How to Treat a Clavicle Fracture: 9 Steps (with Pictures) (2024)

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Medically reviewed byJonas DeMuro, MD

Last Updated: June 3, 2022References

1. 1

   Get medical help immediately. If you fall on an outstretched arm, get into a car accident or are hit while playing a sport and feel intense pain in your shoulder area, then get medical care immediately. Fractured clavicles cause significant pain in the front part of your shoulder, closer to the base of your neck. You'll innately know that something is seriously wrong because you won't be able to lift your arm up. Other symptoms include immediate swelling and/or bruising near the fracture, grinding sounds with arm movements and potential numbness and tingling in the arm/hand. Your doctor will likely have to give you strong prescription pain medication to cope with the injury.^[3]

   • Your doctor will take an x-ray of your shoulder to help diagnose the injury. Other diagnostic tool used can include a bone scan, MRI or CT scan.
   • Most often the break is diagnosed as a stress or hairline fracture, which is a small surface crack not serious enough to misalign bone or break the skin's surface.
   • Small hairline fractures of the clavicle don't often show up on an x-ray right away. It sometimes takes a week or so until the swelling goes down enough to see the crack clearly.
2. 2

   Prepare for surgery in severe cases. Although most fractures of the clavicle are hairline fractures, in some cases the break is serious enough to require surgery — about 5–10% of cases. An operation is definitely needed if your broken clavicle is diagnosed as complicated, which means there are multiple bone fragments, the overlaying skin is penetrated, and/or the pieces are badly misaligned. Surgery involves realigning the bone fragments and keeping them in place with special metal plates, pins and/or screws.^[4]

   • The clavicle usually breaks in the middle, as opposed to the ends which attach to the breastbone (sternum) and shoulder blade.^[5]
   • Because there's rarely any fat over the clavicle, you'll likely be able to see and feel the hardware through your skin.
   • Plates and screws are not typically removed from the bone once it's healed, unless they cause significant discomfort. Often the broken clavicle is stronger after an operation, compared to the uninjured side.

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3. See Also

   Clavicle Fractures - Midshaft - TraumaClavicle Fractures - Distal - TraumaClavicular fracture | Radiology Reference Article | Radiopaedia.orgImaging of Clavicular Fractures and Dislocations: Practice Essentials, Radiography, Computed Tomography

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   Get a supportive arm sling. Due to their anatomical position, fractured clavicles can't be casted like a broken limb can. Instead, a supportive arm sling or "figure-eight" splint is typically used for support and comfort, either immediately after the injury if it's just a hairline fracture or following surgery if it's a complicated fracture. A figure-eight splint wraps around both shoulders and the base of your neck in order to support the injured shoulder and keep it positioned up and back. Sometimes a larger swath of material is wrapped around the sling to keep it closer to your body.^[6]

   • You'll need to wear the sling constantly until there is no pain with arm movements, which takes between two to four weeks for children or four to eight weeks for adults.^[7]
   • You'll get an arm sling from the hospital or emergency walk-in clinic if you go, although they're also available at many pharmacies and medical supply stores.
   • Slings come in all sizes, including ones that fit small children, because the clavicle is the most commonly fractured bone in kids — often the result of falling onto an outstretched arm.^[8]
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   Get a referral to physical therapy. Once you've recovered and able to remove your arm sling splint for good, you'll likely notice that the muscles surrounding your shoulder and upper chest look smaller and feel weaker. That's because muscle tissue atrophies without movement. If this occurs, then you'll need to get a referral for some physical rehabilitation. Rehab can start once you are cleared by your orthopedist, are pain-free, and can perform all the basic arm and shoulder movements. A physiotherapist or athletic trainer can show you specific rehabilitation exercises and stretches to restore your muscle strength, joint movements and flexibility^[9]

   • Getting properly rehabilitated reduces the risk of degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) developing in your shoulder in the future.
   • Physical therapy is recommended two to three times per week for at least two to four weeks to significantly strengthen and rehabilitate the shoulder area after a clavicle fracture.
   • Most people return to their normal daily routine within three months of an uncomplicated fracture of the clavicle, although age, health, and fitness levels are important factors.^[10]

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1. 1

   Rest your shoulder. Once you're discharged from the hospital in an arm sling, your top priority is to rest your shoulder and not further inflame the injury. Of course, the arm sling not only provides support, but it also restricts movement, which is why you should keep it on even during sleep. Avoiding the temptation to move your shoulder and arm will help the bone mend quicker and the pain fade away sooner.^[11]

