Clavicle Fracture
| Overview | Diagnosis |
| Treatment Options |
Overview
A clavicle fracture is a break in the clavicle bone (also called the collarbone). It connects the sternum (breastplate) to the shoulder. The clavicle can fracture in three different places:This is the middle portion of the clavicle and the most common site for a clavicle fracture.
This is the end of the clavicle connecting to the shoulder.
This is the end of the clavicle connecting to the sternum.
A clavicle fracture is caused by trauma to the clavicle bone. The trauma is usually caused by:
Risk factors that increase your chances of fracturing your clavicle include:
Diagnosis
Symptoms of a fractured clavicle include:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms, physical activity, and how the injury occurred. He will also examine the injured area. Tests may include:
This test uses radiation to take a picture of structures inside the body, especially bones. It is used to look for a break in the bone.
Treatment Options
Treatment will depend on the severity of the injury. Treatment involves:Brace or Sling
Most clavicle fractures can be treated with a figure-eight strap, which is wrapped around the body and the shoulders, or a sling. These devices help hold the shoulder in place while the clavicle heals. The doctor may prescribe pain medication.
Surgery
Very rarely, surgery may be needed to set the bone. The doctor may place pins, a plate, or screws in the bone to hold it in place. You will need to wear the sling or figure-of-eight strap while you heal.
Exercises
When your doctor decides you are ready, start range-of-motion and strengthening exercises. You may be referred to a physical therapist to assist you with these exercises. Do not return to sports activity until your shoulder is fully healed.
Healing Time
Prevention
To help prevent clavicle fractures:
How can I prevent a clavicle fracture?
Since clavicle fractures are nearly always results of falls or blows, there is not much that can be done to prevent them. However, use of proper protective equipment, such as shoulder pads, is preventive.
The best way to prevent reoccurrences of a clavicle fracture is to only return to practice and competition when all symptoms of the injury are gone and strength has returned to normal. Furthermore, the rehabilitation exercises should be continued to ensure protective strength, range of motion, and stability of the injured area.
Other preventive techniques include:
Improving Sports Performance
The key to improving sports performance after recovering from a clavicle fracture is a proper rehabilitation program, and adhering to some of those same principles after the injury is gone. Keep in mind that a clavicle fracture is most often the result of a fall or blow, and you can better prepare yourself for these incidences by paying close attention to the rehabilitation exercises listed above. These will not only keep you in the game, but will also help you perform better and with more confidence.
Clavicle fracture rehabilitation for athletes
As an athlete, your number one concern is getting back to full strength as soon as possible so that you can return to training and competition. That is why appropriate rehabilitation is extremely important. Rehabilitation for a clavicle fracture often includes the following:
Most clavicle fractures can be rehabilitated with a figure-of-eight strap, which is wrapped around the body and the shoulders, or a sling. These devices help hold the shoulder in place while the clavicle heals. Your doctor also may prescribe pain medication and rehabilitation exercises once the strap is removed.
The major objectives of rehabilitation from a clavicle fracture are to increase flexibility, establish pain-free range of motion, and strengthen the muscles of the shoulders, upper back, front chest, and upper arms. In severe cases, you should avoid activity that causes shoulder pain altogether.
Keep in mind that rehabilitation for a clavicle fracture may be different when the injury requires surgery to put the pieces of the bone back in position. In these cases, your doctor may prescribe special physical therapy. Recovery time will vary.
Rehabilitation exercises
Rehabilitation exercises often prescribed by your doctor may include:
Stand with hands at sides with no weight in either hand. Raise shoulders to the point of pain and hold for five seconds. Relax for five seconds. Perform this sequence 10 times, 3 times daily. As pain permits, hold dumbbells of equal weight in each hand while performing this exercise. Add weight by using hand-held dumbbells as pain permits.
Stand with arms fully extended at sides while grasping 2- to 5-pound weights in each hand, held palm forward. Flex the arms at the elbow to approximately 100 degrees, or to the point of pain, whichever comes first. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds. Return to the start position. Rest for 5 seconds. Repeat this exercise 10 times. Increase the weight as pain allows and strength develops.
Stand with elbows directed upward over the shoulders and with arms relaxed. Extend arms at the elbow so that the hands proceed upward to the point of pain. Hold this position for five seconds. Return to the starting position and relax for five seconds. Perform this sequence 10 times, 3 times daily. As pain permits, add weight by using hand-held dumbbells.
