What is the collarbone?
The collarbone (clavicle) is one of the bones of the shoulder joint. It holds the shoulder, the shoulder blade and the sternum. The collarbone also protects the nerves and the blood vessels from the neck to the shoulder.
What causes a broken collarbone?
A broken collarbone is cause by a direct impact injury to the collarbone or to the shoulder. People involve in sports such as football, wrestling or ice hockey are at more risk of getting broken collarbone.
The collarbone is a common bone that gets broken. Young person age between 13 to 20 break it most often. Young children have a high chance of getting a broken bone during play.
What are the symptoms of a broken collarbone?
Symptoms of a broken collarbone are:
- Pain felt immediately after the fall or the collarbone was hit.
- Unable to raise the arm of the injured site.
- Grinding feeling felt when trying to raise the injured arm.
You will see deformity in some cases. If you see a deformity, you will probably seeing a bump or swell along the collarbone, the shape of the collarbone is different compare to the uninjured collarbone. The bone may push the skin out, causing a tent-shaped look.
How is a broken collarbone diagnosed?
A broken collarbone is usually detected by an X-ray. The X-ray can tell the severity of the break.
Your doctor will be looking:
- For deformity at your collarbone.
- How well is the range of motion of your shoulder.
- The strength of your shoulder
How is Broken Collarbone Treated?
Surgery is recommended for patients with severe break to the collarbone or they prefer a faster healing process. If the bone is displaced, surgery is a more suitable option to fix the fracture. Many young and active people prefer surgery.
After surgery, you will use a sling for up to a week. Your doctor will teach you light exercises to move your shoulder. Usually you can resume sports after a month.
