Clavicle Fractures (Subscribe)  

The clavicle derives its name from the Latin word clavicula, or small key, because of its unique curvature. Despite the high frequency of injuries to the clavicle, our understanding of its injuries and function is based on only a modest amount of data. It has long been thought that the...

Historically, clavicle fractures have been considered best treated nonoperatively, with good outcomes. Management typically included the use of either a shoulder sling or a figure-of-eight brace. The vast majority of these fractures healed, with variable amounts of cosmetic deformity. Recently, studies have examined the different patterns of displacement and clinical...

Clavicle fractures are common, and perhaps thus not particularly interesting.
Two points demand your attention. First, it has long been thought that malunion (or even non-union) of clavicle fractures was well tolerated and imposed little morbidity. For that reason, it was likewise thought that these fractures could be treated with almost...

Fracture Classification:
- frx of middle 1/3 (group I):
- most common clavicular frx in both adults and children (80%);
...

The descriptions of treatment of clavicle fractures date back to Hippocrates. Over time, numerous descriptions have been made of fracture reduction techniques, with the prevalent figure-of-8 bandage described by Lucas Championnière around 1860. The earliest description of a sports-related clavicle fracture dates to 1702, when William III died following an...

The clavicle, proximal humerus and the scapula together form the shoulder joint. The clavicle also forms the bony connection between the upper limb and the thorax. It articulates with the acromion process of the scapula laterally, at the acromioclavicular joint, and the manubrium of the sternum medially, at the sternoclavicular...