If you fall onto your outstretched arm or you shoulder, or are directly hit on your collarbone, this can cause a fracture of the collarbone, or clavicle. Symptoms commonly include pain and swelling around the collarbone, and you may also be able to feel the fracture through the skin. You may feel sharp pain whenever you make a movement that disturbs the clavicle.
Sports that increase the risk of a clavicle fracture include those that put you at risk of falling, such as figure skating and hockey, and those that often involve collisions with other players, such as football.
If you think you have fractured your clavicle, consult a sports medicine specialist. Also, try to avoid moving the affected arm, and apply ice to decrease swelling and ease pain.
A sports medicine specialist likely will examine your clavicle, and will take X-rays to determine whether the collarbone has been fractured. Depending on the severity of the fracture, you may need to keep your arm in a sling to give the collarbone a chance to heal. In most cases, the bone heals by itself, and no surgery is necessary.
If, however, the fracture is so severe that immobilizing the arm doesn’t heal it, or if parts of the bone are sticking out of the skin, surgical methods likely will be necessary to help the bone heal. Surgery to repair the bone generally involves inserting a metal plate and screws to hold the bone in place. Once the bone has healed, this metal plate can be removed, but often is simply left in place.
After the clavicle has healed, whether from surgery or from immobilization in a sling, it’s important to regain range of movement and strength through rehabilitation exercises, which your sports medicine specialist will prescribe to you.
