Clavicle Fracture

This type of fracture heals well in a sling and requires no specific treatment. In the early stages it is important to give your child appropriate doses of paracetamol or ibuprofen to help with the pain.

We would expect the collarbone to be painful for 4 – 6 weeks.

Your child may find it more comfortable to sleep sitting upright for a few days after the injury.

The shoulder and arm can be moved out of the sling as comfort allows. This will usually be about two weeks after the injury but can be sooner if comfortable.

Your child does not need to do any specific exercises. The sling can be discarded as the pain from the injury improves.

The ‘bump’ over the fracture is quite normal and is produced by healing bone. It may take up to one year to disappear. If your child is older than ten years a small bump may remain.

Your child may return to sports such as swimming as soon as comfortable, but should avoid contact sports (such as football, rugby and basketball) for six weeks.

If the pain gets worse or lasts more than eight weeks, or you are concerned about your child’s collarbone, contact the Fracture Clinic on 01473 704683
Monday to Friday, 8 am – 12 noon.

If there is no answer, please leave a message and a member of the team will contact you.

Please let them know:

• your name;
• your hospital number;
• the date of your Emergency Department attendance; and
• your contact number.

If the problem is of an urgent nature then advice can be obtained 24 hours a day by calling 111 or at the Emergency Department.