Broken Collar Bone Surgery
A broken collarbone is a break in the clavicle, the bone in the upper chest that connects the breastbone to the shoulder blade. Such breaks are relatively common, especially in babies, adolescents, and athletes. A broken collar bone can occur in several ways, but the most common involves some kind of trauma, such as falling, being hit directly on the shoulder itself, or involvement in an automobile accident.
Clavicle fractures can be very painful and may make it hard to move your arm. Additional symptoms include:
- Sagging shoulder (down and forward)
- Inability to lift the arm because of pain
- A grinding sensation if an attempt is made to raise the arm
- A deformity or “bump” over the break
- Bruising, swelling, and/or tenderness over the collarbone
Treatments
Surgical
Surgery can align the bones exactly and hold them in good position while they heal. This can improve shoulder strength when you have recovered.
Plates and Screws
During this operation, the bone fragments are first repositioned into their normal alignment, and then held in place with special screws and/or by attaching metal plates to the outer surface of the bone.
After surgery, you may notice a small patch of numb skin below the incision. This numbness will become less noticeable with time. Because there is not a lot of fat over the collarbone, you may be able to feel the plate through your skin.
Plates and screws are usually not removed after the bone has healed, unless they are causing discomfort. Problems with the hardware are not common, but sometimes, seatbelts and backpacks can irritate the collarbone area.
If this happens, the hardware can be removed after the fracture has healed.
Pins
Pins are also used to hold the fracture in good position after the bone ends have been put back in place. The incisions for pin placement are usually smaller than those used for plates. Pins often irritate the skin where they have been inserted and are usually removed once the fracture has healed.
