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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffMost broken collarbones heal without difficulty. But complications may include:
- Nerve or blood vessel injury. The jagged ends of a broken collarbone may injure nearby nerves and blood vessels. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any numbness in the area of the break.
- Poor or delayed healing. A severely broken collarbone may not heal quickly or completely. Poor union of the bones during healing (malunion) may cause the bone to be shorter than it was before the break.
- A bulge above the fracture site. As part of the healing process, a large bump develops over the place where the collarbone broke. This bulge usually disappears over time. But in some cases, a bulge may remain permanently.
- Frozen shoulder. The immobilization required to heal a broken collarbone can sometimes result in painfully limited range of motion of the shoulder in all directions.
- Bone infection. If any part of your broken bone protrudes through your skin, it may be exposed to germs that can cause infection. Prompt treatment of this type of fracture is critical.
- Osteoarthritis. If a collarbone break involves the joint that connects it to your shoulder blade (acromioclavicular joint) or the joint that connect the collarbone to your sternum (sternoclavicular) it may increase your risk of eventually developing arthritis in that joint.
References
- 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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