Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentHealing and RehabFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Healing and Rehab
Frequently Asked Questions
The collarbone, also called the clavicle, is the bone over the top of your chest, between your breastbone (sternum) and the shoulder blade (scapula). It is easy to feel the clavicle because unlike other bones that are covered with muscle, only skin covers a large part of the bone.
Clavicle fractures are extremely common, accounting for between 2% and 5% of all fractures.Broken collarbones occur in babies (usually during birth), children and adolescents (because the clavicle does not complete development until the late teens), athletes (because of the risks of being hit or falling), or during many types of accidents and falls.
PhotoAlto / Frederic Cirou / Getty Images
Types of Clavicle Fractures
Usually, clavicle fractures are separated into three types of injuries depending on the location of the fracture.
How Serious Is a Broken Collarbone?A broken collarbone is not necessarily more serious than any other broken bone. Once the broken collarbone heals, most people have full range of motion and can return to the activities they enjoyed before the fracture.
How Serious Is a Broken Collarbone?
A broken collarbone is not necessarily more serious than any other broken bone. Once the broken collarbone heals, most people have full range of motion and can return to the activities they enjoyed before the fracture.
Broken Collarbone Symptoms
Most often, patients with a broken collarbone complain ofshoulder painand difficulty moving their arm. Common symptoms of a broken collarbone include:
Why Is My Collarbone Popping?
At the healthcare provider’s office or in the emergency room, an X-ray will be obtained to assess for the specific type of clavicle fracture.
Your healthcare provider will also perform an examination to ensure the nerves and blood vessels surrounding the broken collarbone are intact. The nerves and vessels are rarely injured because of a broken collarbone but in severe cases, these associated injuries can occur.
Unlike many other fractures, some commontreatments for broken bonesare not appropriate for clavicle fractures. Casting a broken collarbone is not performed. In addition, resetting the bone (called a closed reduction) is not performed because there is no way to hold the broken collarbone in alignment without surgery.
Your healthcare provider can have a discussion with you about the pros and cons of surgery. While the vast majority of clavicle fractures can be managed without surgery, there are some situations where surgery may provide a better outcome.
Several types of supports are used for the non-surgical treatment of clavicle fractures. These include a sling or figure-of-8 brace. The figure-of-8 brace has not been shown to affect fracture alignment, and many patients generally find a sling more comfortable.
Healing and Rehabilitation
Broken collarbones should heal within 6–12 weeks in adults, and 3–6 weeks in children, but the pain usually subsides within a few weeks.Often patients are back to full activities before 12 weeks have passed, especially with younger patients. Immobilization is seldom needed beyond a few weeks and at that point, light activity and gentle motion can usually begin.
As a general guide to return to activities, nothing should cause worsening pain. If notwearing a slingcauses pain, wear a sling. If driving hurts the fracture site, don’t drive. If throwing a ball hurts, don’t throw. Once an activity doesn’t cause significant pain, a gradual return can be attempted.
Recovery is usually complete, with a full return expected. Patients may notice a persistent bump where the fracture was (often for months or longer), but this should not be bothersome.
A Word From Verywell
Broken collarbones are very common orthopedic injuries that can occur in just about any age group. The vast majority of broken collarbones can be treated with nonsurgical treatments, usually, a simple sling is sufficient.
Sometimes, when clavicle fractures are badly displaced, they may benefit from surgical treatment. Usually,there are options for treatment, and discussing the pros and cons of different types of treatments with your orthopedic surgeon is the place to start.
Recovery time from a broken collarbone depends on age, the fracture’s location, and the extent of damage. Children younger than 8 can heal in four or five weeks. In adolescents, it can take between six to eight weeks. Teenagers who have stopped growing may recover at 10 or 12 weeks, or even longer. For adults, most clavicle fractures will fully heal after four months.
In addition to swelling, some people may have a bump in the place they experienced a collarbone fracture. It may take several months for this bump to fully heal, but it shouldn’t be a significant issue. If the bump appears inflamed or irritated, it may be a good idea to inform your healthcare provider.
With a broken collarbone, you should avoid doing anything that worsens the pain. For example, if driving is painful, then avoid driving until the fracture is healed. You can gradually ease yourself into doing activities that involve little to no pain.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Radiopaedia.Clavicular fracture.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Clavicle fractures.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Broken collarbone - aftercare.UpToDate.Clavicle fractures.Edwin J, Ahmed S, Verma S, Tytherleigh-Strong G, Karuppaiah K, Sinha J.Swellings of the sternoclavicular joint: review of traumatic and non-traumatic pathologies.EFORT Open Rev. 2018;3(8):471-484. doi:10.1302/2058-5241.3.170078
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Radiopaedia.Clavicular fracture.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Clavicle fractures.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Broken collarbone - aftercare.UpToDate.Clavicle fractures.Edwin J, Ahmed S, Verma S, Tytherleigh-Strong G, Karuppaiah K, Sinha J.Swellings of the sternoclavicular joint: review of traumatic and non-traumatic pathologies.EFORT Open Rev. 2018;3(8):471-484. doi:10.1302/2058-5241.3.170078
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Radiopaedia.Clavicular fracture.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Clavicle fractures.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Broken collarbone - aftercare.UpToDate.Clavicle fractures.Edwin J, Ahmed S, Verma S, Tytherleigh-Strong G, Karuppaiah K, Sinha J.Swellings of the sternoclavicular joint: review of traumatic and non-traumatic pathologies.EFORT Open Rev. 2018;3(8):471-484. doi:10.1302/2058-5241.3.170078
Radiopaedia.Clavicular fracture.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Clavicle fractures.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Broken collarbone - aftercare.
UpToDate.Clavicle fractures.
Edwin J, Ahmed S, Verma S, Tytherleigh-Strong G, Karuppaiah K, Sinha J.Swellings of the sternoclavicular joint: review of traumatic and non-traumatic pathologies.EFORT Open Rev. 2018;3(8):471-484. doi:10.1302/2058-5241.3.170078
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