![]() Wear a shoulder support for reassurance.Use resistance bands for shoulder strengthening exercises.Maintain forearm & grip strength with hand therapy exercises.Practice exercises to maintain range of movement.The patient will hold the arm immobile in an attempt to relieve the pain. As with any fracture there is considerable pain, and bruising may be visible. Signs & Symptoms of a Broken Collarboneīecause the collarbone is so close to the surface of the skin, the fracture is usually characterised by the protruding fracture fragments. Occasionally there are complications with this type of fracture, including a fragment of bone causing damage to blood vessels in the chest, or imperfect union of the two fracture fragments which leads to a prominent notch once healing has taken place. Once the fractured bone has been reduced back into place by the treating doctor it will usually heal in about 6 weeks. In older individuals, where more force is applied to produce a broken collarbone, the two fragments often become displaced and are prominent through the skin. With broken collarbones in children, there is usually little displacement of the two fracture fragments and subsequent healing occurs quickly over a period of 2 to 3 weeks. Sometimes a direct blow to the clavicle can also result in a broken collarbone. This arrangement means that when a person falls onto an outstretched hand, the force is transmitted up the arm resulting in a collarbone fracture. The collar bone is attached centrally to the sternum (breast bone) and at its outer side to the shoulder complex. For cyclists, it is a very common injury when falling from their bike. A broken collarbone frequently occurs when someone falls onto an out stretched hand. Broken Collarbone Injury ExplainedĪ broken collarbone (broken clavicle) is a very common shoulder injury. A return to sport should be granted by the orthopaedic consultant, based on functional ability and x-ray evidence. Once full and pain free range of movement has been achieved, resistance should be added to regain strength in the affected limb, before unrestricted shoulder motion is permitted. Once this has been completed the patient should progress to active abduction (moving the arm out to the side) flexion (arm up to the front) extension (arm back) and rotation of the shoulder (hand behind head, then hand behind back) within the limits of pain. This numb patch usually diminishes with time.Throughout the healing process following a collarbone fracture, it is important that the patient maintains the range of movement in the elbow, wrist and hand of the affected limb by going through the movements of these joints every day. Many patients report an area of numbness over the chest area after the operation. Often a second operation is required to remove the plate and screws. The risks of surgery include anaesthetic risk, infection, injury to nerves or vessels, failure of fixation, non-union, and malunion. Recent research has shown that surgery for these fractures will allow for a better chance to heal and improved function of the arm. Surgery involves an incision over the collar bone and the placement of a metal plate and screws to secure the broken bones. Surgery is usually considered for fractures that have a large separation. In fractures with little separation, full and normal function is likely achieved with this form of treatment. The benefits of this treatment are that risks of surgery are avoided. The fracture will usually heal after six to eight weeks, when normal use of the arm can begin. ![]() I usually instruct patients to avoid overhead use of the arm for four weeks, and avoid heavy lifting until healing. The sling can be taken off after one to two weeks when the pain subsides. Nonsurgical treatment involves the use of a sling for comfort, with use of the arm as tolerated. Treatment, whether surgical or nonsurgical, should be decided within the first week, as surgery should be performed within two weeks from the break. Each collar bone fracture is treated differently, depending upon the location of the break and its severity.
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