Segmental Fracture of the Clavicle

Description: Fracture of the clavicle is a common traumatic injury and comprises 4% of all fractures in adults. Amongst these, midshaft injuries account for the majority and medial fractures are uncommon. Whilst segmental fractures have been reported in the literature, concurrent lateral and medial injuries are very rare. Mechanism of clavicular fracture includes fall over outstretched hand and direct trauma of shoulder. The nature of segmental fractures can pose a difficult management problem for numerous reasons, and initial operative fixation is usually indicated. Early diagnosis is therefore imperative, and as such, clinical examination is essential even if an obvious mid or lateral shaft fracture is seen on X-ray. We present a rare case of segmental fracture of clavicle caused by direct trauma.
Karimi A*, Ettehad H*, Akbar MH Shiraz E-Medical Journal Vol. 8, No.2, April 2007 Full text