Clavicle fracture

Description:

The fracture of a clavicle is a widespread injury, especially at children and young people.
Falling, sports injuries and injuries are the general reasons of a fracture of clavicle at the road accidents. Babies can sometimes test a clavicle fracture during process of the birth.

Clavicle fracture reasons:

The general reasons of a fracture of clavicle include:
1. Falling on a shoulder or on the given hand can lead to a clavicle fracture.
2. Sports injuries. The direct stroke in a shoulder at a sports injury in the field or a skating rink can cause a clavicle fracture.
3. Automobile injury. The broken clavicle can be result of road accident.
4. Birth trauma. At newborns the fracture of a clavicle can occur during process of the birth.

Clavicle fracture symptoms:

At suspicion of a fracture of a clavicle it is necessary to see a doctor. The majority of fractures of clavicle begin to live at use of the anesthetizing drugs, fixing, physical therapy. However the difficult fracture of a clavicle can demand surgical intervention. To reconstruct the broken bone, it is necessary to apply special  plates, screws or cores.  
Signs and symptoms at a fracture of a clavicle include:
- pain which amplifies at the movement of a shoulder;
- a swelling in the field of an injury;
- crepitation in attempt to move a shoulder;
- inability to move a shoulder.

The delay in diagnosis and treatment of a fracture of clavicle can lead to bad healing of an injury.

Complications:

Final ossification of a clavicle comes to the end by 20 years.  It causes the increased risk of fractures of clavicle at  children and teenagers. The risk decreases after 20 years, but then again increases at elderly people as bone durability decreases with age.

In most cases fractures of a clavicle heal without difficulties. But complications can include:
1. Injury of adjacent nerves or vessels.  The gear ends of the broken clavicle can injure nearby nerves and blood vessels. It is necessary to see a doctor at numbness or cold sense in a hand after a clavicle fracture.
2. The slowed-down healing of an injury. Bad consolidation of fragments of a bone during treatment can lead to the fact that after healing the clavicle will be shorter, than to an injury.
3. Bone callosity. As a part of process of healing, the place where bone shoots grow together together, is formed a bone callosity.  It is easy to notice it as the clavicle close adjoins to skin. Though it usually disappear eventually, in certain cases the callosity remains constantly.  
4. Bone infections. If any part the broken bones acts through skin, there is an increased risk of development of a bone infection.  Importance in this situation timely adequate treatment is decisive.
5. Arthrosis. If the change takes a joint which connect a clavicle to a shovel or a breast,  there is an increased risk of development of arthritis in this joint.
6. Restriction of the movement after healing of a change.

Treatment of a fracture of clavicle:

Time necessary for an immobilization depends on weight of an injury. Accretion of a bone usually takes from 3 to 6 weeks for children and from 6 to 12 weeks for adults. If the child broke a clavicle at the time of delivery, treatment usually is done without special methods. Control of pain and care with the child – all this that usually is required.

Medicines.
To reduce pain and an inflammation, the doctor can recommend the anesthetizing drugs. If the patient is disturbed by severe pain, several days  it is possible to accept the anesthetizing drugs.

Rehabilitation begins soon after an initiation of treatment. In most cases, it is possible to begin the small movements with a hand already at a fixing stage. It needs to be done for the purpose of prevention of a contracture of a joint. After the retentive bandage is removed, additional rehabilitation exercises or physical therapy for recovery of an animal force, mobility of joints and flexibility can be recommended to the patient.

Surgical intervention can be necessary at a clavicle fracture if a change open or if the bone is injured into several parts. Operation includes placement of fixating devices - plates, bolts or cores which are necessary for maintenance of the correct position of a bone during healing. Surgical complications are rare, but can include first of all a bone infection.