Medication
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
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
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.
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 do you heal a broken clavicle?
What is the healing time for a broken clavicle?
How to relieve pain from clavicle fracture?
How painful is a clavicle fracture?
What happens to your shoulder when you break your clavicle?
After a clavicle fracture, it is common to lose some shoulder and arm strength. Once the bone begins to heal, your pain will decrease and your doctor may start gentle shoulder exercises. These exercises will help prevent stiffness and weakness.
Is a broken clavicle a broken shoulder?
Your collarbone (or clavicle) is the bone that runs horizontally between the top of your breastbone (sternum ) and shoulder blade (scapula). You can feel your collarbone by touching the area between your neck and your shoulder. A broken collarbone, also called a clavicle fracture, is when this bone breaks.
How long do broken clavicles take to heal?
A broken collarbone, or fractured clavicle, is a common injury. 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.
What is the fastest way to heal a broken clavicle?
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.
How do you sleep with a broken clavicle?
Using extra pillows to prop yourself up when sleeping with a broken clavicle can help relieve pain. Sleeping in a more upright position may be more comfortable and allow for a better rest. You may also find it more comfortable to use pillows to prop up the arm on the side of your body with the fracture.
When does a broken clavicle need surgery?
If a clavicle fracture is displaced more than 15 mm (in kids more displacement can be accepted as they are still growing) then I recommend the fracture be treated surgically as the clinical results are better than allowing the fracture to heal in a displaced position.
How do they fix a broken clavicle?
Seek prompt medical attention for a broken collarbone. Most heal well with ice, pain relievers, a sling, physical therapy and time. But a complicated break might require surgery to realign the broken bone and to implant plates, screws or rods into the bone to hold the bone in place during healing.
How painful is clavicle surgery recovery?
You will have some pain during recovery. In most cases, an over-the-counter pain reliever can control the pain. An ice pack may also help reduce pain and swelling. You will start physical therapy during the first three weeks, while you are still using the sling.
How long should you wear a sling with a broken collarbone?
Your treatment plan 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.
Do you need physical therapy for a broken collarbone?
Most collarbone fractures are treated without surgery. However, more severe fractures may require surgery. Physical therapists treat collarbone fractures before and after surgery. They provide pain management, guided exercise, and functional training during the healing process.
What are the long term effects of a broken collarbone?
A Collarbone Fracture is not life threatening but can impact a patient's quality of life and function. Short Term - to pain, sleep disturbance and disability. Long Term - to malunion or non-union, that can result in ongoing pain and loss of function .
How long does it take to recover from a fractured clavicle?
Most people return to their normal daily routine within three months of an uncomplicated fracture of the clavicle, although age, health, and fitness levels are important factors.
How to know if you have a fractured clavicle?
Get medical help immediately. If you fall on an outstretched arm, get into a car accident or are hit while playing a sport and feel intense pain in your shoulder area, then get medical care immediately. Fractured clavicles cause significant pain in the front part of your shoulder, closer to the base of your neck. You'll innately know that something is seriously wrong because you won't be able to lift your arm up. Other symptoms include immediate swelling and/or bruising near the fracture, grinding sounds with arm movements and potential numbness and tingling in the arm/hand. Your doctor will likely have to give you strong prescription pain medication to cope with the injury.
How serious is a hairline fracture?
Prepare for surgery in severe cases. Although most fractures of the clavicle are hairline fractures, in some cases the break is serious enough to require surgery — about 5–10% of cases. An operation is definitely needed if your broken clavicle is diagnosed as complicated, which means there are multiple bone fragments, the overlaying skin is penetrated, and/or the pieces are badly misaligned. Surgery involves realigning the bone fragments and keeping them in place with special metal plates, pins and/or screws.
Why does the clavicle need to move?
Your clavicle needs to move a little bit during the later phases of the injury to stimulate complete recovery. Complete lack of activity and total immobilization of your arm for many weeks could trigger loss of bone mineral, which is counterproductive for an injured bone trying to get stronger.
What is the clavicle?
The clavicle (commonly called collarbone) is a long, thin bone that connects the breastbone to the shoulder girdle on each side of the upper body. A fractured (broken) collarbone is a pretty common injury, especially in kids, teenagers and younger adults, because the bone doesn't completely mature until around the age of 20.
Why is my baby's clavicle broken?
The clavicle is the most commonly broken bone in newborns — typically as a result of a difficult delivery and/or the baby being positioned awkwardly in the womb.
What is the procedure to realign clavicle?
Surgery involves realigning the bone fragments and keeping them in place with special metal plates, pins and/or screws. The clavicle usually breaks in the middle, as opposed to the ends which attach to the breastbone (sternum) and shoulder blade.
