Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffFactors that may increase your risk of a broken collarbone include:
- Age. Your collarbone doesn't harden completely until about age 20. This puts people younger than 20 at higher risk of a broken collarbone. The risk decreases after 20, but then rises again in older people as bone strength decreases with age.
- Sports participation. Participating in sports such as football, basketball, soccer, wrestling, rugby, hockey, skiing and snowboarding increases your risk of a broken collarbone. Sports injuries are among the most common causes of a broken collarbone.
- High birth weight. Infants who have higher birth weights are at an increased risk of sustaining a broken collarbone during labor and delivery.
References
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- 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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