as if this injury is
neglected and allowed to heal out of place it will increase the
wear and tear on the joint causing future shoulder problems.
About The Author: Frank Vanderlugt is interested in Medical
Care.
http://www.collarboneinjury.com
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