What is a clavicle fracture?
video. A clavicle fracture is a break in the collarbone, one of the main bones in the shoulder. This type of fracture is fairly common—accounting for about 5 percent of all adult fractures. Most clavicle fractures occur when a fall onto the shoulder or an outstretched arm puts enough pressure on the bone that it snaps or breaks.
Where do clavicle fractures occur?
Clavicle fractures are fairly common and occur in people of all ages. Most fractures occur in the middle portion, or shaft, of the bone. Occasionally, the bone will break where it attaches at the ribcage or shoulder blade.
What causes tenting of the skin over the fracture site?
In a clavicle fracture, the broken ends of the bone may cause tenting of the skin over the fracture site.
What is the best way to check for shoulder fractures?
He or she may also order x-rays of your entire shoulder to check for additional injuries. If other bones are broken, your doctor may order a computerized tomography (CT) scan to see the fractures in better detail. X-ray shows a fracture in the middle of the clavicle.
How are bone fragments held in place?
After being repositioned into their normal alignment, the bone fragments are held in place with special screws and metal plates attached to the outer surface of the bone.
Where is the clavicle located?
The clavicle is located between the ribcage (sternum) and the shoulder blade (scapula). It is the bone that connects the arm to the body. The clavicle lies above several important nerves and blood vessels. However, these vital structures are rarely injured when a fracture occurs.
How to tell if you broke your arm?
Other signs and symptoms of a fracture may include: Sagging of the shoulder downward and forward. Inability to lift the arm because of pain. A grinding sensation when you try to raise the arm. A deformity or "bump" over the break. Bruising, swelling, and/or tenderness over the collarbone. To Top.
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 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.
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.
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.
Can a clavicle fracture be treated 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.
Is clavicle surgery worse than the original injury?
A complication of surgery can be worse than the original injury, and while these complications may be uncommon, there might not be a reason to take the risk. Secondly, surgical hardware used to repair a clavicle fracture often has to be removed at some point down the road.
What is the surgical treatment for a medial end clavicle fracture?
Surgical treatment of medial-end clavicle fractures is indicated if mediastinal structures are placed at risk because of fracture displacement, in case of soft-tissue compromise, or when multiple trauma and/or “floating shoulder” injuries are present (1). Closed or open reduction should be performed to reduce the displaced fragment in an emergent fashion. (23–24). When open reduction is necessary, several techniques have been described for internal fixation of fracture fragments. These include wire or plate fixation (Fig. 1and Fig. 2) and interosseous sutures. (23–25) In general, Kirschner wire fixation has proven unsafe because of breakage and migration (Fig. 3). By contrast, use of interosseous wires or suture and modified hooked Balser plate fixation appears more successful but requires a second operation for hardware removal (23–25). Most injuries in children and adolescents involving the medial end of the clavicle consist of epiphyseal separations. This is because the medial epiphysis of the clavicle does not ossify until age 20 years and ossification centers rarely fuse before age 25 years (26). It is important, however, to differentiate epiphyseal separations from true sterno-clavicular joint dislocations because of the remodeling potential and because the treatment of these 2 diagnoses can differ greatly. A computed tomography scan can be helpful to distinguish these entities (24;26).
What factors should be considered when managing clavicle fractures?
Criteria for conservative or surgical management are not clearly established; therefore the appropriate management of these fractures should consider several factors, mainly the patient’s biologic age, functional demands and the type of lesion . A search of the English articles published from 1968 to2011 in the National Library of Medicine database (Medline), PubMed and Embase was performed using the words “Fracture, Clavicle, Treatment” as subjects headings to produce an evidence-based review of the current concepts and management of clavicle fractures.
What is the most common fracture of the clavicle?
In children, up to 90% of clavicle fractures are midshaft fractures (3;5). Lateral-third fractures are less common, accounting for approximately 25% of all clavicle fractures, and are less likely to be displaced than those occurring in the midshaft. Medial-third fractures comprise the remaining 2% to 3% of these injuries (1).
How common are clavicle fractures?
Clavicle fractures are very common injuries in adults (2–5%) and children (10–15%) (1) and represent the 44–66% of all shoulder fractures (2). Despite the high frequency the choice of proper treatment is still a challenge for the orthopedic surgeon. With this review we wants to focus the attention on the basic epidemiology, anatomy, classification, evaluation and management of surgical treatments in relationship with the gravity of injuries. Both conservative and surgical management are possible, and surgeons must choose the most appropriate management modality according to the biologic age, functional demands, and type of lesion. We performed a review of the English literature thought PubMed to produce an evidence-based review of current concept and management of clavicle fracture. We finished taking a comparison with our survey in order to underline our direct experience.
