Clavicle Fracture (Broken Collarbone)

A clavicle fracture (broken collarbone) is a common injury that happens when the bone between your shoulder blade and breastbone breaks. Treatment is physical therapy and wearing a sling or immobilizer to keep the pieces of your collarbone in place while it heals. But you may need surgery if the sections of bone move around.

Types of clavicle fractures

Your healthcare provider might use various terms to describe your fracture. They might describe it as:

• Singular/comminuted: Your clavicle can fracture in one place or in several places. You have a comminuted fracture if your collarbone breaks in more than one place.
• Displaced/nondisplaced: Your provider may say you have a displaced fracture if bone pieces that were lined up correctly move out of place.

Your provider may also use a specific classification system to label your fracture as a certain type. These types describe the fracture’s location and whether it affects nearby tissue or ligaments. The classification systems help your provider plan your treatment.

Symptoms of a broken collarbone

Symptoms of a broken collarbone may include:

• Bone pain: You may have pain in your shoulder, close to the middle of your collarbone or at the base of your neck.
• Difficulty moving your shoulder: Your shoulder or arm might feel stiff. It might hurt more when you try to move it. You might feel or hear grinding or crackling when you move your shoulder.
• Bruising: Areas of skin along your clavicle may be darker than normal or discolored.
• Visible misalignment: Your shoulder may seem to slump unnaturally, or your collarbone may look like it’s higher or lower than the other one.
• Skin tenting: Pieces of bone may stick up under your skin to form what looks like a tent or bump over the section of broken bone. That can happen if you have a displaced clavicle fracture.
• Swelling: Your fracture can cause inflammation. This makes nearby muscles and other soft tissues swell. Your clavicle is close to your skin, so you’ll probably see and feel the swelling.

Fractured clavicle causes

Most broken collarbones happen because of a traumatic injury, like:

• Falls: Falling on your shoulder or outstretched arm is a common way to break your collarbone.
• Collisions: Shoulder collisions are common sports injuries. Children may also collide during play.
• Car accidents: An accident may cause you to hit the dashboard or may trigger an airbag injury.
• Birth trauma: Babies whose shoulders get stuck in the birth canal can get clavicle fractures.

Complications of your fracture

Most clavicle fractures heal completely and without any complications. But you should contact your healthcare provider if you have issues like:

• Persistent bone pain: A break that doesn’t heal may cause bone pain that doesn’t go away.
• Bone deformity: This is a bump on your collarbone that can happen if sections of your broken collarbone heal in the wrong position.
• Calluses: You have a buildup of hard, thick skin at the spot where your fracture healed.
• Frozen shoulder: The tissue around your shoulder can get stiff or tight if you don’t move it around enough as you heal.
• Joint pain: Damage to the cartilage in your shoulder can make your shoulder joint hurt.

How doctors diagnose a fractured clavicle

Get help right away if you think you’ve broken your clavicle. A healthcare provider will:

• Ask how you got hurt
• Examine the area
• Take X-rays to confirm the fracture

X-rays will show the break location and type. Your provider may do a CT scan if you have more than one fracture.

How is a clavicle fracture treated?

Most clavicle fractures heal well with conservative treatment. Only a small percentage will need surgery. Standard treatment for a broken collarbone includes:

• Immobilization: Your provider will give you a sling or shoulder immobilizer to help keep sections of your collarbone from moving around. You’ll wear this for several weeks.
• Pain relief: You might need prescription pain medications during the first week or two of recovery. After that, you can use over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, like aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
• Observation: You’ll have regular checkups. Your provider may do X-rays to confirm that your collarbone is healing well.
• Physical therapy: Wearing a sling may make your soft tissues stiff. Your physical therapist will show you gentle exercises you can do as your clavicle heals. Once the bone has healed, you can work on rebuilding your muscle strength.
• Surgery: You may need surgery if pieces of your collarbone move out of place or the fracture damages nearby tendons, ligaments, blood vessels or nerves. An orthopedic surgeon will put the broken pieces back in place and use pins or plates and screws to keep them there.

Recovery time

Clavicle fracture recovery times may depend on factors like your age and the kind of fracture that you have. On average, healing may take:

• Eight to 12 weeks for adults
• Six to eight weeks for adolescents
• Three to six weeks for kids under 8
• About two weeks for a baby

Your healthcare provider will let you know when it’s safe to return to your usual activities.

When should I seek care?

A clavicle fracture is a serious injury. Call 911 (or your local emergency service number) or go to an emergency room if you think you may have one.

If you’re recovering from a broken collarbone, contact a healthcare provider right away if you develop any new or unusual symptoms like:

• Faintness or feeling weak
• New pain or pain that gets worse
• Numbness or tingling
• Shortness of breath

What should I do and not do with a broken collarbone?

If you’re recovering from a broken clavicle, follow these guidelines.

Do:

• Place ice on your shoulder for 20 minutes a few times a day to help ease pain and swelling
• Wear your sling or immobilizer all day and night (you can take it off to bathe)
• Use pain medications as needed, but only as directed
• Move your shoulder, arm and hand a little each day as instructed
• Go to all your follow-up appointments with your healthcare provider so they can make sure your clavicle is healing like it should

Don’t:

• Mix pain medicines unless your provider instructs you to
• Take more than the recommended dose of medications
• Drive while you still need your sling or immobilizer
• Use your arm to lift, push or pull until your provider says it’s okay