Broken collarbone

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Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Signs and symptoms of a broken collarbone include:

  • Pain that increases with shoulder movement
  • Swelling
  • Tenderness
  • Bruising
  • A bulge on or near your shoulder
  • A grinding or crackling sound when you try to move your shoulder
  • Stiffness or inability to move your shoulder

When to see a doctor
If you notice any of the signs or symptoms of a broken collarbone, or if you have enough pain in your shoulder that you can't use it normally, see a doctor right away. Do the same for your child. Delays in diagnosis and treatment of a broken collarbone can lead to poor healing.

Causes Definition
References
  1. Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00072. Accessed Oct. 5, 2012.
  2. Hatch RL, et al. Clavicle fractures. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Oct. 5, 2012.
  3. Browner BD, et al. Skeletal Trauma. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier: 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2220-6..10045-3--s0180&isbn=978-1-4160-2220-6&sid=1363898074&uniqId=370379811-3#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2220-6..10045-3--s0280. Accessed Oct. 5, 2012.
  4. Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..X0001-1--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Oct. 8, 2012.
  5. Kim W, et al. Management of acute clavicle fractures. Orthopedic Clinics of North America. 2008;39:491.
  6. Rakel RE. Textbook of Family Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191205553-4/0/1481/0.html#. Accessed Oct. 8, 2012.
DS01184 Dec. 6, 2012

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