Why do clavicle fractures occur?
With the exception of the rare pathologic fracture due to metastatic or metabolic disease, clavicle fractures are typically due to trauma (2). Younger individuals often sustain these injuries by way of moderate to high-energy mechanisms such as motor vehicle accidents or sports injuries, whereas elderly individuals are more likely to sustain injuries because of the sequela of a low-energy fall (6). Although a fall onto an outstretched hand was traditionally considered the common mechanism, it has been found that the clavicle most often fails in direct compression from force applied directly to the shoulder. In a study of 122 consecutive patients, 87% clavicle injuries resulted from a fall onto the shoulder, 7% resulted from a direct blow, and 6% resulted from a fall onto an outstretched hand (7).
What is a type I lateral clavicle fracture?
A type I lateral clavicle fracture occurs distal to the CC ligaments, resulting in a minimally displaced fracture that is typically stable. Type II injuries are characterized by a medial fragment that is discontinuous with the CC ligaments. In these cases, the medial fragment often exhibits vertical instability after loss of the ligamentous stability provided by the CC ligaments. Type III injuries are characterized by an intra-articular fracture of the acromio-clavicular joint with intact CC ligaments. Although these fractures are typically stable injuries, they may ultimately result in traumatic arthrosis of the acromio-clavicular joint. A more subtle fracture may require special radiographic views for identification and may be mistaken for a first-degree acromio-clavicular joint injury.
What is the classification of clavicle fractures?
Fractures were classified based on their anatomic location in descending order of fracture incidence. Type I fractures occur within the middle third of the clavicle, whereas type II and type III fractures represent involvement of the lateral and medial thirds, respectively.
What to do if you think you broke your clavicle?
If you think you’ve broken your clavicle, seek immediate medical attention. A healthcare provider will: Ask you to describe what happened. Examine the area. Take X-rays of the injured area to confirm a broken bone. X-rays can also show exactly where the break is, how bad it is and whether any other bones broke.
How long does it take to recover from a broken clavicle?
In general, recovery is similar to treating a broken clavicle without surgery with return to normal activity around three months or so and full recovery up to six to 12 months after surgery. While your break heals, you should follow-up with your surgeon or other healthcare provider to make sure you don’t have complications.
How to get clavicle back in place?
A clavicle fracture is a break in the collarbone that’s often painful. Most people don’t need surgery, but some require an operation to put the pieces of bone back in place. Physical therapy is important to get you back to daily activities. Talk to your healthcare provider about exercises to reduce pain and stiffness and regain strength.
What is a broken collarbone?
Broken Collarbone (Clavicle Fracture) A clavicle fracture is a break in the collarbone. You have two clavicles, each connecting a shoulder to the upper chest. Broken collarbones are common, often happening from a fall, sports injury or car accident. Although a broken clavicle is painful, most people don’t need surgery.
What is clavicle fracture?
A note from Cleveland Clinic. A clavicle fracture is a break in the collarbone that’s often painful. Most people don’t need surgery, but some require an operation to put the pieces of bone back in place. Physical therapy is important to get you back to daily activities.
How long does it take for a collarbone fracture to heal?
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. You may feel a bump where the fracture healed.
What is the procedure to fix a broken collarbone?
Pieces of broken collarbone are not in a good position to heal. Surgery to treat a clavicle fracture is called open reduction and internal fixation. The operation puts broken pieces of collarbone back where they belong (reduction). It then uses metal devices to keep the pieces in place (fixation).
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.
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 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 best treatment for clavicle fracture?
Figure 1. Conservative treatment of a clavicle fracture with a shoulder immobilizer. An arm sling or a figure-of-eight brace are also commonly used for nonsurgical treatment of this problem.
What to wear for clavicle fracture?
When treated nonoperatively, a patient will often wear a shoulder immobilizer, sling or a figure-of-eight brace for comfort while the bone heals (Figure 1). It is difficult to reduce and maintain the reduction of clavicle fractures; in other words, it is difficult to hold the two ends of the broken bone together in perfect alignment. Despite this, healing usually proceeds rapidly.
What type of ligaments are involved in a fracture of the clavicle?
Type 1: there is minimal displacement of the two ends of the bone. Type 2: the fracture is medial to a group of ligaments called the coracoclavicular ligaments. These ligaments, along with the ligaments of the AC joint, connect the clavicle to the scapula.
What is a group 2 fracture?
Group II fractures may be subdivided into three separate types: Type 2: the fracture is medial to a group of ligaments called the coracoclavicular ligaments.
What are the different types of clavicle fractures?
