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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
A broken collarbone is a common injury, particularly in children and young adults. Your collarbone (clavicle) connects the upper part of your breastbone (sternum) to your shoulder blade (scapula). Common causes of a broken collarbone include falls onto a shoulder, sports injuries and trauma from traffic accidents.
If you think you or your child has a broken collarbone, seek prompt medical attention. Most broken collarbones heal well with ice, pain relievers, a sling and physical therapy. But a complicated broken collarbone may require surgery to realign the broken bone and to implant plates, screws or rods into the bone to maintain proper alignment during healing.
- Hatch RL, et al. Clavicle fractures. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 14, 2010.
- Srinivasan RC, et al. Orthopedic surgery. In: Doherty GM. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Surgery. 13th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5314010. Accessed April 14, 2010.
- Questions and answers about shoulder problems. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Shoulder_Problems/default.asp. Accessed April 14, 2010.
- Broken collarbone. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00072. Accessed April 14, 2010.
- Hopkins-Mann C, et al. Musculoskeletal disorders in children. In: Tintinalli JE, et al. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2004. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=598143. Accessed April 14, 2010.
- Nikovits DA, et al. Common upper and lower extremity fractures. In: South-Paul JE, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Family Medicine. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3034687. Accessed April 14, 2010.
- Broken collarbone. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00394. Accessed April 14, 2010.
- Osteoporosis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/default.asp. Accessed April 28, 2010.
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