Medication
Pain medication: Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can help reduce collarbone pain and discomfort. Ice or heat: A heat pack, ice-pack or cool washcloth can help with the discomfort associated with minor trauma or overuse injury.
Procedures
What Is the Treatment a Broken Collarbone?
- The vast majority of collarbone fractures can be treated with a simple sling. ...
- A cast or brace usually is not necessary.
- Patients will also be instructed to avoid the potential for further trauma during this time.
- Some patients may take OTC pain medicine, but others might require a prescription pain medicine.
Therapy
While recovering from a broken collarbone you may find it helpful to:
- use extra pillows at night to keep yourself more upright if you find sleeping uncomfortable
- use ice packs and painkillers if pain and swelling continues while your arm is in a sling
- move your elbow, hand and fingers regularly as soon as it's comfortable to do so
Self-care
Usually with a broken collarbone the pain and swelling are severe and there may be a visible deformity. Often there is pain at the site of the fracture with any attempt to move the arm. The only way to verify if there is a fracture is to get an X-ray of the area.
Nutrition
How to relieve pain from clavicle fracture?
What is the healing time for a broken clavicle?
How do you heal a broken clavicle?
How painful is a clavicle fracture?
How is a non displaced clavicle fracture treated?
Nondisplaced fractures can be treated with a sling for comfort and gradual increase in range of motion, as pain allows. Displaced fractures should be carefully evaluated for signs of neurovascular compromise; if present, this should be acutely reduced.
How long does a non displaced clavicle fracture take to heal?
It usually happens after a fall or a blow to the shoulder. It takes about 6 to 8 weeks to heal in adults, and 3 to 6 weeks in children. The collarbone is a long, slender bone that runs from the breastbone to each shoulder.
How is a displaced clavicle fracture treated?
Many clavicle fractures can be treated by wearing a sling to keep the arm and shoulder from moving while the bone heals. With some clavicle fractures, however, the pieces of bone move far out of place when the injury occurs. For these more complicated fractures, surgery may be needed to realign the collarbone.
What is the best treatment for clavicle fracture?
The most common way to treat the fractures in the middle is with immobilization with either a sling or a special bandage called a figure-of-8 splint. Studies have shown that these fractures heal just as quickly and as well with a sling as with the figure-of-8 splint, so we recommend a sling in a majority of cases.
What is a nondisplaced clavicle fracture?
Nondisplaced or minimally displaced clavicle fractures are often considered to be benign injuries. These fractures in the trauma patient population, however, may deserve closer follow-up than their low-energy counterparts.
Can a displaced clavicle heal?
In a recent study of more than 100 patients with displaced midshaft clavicle fractures the nonsurgical group healed at an average of 28 weeks while the surgical group healed at an average of 16 weeks.
Can clavicle fracture heal itself?
Usually a broken collarbone will heal on its own. You just need to give it time. To help speed the healing, you might get: A splint or brace to keep your shoulder from moving.
Can you move your arm with a broken clavicle?
Your shoulder strength is normal. You can move and use the arm and shoulder without pain. In general, people can go back to noncontact sports (such as running or swimming) in about 6 weeks and contact sports (such as football, lacrosse, and hockey) in 8–12 weeks.
Can a collarbone heal without surgery?
Most collarbone fractures heal in six to eight weeks, without surgery or complications. Most people are able to start getting back to normal activities by three months or so, but full recovery may take up to six to 12 months.
Should you sleep with a sling on with a broken collarbone?
common fracture. You will be given a sling to support your arm; this should be used for 2 to 6 weeks whilst the injury heals. Wear the sling during the day but remove it for exercises and personal hygiene. You can wear it at night time if you find it more comfortable but you don't have to.
How do you fix a broken collarbone without surgery?
Most clavicle fractures can be treated without surgery. For the vast majority of clavicle fractures that are not out of place, or only minimally out of place, the safest and most effective treatment is with the use of a sling.
How do you immobilize a fractured clavicle?
To immobilize a broken collarbone, you'll likely need to wear an arm sling. How long immobilization is needed depends on the severity of the injury. Bone union usually takes three to six weeks for children and six to 12 weeks for adults.
What is the treatment for a clavicle fracture?
The first thing the physician will do is take an X-ray to determine if the clavicle is broken, where the fracture is located and how many pieces it is broken into. Clavicle fractures are basically divided into three types based upon location. Fractures near the sternum are the least common (less than 5 percent of all clavicle fractures). Fractures near the AC joint are the second most common and can come in many different patterns. The most common fractures of the clavicle are in the middle of the shaft of the bone, approximately halfway between the sternum and the AC joint.
How to treat a broken clavicle?
