All You Need To Know About Clavicle Fractures
Your clavicle, or “collarbone”, plays an important role in the positioning and function of your arm. It is the main connection of your shoulder girdle to the rest of your body. Because of the collarbone’s length and vulnerable location lying just under the skin of the shoulder, it is often at risk for injury. Clavicle fractures are some of the most common fractures treated by orthopaedic doctors. Of note, the clavicle is the last bone in the body to stop growing – often at up to 25 years of age. As a result of this prolonged growth, the clavicle has excellent healing potential, and most clavicle fractures can be treated non-operatively by simply allowing the bones to mend. However, there are some types of clavicle fractures that are best treated surgically. The clavicle is critical in providing length and contour to the shoulder which allows muscles around the shoulder girdle to function effectively. Fractures that cause significant shortening or mal-alignment of the clavicle can cause weakness in the shoulder or risk of “nonunion” or incomplete healing of the fracture leading to chronic pain.
Risk Factors for Clavicle Fractures
- Falls – either directly on the shoulder or onto an outstretched hand attempting to “break the fall.”
- Direct blow – any forceful blow to the clavicle (i.e. – falling object, lacrosse stick) can cause a fracture due to the little muscle or soft tissue protection to the bone.
- Osteoporosis, or low bone quality
Symptoms of Clavicle Fractures
- Difficulty moving one or both arms. It may be impossible to raise the arm at all and attempts may cause a grinding or crackling noise.
- There may be some pain emanating from the site of the break, even without moving.
- A swollen bump above the site of the break. May be visible beneath skin.
- Swelling and bruising of the clavicle.
- A sagging or hanging shoulder.
Treatment of Clavicle Fractures
- A clavicle fracture is treated differently dependent upon how severe the break is and where it is broken. The clavicle most often breaks cleanly in the middle. This type of fracture usually heals within 6-8 weeks and is treated by:
- Sling to immobilize and support the arm during healing.
- Pain medication to reduce any pain the person is experiencing.
- Ice to limit swelling and help with the pain.
- Physical therapy after healing or towards the end of healing to help regain full motion and strengthen surrounding muscles.
- Surgery is reserved for patients with significant separation of the bone ends, shortening of the bone due to overlap of the fracture ends, and fractures creating multiple pieces. These types of injuries are at risk to heal in positions that limit full shoulder function, or are at risk of not healing which causes significant pain with attempts at using the arm.
- If you have sustained a clavicle injury, it is best to seek consultation with a orthopaedic specialist to review the nature of the injury and determine the best course of treatment in order to maximize your outcome from this very common injury.
Hello there. I found your website via Google whilst searching for a comparable matter, your site got here up. It looks good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Fantastic website. Lots of useful info here. I am sending it to several pals ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you on your effort!
Wonderful paintings! That is the type of info that should be shared around the net. Disgrace on Google for not positioning this put up upper! Come on over and consult with my site . Thanks =)
Hi there, You’ve done an excellent job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I’m sure they will be benefited from this website.|
Hello there. I found your blog via Google whilst searching for a related matter, your web site got here up. It seems to be great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
It’s awesome for me to have a web site, which is beneficial in favor of my experience. thanks admin|
Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is really annoying. A good site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You clearly know what youre talking about, why waste your intelligence on just posting videos to your weblog when you could be giving us something enlightening to read?|
Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is really irritating. A good site with exciting content, that is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
This design is incredible! You most certainly know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Wonderful job. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!|
Awesome post. I am a normal visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a regular visitor for a long time.
I’m impressed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both educative and amusing, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The problem is something not enough folks are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy I stumbled across this during my hunt for something regarding this.
If you desire to grow your know-how simply keep visiting this web site and be updated with the hottest news update posted here.|
Awesome write-up. I’m a regular visitor of your site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I’ll be a frequent visitor for a long time.
Its not my first time to visit this web page, i am browsing this website dailly and take fastidious facts from here everyday.|
Hi there. I discovered your web site by means of Google whilst looking for a similar subject, your website got here up. It seems to be good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Unquestionably believe that that you said. Your favourite reason seemed to be on the internet the simplest thing to take into accout of. I say to you, I certainly get annoyed even as other folks consider concerns that they just don’t realize about. You controlled to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the entire thing with no need side-effects , people could take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thanks|
With havin so much written content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright violation? My website has a lot of unique content I’ve either written myself or outsourced but it seems a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my authorization. Do you know any solutions to help protect against content from being stolen? I’d truly appreciate it.|
I simply couldn’t go away your web site before suggesting that I actually enjoyed the standard info an individual supply in your guests? Is gonna be back continuously in order to check up on new posts
I have been surfing online more than three hours today, yet I never found anything that grabbed my interest as much as this piece.