Group II: the clavicle is fractured at the distal third of the bone (toward the shoulder). This fracture pattern accounts for 10-15% of all clavicle fractures. Group II fractures may be subdivided into three separate types:#N#Type 1: there is minimal displacement of the two ends of the bone#N#Type 2: the fracture is medial to a group of ligaments called the coracoclavicular ligaments. These ligaments, along with the ligaments of the AC joint, connect the clavicle to the scapula.#N#Type 3: the fracture involves the articular joint surface of the AC joint. Fractures that are this distal may have a high incidence of nonunion, meaning that the bone does not always heal properly to produce a solid, bony structure. Still, most nonunions are asymptomatic, and of these only a small number will be problematic enough to require surgery. 1 Type 1: there is minimal displacement of the two ends of the bone 2 Type 2: the fracture is medial to a group of ligaments called the coracoclavicular ligaments. These ligaments, along with the ligaments of the AC joint, connect the clavicle to the scapula. 3 Type 3: the fracture involves the articular joint surface of the AC joint. Fractures that are this distal may have a high incidence of nonunion, meaning that the bone does not always heal properly to produce a solid, bony structure. Still, most nonunions are asymptomatic, and of these only a small number will be problematic enough to require surgery.
What is a floating shoulder fracture?
the clavicle fracture occurs as part of a floating shoulder injury. A floating shoulder variant. In this case, the ligaments appear to be intact, but there is a fracture of the clavicle and the scapular neck. This patient’s shoulder displaced after one week of conservative treatment in a sling, thus requiring surgical treatment.
Which bone group is the most common to fracture the clavicle?
Group I : the clavicle is fractured in the middle of the bone. This is the most common region in which the clavicle is fractured in both adults and children, making up about 80% of all clavicle fractures. The medial bone fragment (the half of the bone next to the sternum) usually displaces upward due to the pull of the sternocleidomastoid muscle on ...
What is the clavicle?
Clavicle (Collarbone) The clavicle (collarbone) is a part of the skeletal system that connects the arm to the body. Ligaments connect this long, thin bone to the sternum and shoulder. The clavicle is prone to injuries, such as clavicle fracture, dislocated shoulder and separated shoulder. Falls are a top cause of collarbone injuries.
Where is the clavicle located?
It sits below your neck and is part of the front of your shoulder. It runs horizontally (from side to side). This bone connects your sternum in the middle of your ribcage to your shoulder blade (scapula).
What are the parts of the collarbone?
The collarbone is part of the skeletal system. It is one of the main bones that makes up the shoulder.
What conditions and disorders affect the collarbone?
The collarbone is a thin bone. It lies right underneath the surface of the skin, making it prone to fractures and injuries.
How common are collarbone injuries?
Broken collarbones are a common broken bone injury in adults. A clavicle fracture accounts for about 5% of all adult fractures, or 1 in 20.
How can I protect my collarbone?
These steps can keep your collarbone and the rest of your skeletal system healthy and strong:
What is a dislocated shoulder?
Dislocated shoulder occurs when the upper arm bone (humerus) pops out of the shoulder blade socket. A partial dislocation means part of the humerus remains in the socket. A complete dislocation means the humerus is completely out of the socket. Separated shoulder occurs when you have a tear in the ligament connecting the collarbone ...
What causes a fractured scapula bone?
Scapula Fractures: Fractures of this bone rarely occur. They usually result from high-energy trauma such as motor vehicle accidents or a far fall.
Where do most shoulder fractures occur?
The type of shoulder fracture varies by age. Most fractures in children occur in the clavicle bone. In adults, the most common fracture is of the top part of the humerus (proximal humerus). Some types include:
What is the joint that connects the arm to the body?
Shoulder Fracture. The shoulder is a complex joint connecting the arm to the body. The shoulder bones include the humerus (upper arm bone), the scapula (shoulder blade) and the clavicle (collarbone) (Figure 1). The upper end of the humerus has a ball-like shape that connects with the socket of the scapula, called the glenoid.
Why is shoulder anatomy important?
Shoulder anatomy is important to understand with a shoulder fracture, as the shoulder is highly complex.
Can you return to sports after shoulder fracture?
Shoulder movement can begin as soon as pain goes away; return to sports cannot occur until full shoulder strength returns.
Can a CT scan show a fractured shoulder?
Some fractures are diagnosed using x-rays. Sometimes, a CT scan is needed to see more detail. Shoulder anatomy is important to understand with a shoulder fracture, as the shoulder is highly complex.
Can a shoulder fracture cause stiffness?
Shoulder fractures may leave a patient with permanent shoulder stiffness, regardless of how well the bones were repair ed or joint replacement performed. Recovery may require the use of physical therapy to assist in improving motion and strength. Consult your physician for the best option.
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.