Lie on belly with hands extended along sides of the body. Raise the upper chest from the floor to the point of pain and hold this position for 5 seconds. Return to the start position and relax for 10 seconds. Repeat this sequence 10 times, 3 times daily.
Reach out and place the unaffected side hand on a corner of a table. Bend at the waist. Flex the injured side arm at the elbow and pull the injured side arm backward and upward as if sawing wood. Slowly bring the shoulder blades as close together as pain will permit. Slowly bring the injured side arm down to its beginning position. Repeat this sequence 10 times, at least three times daily.
Stand with the hand of the unaffected arm resting on the corner of a table and supporting some of the body weight. Slightly bend the knee on the unaffected side and extend the other leg sideways. Allow the injured arm to hang loosely over the unaffected side foot. By shifting the body weight, cause the relaxed injured arm to swing in circles to the fullest extent possible as limited by pain. Perform 25 swings in a clockwise direction. Pause. Perform 25 swings of the injured arm in a counterclockwise direction. Repeat this sequence at least three times daily.
Stand in a doorway with affected side arm bent at the elbow and the palm of the hand against the door frame. Turn the body away from the injured side hand until a stretching sensation is experienced in the injured shoulder. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Return to the starting position. Relax for 10 seconds. Repeat this sequence 10 times at least three times a day.
Stand close to a wall. With the palm of the injured side arm turned so as to face you, slowly slide the forearm and then the upper arm up the wall by moving closer to the wall. Slide the arm upward to the point of initial significant pain. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Return to the starting position and relax for 10 seconds. Repeat this sequence 10 times, at least three times daily.
Roll a towel lengthwise. While standing erect, dangle the rolled towel down the back, holding it with the unaffected side hand. Reach behind the back with the hand of the injured side and grasp the rolled towel. Gently pull upward on the towel, raising the injured side arm until first significant pain in the injured shoulder is felt. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Relax the arms while maintaining the grasp on the rolled towel for ten seconds. Repeat this sequence 10 times at least three times daily.
Bend and raise the injured side elbow to shoulder height. Grasp the injured side elbow with the uninjured side hand. Gently pull the injured side elbow toward the opposite shoulder until limited by first significant pain. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Relax for 10 seconds. Repeat this sequence 10 times at least three times daily.
Depending on the severity of the injury, some of the above exercises, and perhaps others of similar nature intended to increase the range of motion of the injured shoulder, may be prescribed to be done in water or a warm whirlpool apparatus. Water relieves the arm of some of its weight, thus allowing a greater pain-free range of motion, while warm water and a water massaging effect may also be effective.
Alternative exercises
During the period when normal training should be avoided, alternative exercises may be used. These activities should not require any actions that create or intensify pain at the site of injury. They include:
Rehabilitation after surgery
Surgery is rarely needed to set a broken collarbone - putting the pieces of the bone back in position. Your doctor may place pins, a plate, or screws in the bone to hold it in place, and you will need to wear a sling or figure-of-eight strap while you heal.
When your doctor decides you are ready, you may start range-of-motion and strengthening exercises. You may be referred to a physical therapist to assist you with these exercises. Under no circumstance should you return to sports activity until your shoulder is fully healed.
A physical therapy program usually begins with range-of-motion and resistive exercises, then incorporates strength training, aerobic and muscular endurance, flexibility, and coordination drills.
How long will the effects of the injury last?
To some extent, the time to fully recover is influenced by your dedication to your rehabilitation program. A child may heal as quickly as 3 to 4 weeks, while an adolescent may take 6 to 8 weeks to heal. Adult athletes who have stopped growing may require 8 to 10 weeks of healing time before returning to their sport.
When can I return to my sport or activity?
Return to full participation should be avoided until your clavicle fracture has healed and you can perform all skills and other requirements of your sport without pain. To return earlier is to invite further injury, making subsequent fractures more likely. This is especially true when the sport involves heavy contact, such as in football, hockey, or rugby.
Generally, the athlete who wishes to return to a contact sport should expect to be out of action for 6 to 12 weeks. Again, the time to return to full activity depends on the dedication toward your rehabilitation program.
Remember: the goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your sport or activity as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury, which could lead to permanent damage. Everyone recovers from injury at a different rate. Return to your activity is determined by how soon your clavicle fracture recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury occurred.
© - Seo Company & Online Marketing Agency - SynergizeIT
Copyright - Orthopaedic Clinic Cape Town -