Your collarbone (or clavicle) is the bone that runs horizontally between the top of your breastbone ( sternum ) and shoulder blade (scapula). You can feel your collarbone by touching the area between your neck and your shoulder. A broken collarbone, also called a clavicle fracture, is when this bone breaks.
People can get a collarbone fracture by falling hard on a shoulder or an outstretched arm, or if their shoulder hits against something or someone (for example, while playing contact sports like football, wrestling, rugby, lacrosse, and hockey).
Someone who breaks a collarbone may have:
To diagnose a collarbone fracture, health care providers ask about how the injury happened, do an exam, and order X-rays.
Most broken collarbones heal with ice, arm support, pain medicine, and exercises. The arm is supported either by a sling or a shoulder immobilizer. A shoulder immobilizer is like a sling but it also has a strap that goes around the waist.
As you start feeling better, your health care provider may recommend some exercises or physical therapy to help improve strength.
Call your health care provider if your pain or swelling gets worse.
Even if the broken bones aren’t perfectly lined up, the body usually can make them straight again. That's because the collarbone has a thick periosteum (outer liner on the bone). The collarbone periosteum doesn't usually break, so it acts like a sleeve to hold the bone together while it heals. Rarely, the doctor might recommend surgery if the broken bones are very out of line.
Sometimes while the broken collarbone heals, there is a bump where the bone was broken. Sometimes the bump doesn't fully go away. But it doesn't hurt or cause other problems with the arm or shoulder.
Your health care provider will see you again and let you know when it's OK to go back to sports. Usually, this is when:
Because collarbone fractures happen suddenly and unexpectedly, it can be hard to prevent them. But to decrease your risk:
Most broken collarbones heal quickly and completely. Within a few months, you should be back to doing all the things you enjoyed before the injury.
Reviewed by: Melanie L. Pitone, MD
Date Reviewed: Jan 1, 2024
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