   • Depending on what you do for a living and if the injury is to your dominant side, you may need to take a couple of weeks off work to recuperate.
   • Healing takes between four to six weeks in younger people and up to 12 weeks in the elderly, but it depends on the severity of the fractured clavicle.^[12]
   • Athletes in good health are typically able to resume their sporting activities within two months of breaking their clavicle, depending on the severity of the break and the specific sport.
   • Sleeping on your back (with the sling on) is necessary to keep the pressure off your shoulder and prevent stressing the clavicle injury.
2. 2

   Apply ice to your fractured clavicle. After you get home from the hospital (regardless if you had surgery or not), you should apply a bag of crushed ice (or something cold) to your injured clavicle in order to reduce the swelling and numb the pain. Ice therapy is effective for acute (recent) injuries that involve swelling because it reduces blood flow by constricting local blood vessels. Apply the crushed ice to your clavicle for 15 minutes three to five times daily until the soreness and inflammation eventually fades away.^[13]

   • Lightly compressing the crushed ice against your injury with a stretchy Tensor or Ace bandage is also helpful for combating inflammation.
   • Always wrap ice in a thin cloth before you apply it to your body — it helps to prevent skin irritation and frostbite.
   • If you don't have crushed ice available, then use ice cubes, frozen gel packs or a bag of frozen veggies (peas or corn are convenient).
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   Take over-the-counter (OTC) medication. In addition to applying ice regularly, you should also consider taking some OTC medication for a short period of time. Anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) are likely the best choice of drugs for acute injuries that involve significant inflammation, such as bone fractures. Painkillers (also called analgesics) are an option also, but they won't impact the swelling associated with your recovering clavicle. The most common OTC painkiller is acetaminophen (Tylenol, Paracetamol).^[14]

   • Anti-inflammatories and analgesics should always be considered short-term strategies for pain control and should be taken no longer than two weeks for a broken clavicle. Taking too many of them at a time or taking them for too long increases your risk of stomach, kidney and liver problems.^[15]
   • Children should never take or be given aspirin to control pain and inflammation, as it’s associated with life-threatening Reye’s syndrome.^[16]
   • Rub an ointment containing a natural pain reliever over your recovering clavicle. Menthol, camphor, arnica, and capsaicin are all helpful for relieving muscle, bone, and joint pains.
4. 4

   Lightly exercise after the pain fades. After a couple of weeks when the swelling has subsided and the pain has faded away, remove your arm sling for short periods and carefully move your arm and shoulder in all different directions. Don't aggravate the clavicle so that it hurts, but gently reintroduce movements to the involved joints and muscles. Start cautiously, maybe starting with light calisthenics and then progress to holding light weights (five-pound weights to start).^[17] Your clavicle needs to move a little bit during the later phases of the injury to stimulate complete recovery.

   • Complete lack of activity and total immobilization of your arm for many weeks could trigger loss of bone mineral, which is counterproductive for an injured bone trying to get stronger.^[18]
   • Some movement and weight bearing attracts minerals to bones, which strengthens them and makes them less likely to fracture again.
   • After your shoulder/clavicle is pain-free and relatively mobile, make an appointment with the physiotherapist for some rehabilitation (see above).
5. 5

   Eat nutritiously during your recovery. All bones and tissues in the body need certain nutrients in order to heal properly and in a timely manner. Eating a nutritious and balanced diet that includes lots of minerals and vitamins is proven to help heal broken bones of all types, including clavicles.^[19] Therefore, focus on eating lots of fresh produce (fruits and veggies), whole grains, lean meats, and fish to give your body the building blocks needed to properly repair your clavicle. In addition, drink plenty of purified water, milk, and other dairy-based beverages to augment what you eat.^[20]

   • Broken bones need ample minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, boron) and protein to become strong and healthy again.^[21]
   • Excellent sources of minerals/protein include dairy products, tofu, beans, broccoli, nuts and seeds, sardines and salmon.^[22]
   • Important vitamins that are needed for bone healing include: vitamin C (needed to make collagen), vitamin D (crucial for mineral absorption), and vitamin K (binds calcium to bones and triggers collagen formation).^[23]
   • Conversely, don't consume food or drink that is known to impair bone/tissue healing, such as alcoholic beverages, sodas, most fast food items and foods made with lots of refined sugars and preservatives.^[24]

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