There are 206 bones in the human body (in an adult). All bones are hard and resistant to impact, but quite fragile. Among them is the collarbone, the fracture (with a displacement especially) of which is an unpleasant thing and can entail serious and threatening consequences. Moreover, such an injury happens quite often. Most of all the dangers of fracture of this bone are athletes and children: the first due to occupation, the second due to poor coordination, and therefore fall much more often than adults.
Causes of Clavicular Fractures
They come in two forms. Firstly, the result of a blow to the shoulder. With sufficient strength and a specific location, it is the collarbone that suffers. Fracture with displacement is the most likely result. Moreover, even bone splitting with fragments can happen. The second reason is an unsuccessful fall on the elbow, straight arm or the outer side of the forearm. The collarbone takes a sharp load, the fracture with displacement is almost guaranteed. Such falls are most often caused by ice, therefore it is in the winter of traumatology that are overwhelmed by victims with clavicular fractures.
Symptoms of a Broken Clavicle
First of all, this, of course, is the pain due to which the hand moves constrained, and some movements become inaccessible. The shoulder at the fracture site is swollen, bruising (bruising) is possible if hemorrhage has occurred under the skin. The location of the shoulder takes an irregular shape: it lowers and moves forward. Instinctively, a person begins to support the elbow with a healthy hand and press it to the body. The collarbone itself changes its appearance: a fracture with a displacement deforms it, while the shoulder girdle is shortened.
Injury treatment
First of all, as with any other fracture, fixation is needed. At a minimum, the injured arm is suspended on a scarf, scarf or any other piece of material. It is better, however, not to limit this to sticking the limb to the body in order to reduce the load on the broken bone and prevent the displacement from increasing. Further action will be taken by a traumatologist.
In most cases, when a collarbone fracture occurred with a displacement, the treatment consists in returning the debris to its original place. This is done under local anesthesia. Since it is difficult to keep them in the right position due to muscle spasms, in the future it is necessary to use special devices for rigid fixation, in particular the so-called Delbe rings. If displacement due to injury was avoided, normal dressings are sufficient. Within a month, the clavicle will grow together.
Severe fractures
If you are unlucky, and you have received a collarbone fracture with an offset, surgery will be needed only when the nerve endings are affected or pinched by debris. Another reason for the intervention of the surgeon may be the poor location of the debris: when repositioned, they can tear the skin or nerves and blood vessels. And the third case is when the displacement cannot be corrected, and the collarbone remains deformed. And this is not only a cosmetic flaw: such deformations will interfere with the full movement of the hand. Naturally, surgery will also be needed for open fractures.
In general, a collarbone fracture is a painful and unpleasant thing, but still not fatal. Even in difficult cases, it is treated up to one and a half months. However, warning is always better than cure. And if you are not an athlete, do not give your collarbone a chance to break even if you wear reliable, non-slippery shoes in the winter.