The best way to treat the injury until you can reach a physician or emergency facility is to immobilize the arm and shoulder by holding the arm close to the body with the other arm or in a sling. You should put ice on the injured area for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, making sure not to freeze the skin. Pain medication such as Tylenol or over-the-counter nonsteroidal agents such as ibuprofen or naproxen (Advil or Aleve, for example) are acceptable. The only time you should not take medication is if there is a break in the skin over the fracture, which indicates that the ends of the bones may have punctured the skin. In that case, the fracture may need surgery to clean out any dirt or debris. Other indications of more severe injury include tingling, numbness or weakness in the hand or arm. If the injury is near the sternum and you have shortness of breath or difficulty swallowing you should seek immediate medical attention.
How do you know if you have a clavicle fracture?
Sometimes the bone is broken enough to create an angle between the broken ends, which causes a deformity along the bone. Usually with a broken collarbone the pain and swelling are severe and there may be a visible deformity. Often there is pain at the site of the fracture with any attempt to move the arm. The only way to verify if there is a fracture is to get an X-ray of the area .
How long does a clavicle fracture take to heal?
Clavicle fractures in children ( younger than 8 years old) may heal in four or five weeks, and clavicle fractures in adolescents may take six to eight weeks. However, fractures in adults or teenagers who have stopped growing take 10 to 12 weeks to heal and may take longer. Most clavicle fractures will heal completely by four months in an adult. There are some indications that clavicle fractures broken into more pieces take longer than ones with a fewer fragments.
What result can be expected once a clavicle fracture heals?
Usually there are no limitations once the fracture heals. Most patients have full range of motion and can return to activities with no limitations. Some fractures can take six to nine months to heal. If the fracture does not heal, surgery may be necessary. Some fractures of the clavicle that do not heal completely are not painful and may not need surgery. Many factors determine whether a clavicle fracture will need surgery, and they should be discussed with your doctor. Generally, if surgery is necessary it is done with an incision followed by implanting a plate and screws. Sometimes a bone graft may be needed to help stimulate healing. Treatment after surgery depends upon many factors, such as how fast the fracture heals. Fortunately surgery is needed in few cases and is successful in cases where it is needed. Surgery can reduce a visible deformity of the fracture but results in a scar. Occasionally surgery may be indicated in a high-caliber athlete but this too is controversial and studies are mixed on when exactly surgery should be done.
What is the best treatment for a fractured collarbone?
Immobilization using a sling is often used to treat a clavicle fracture along with cold therapy and medication for pain relief. In most cases of a fractured collarbone, there are no limitations once the fracture heals.
What is the most fractured bone in the body?
The clavicle (collarbone) is one of the most fractured bones in the body. Symptoms of a broken collarbone include severe pain and swelling at the site of the fracture and with visible deformity in some cases. A clavicle fracture is diagnosed through a physical examination and X-rays.
What is the most common fracture of the clavicle?
Contraindications. When to Have Surgery. Complications. Clavicle fractures, or broken collarbones, are among the most common broken bones that occur. They represent about 5% of all broken bones and are especially common in younger, more active adults. 1 Most fractures of the clavicle occur in the central portion of the collarbone.
Why do people with clavicle fractures have a hard time using their arms?
People with a clavicle fracture have a hard time using their arms because the movement causes pain at the site of the fracture. Your doctor will X-ray the clavicle to determine if a fracture is present and to determine the most appropriate treatment.
What causes numbness under collarbone?
Nerve Injury. Major nerve damage is very uncommon, but the skin nerves that provide sensation just below the collarbone are often damaged at the time of surgery. 6 Many people who have clavicle fracture surgery notice a patch of numbness or tingling just under their incision.
Why is surgery considered a nonunion?
When there is displacement or malalignment of the broken bone, surgery may be considered to prevent problems with healing of the fracture. Recent studies have found that the risk of nonunion of a fracture (lack of healing) is high when the fracture is poorly aligned.
What is the clavicle?
The clavicle is the bone in the front of the chest on top of the rib cage. The clavicle is important in helping to support normal shoulder function and is the attachment point for several important muscles including the deltoid and pectoralis muscles .
What kind of doctor can help with a fractured collarbone?
Your orthopedic surgeon can help you decide the most appropriate treatment for your fractured collarbone.
What is the most common problem with surgery?
By far the most common problem with surgery is that many people are bothered by the hardware used to repair their broken clavicle. Most often, a plate and screws are placed along the bone to hold it in position, and these can typically be felt under the skin.
Treatment
Function
Signs and symptoms
Diagnosis
Specialist to consult
Risks
Prognosis
- The clavicle is the bone in the front of the chest on top of the rib cage. The clavicle is important in helping to support normal shoulder function and is the attachment point for several important muscles including the deltoid and pectoralis muscles.
Symptoms
- People sustain clavicle fractures from a variety of injuries ranging from falls, automobile accidents, sports injuries, and other traumatic injuries. When a clavicle fracture occurs, it is common to have pain and swelling at the site of the injury. People can often see a deformity of the bone, especially soon after the injury before swelling has worsened.