Dislocation of the clavicle is a very common injury. The main thing is to be able to distinguish between dislocation of the external and internal end of the bone. Most often, such injuries occur as a result of a fall on the designated arm or shoulder. There are cases of dislocation due to compression of the shoulder region in the longitudinal direction.
What is clavicle
The collarbone is a paired hollow bone that is part of the shoulder girdle. This component first enters the process of ossification in the prenatal period. It performs many important functions:
- Supporting. Thanks to the muscles, the shoulder blades and upper limbs are attached to it.
- Protects the cavity through which vital structures pass.
- It transports impulses from the limb to the spine.
- However, its main task is to ensure the process of free movement of hands. And all this thanks to the successful bone structure.
Symptoms of Dislocation
Dislocation of the clavicle occurs as a result of indirect mechanical damage. Such an injury may occur during a fall or hit on the upper body. There are cases when the collarbone is inverted by itself.
Doctors subdivide the external and internal dislocation of the clavicle. The main symptoms during an external dislocation are pain when trying to move a hand or shoulder and pain at the junction of the scapula and clavicle. If injured, there may be swelling and deformation. The outer end of the bone protrudes slightly back and up.
Internal dislocation is characterized by severe pain in the area of the clavicle to the sternum. The injury will be accompanied by painful breathing, swelling of the soft tissues and deformation of the shoulder girdle.
Pay attention to the most important sign of dislocation of the clavicle: if you click on the protruding end of it, then it can easily be adjusted out of place. But after the cessation of pressure, he will just as well revert to his former place.
In people who are overweight, clavicle injury is less noticeable.
How to provide first aid
If you notice signs of clavicle dislocation , then try to provide first aid to the affected patient. To do this, take a bandage or kerchief and hang the limb. The bandage on the shoulder joint and the roller placed in the armpit area will help to accurately bring the patient to the hospital ward.
To reduce swelling, attach a cold object to the damaged area. An ice pack or a frozen bottle of water is perfect for this purpose.
Doctors do not recommend taking painkillers before arriving at the hospital. This can lead to an incorrect diagnosis. Of course, in the case of a low pain threshold, an exception can be made.
Specialists strongly do not recommend trying to correct the dislocation yourself, as cases of amateur performance have been recorded that adversely affected the treatment of doctors.
Diagnostics
Find out the address of the emergency room in advance, and then go on the road. Of course, trauma can only be diagnosed due to external symptoms such as pain, swelling, and bone deformation. But the doctor also needs to take an x-ray and palpate to accurately determine the damaged area. In difficult situations, computed tomography can be prescribed.
Clavicle Dislocation: Treatment
This pathology can be cured by both conservative and surgical methods. Fixing the collarbone itself is a very simple and quick task. It is much more difficult to hold and lock it in the correct position.
Elastic dressings
The most common and easiest way to solve the problem is with a bandage on the shoulder joint. Before applying it, the damaged area is treated with an anesthetic drug - Procain - and the bone is repaired. The dressing is applied in this way:
1) Wrap the chest with a bandage twice.
2) Next, the bandage should be diagonally thrown over the chest, passing along the armpit from an intact arm to a damaged one.
3) Now the bandage must be lowered to the elbow, moving along the rear surface of the shoulder.
4) Bend the elbow and work with a bandage on the forearm of the injured hand. Move to the armpit of a healthy limb.
5) Move the bandage diagonally in the back. Start with a healthy hand and move on to the damaged shoulder area.
6) Now go around the shoulder girdle and put the bandage under the elbow.
Do the last three steps several times to fix your hand as carefully as possible. Do not try to correct the dislocation yourself. Only an experienced doctor will be able to cope well with this task.
Inelastic Dressings
Reducing shoulder dislocation is also not the most difficult task. A plaster cast will come to the rescue, which will perfectly fix the hand. It can be used without surgery. The type and term of wearing a dressing of any type is determined by a specialist. It is by no means permitted to remove it yourself. The average wearing period is one to two months. At the same time, being in a hospital is completely optional.
Surgical treatment
Dislocation of the clavicle (surgery is done only as a last resort) is most often treated with conservative methods. The modern development of medicine allows the use of various methods of invasive therapy. To fix the clavicle, screws, buttons, knitting needles and other devices can be used.
Dislocation of the clavicle, accompanied by surgical treatment, can be cured by metal knitting needles. This is one of the most inexpensive types of surgical intervention. But this option is not the most effective, since the acromial process and connecting ligaments do not fuse. In this case, repeated surgery is often required.
The direction of the dislocation of the shoulder and its subsequent fixation are carried out using screws. In this case, the risk of reoperation is minimized. However, overly secure attachment can limit the movement of the arm and shoulder girdle.
The most gentle fixation method, including the effect of knitting needles and screws, is to fasten with buttons. Thanks to this method, the patient’s postoperative condition is excellent. However, button sewing can leave a mark.
To date, the most effective method of surgical treatment is plastic ligaments. The essence of the operation is to create synthetic ligaments, which replace damaged structures.
Before the operation itself, the doctor performs a closed reduction of the dislocation, and already during the surgical intervention, the clavicle is attached mechanically. After this procedure, a plaster or splint is applied, which cannot be removed within a month. You should not expect that after a full period the damaged limb will immediately recover completely. This will happen only after one and a half to two months.
After this period, it is imperative to re-diagnose, that is, make a tomography and x-ray. Only after passing through such procedures is a rehabilitation complex of measures prescribed.
At the doctor's appointment, be sure to find out all the details of your tram. After all, each case is individual. The terms of wearing the bandage and the rehabilitation period may be delayed or, conversely, will be faster. Possible complications. Therefore, find out in advance what can expect you.
Rehabilitation
Find out the nearest emergency room address and go for treatment. There is a special set of procedures for speedy rehabilitation. This includes massage, exercise, and manual therapy. Such measures are prescribed only by a specialist, based on the type of dislocation.
In no case do not postpone the treatment, since within a few weeks after receiving the injury, the dislocation will be considered chronic and it will be much more difficult to treat it. Too late treatment entails surgery. Older dislocations are not treated conservatively. At the same time, the forecasts for the operation cannot be positive even using the latest techniques and expensive drugs.