The collarbone is one of the most commonly fractured bones in your body, accounting for about five percent of all broken bones, and this percentage tends to be even higher among active teens and adults. Also known as your clavicle, the collarbone acts as a connection path between the sternum and your shoulder blade. However, due to this positioning and its function, the collarbone is at risk of fracturing if exposed to trauma or direct force.
If you suffer a broken collarbone like thousands of other individuals this year, can you expect to undergo surgery, or will the fracture heal on its own with conservative care? Below, we take a closer look at the standard course of treatment for a collarbone fracture.
Surgery For A Collarbone Fracture
Fortunately, the majority of collarbone fractures do not require surgery in order to heal. In fact, it’s pretty rare that surgery is recommended, as statistics show that nonsurgical treatment tends to produce reliable healing and a decreased likelihood of complications compared to surgery. In general, surgery for a clavicle fracture is only recommended if:
- The bone has broken through the skin.
- The clavicle is severely displaced, unstable and unlikely to heal correctly on its own.
- The bone has fractured in multiple locations or into several pieces.
If surgery is indicated for any of the above reasons, your shoulder specialist will likely attempt to fixate the bones in a stable position using instrumentation like rods, screws or plates. These internal fixation devices will help to hold the bones in the correct location so that they can slowly heal and fuse back together as anticipated. After surgery, you’ll follow through with many of the treatments recommended in a non-operative treatment plan, but you’ll also need to be mindful of potential complications like bleeding or an infection.
So regardless of whether or not you have surgery, at some point you will be asked to follow non-operative treatment protocols to help the bones heal as expected. Oftentimes these techniques help the collarbone heal without surgery, but they also provide an optimal foundation for healing in the event that your clavicle needs to be surgically reset. Some of the most common treatments that you’ll pursue in combination of one another include:
- Rest – Rest and immobilization are key for your collarbone while healing runs its course. It’s going to take a while for those bones to fuse back together, so limiting stress on the area during this period of vulnerability is crucial. Resting and protecting the area with a sling or similar medical device will be recommended for a number of weeks.
- Medications – Anti-inflammatory medications can help to calm inflammation that can sometimes serve to slow down the healing process. Over-the-counter pain medications can also make it easier for you to manage pain and discomfort related to the fracture.
- Physical Therapy – Rest and protection of the injured area is important, but you can’t just avoid using the area for months and expect the arm and shoulder to be back to normal once the bones heal. You’ll need to begin physical therapy shortly after the fracture to help minimize stiffness in your shoulder and keep the area strong so that muscles don’t atrophy while your arm is in a sling. Professionally-guided physical therapy will strengthen the area without putting excessive strain on the weakened shoulder.
- Icing – Icing can also help to calm inflammation and discomfort that you’re experiencing after a collarbone fracture. You can ice the area for 15-20 minutes a few times a day, but be careful not to apply ice directly to the skin, as this can irritate the area or lead to other problems, like ice burns and even frostbite.
If you’ve suffered a collarbone fracture and want professional help in caring for the bone, make sure you reach out to a shoulder specialist in your area. In the greater Knoxville area, we hope you’ll consider Dr. Holloway and his team! Give us a call today at (865) 410-7887.
