Overview

A clavicle fracture is a break in your collarbone, the long S-shaped bone that connects your breastbone to your shoulder blade. It's one of the most commonly broken bones in the body, usually from a fall onto the shoulder or an outstretched arm. Most clavicle fractures heal well, and the majority don't need surgery at all (OrthoInfo).

What Is It?

Your clavicle (collarbone) sits just under the skin at the top of your chest, acting like a strut that holds your shoulder out and away from your ribcage. A fracture means the bone has cracked or broken, usually somewhere along its middle third, which is the thinnest and least supported part of the bone.

Breaks can range from a simple crack with the bone ends still lined up, to a fracture where the pieces have shifted noticeably out of place, sometimes bunching up and tenting the skin above them.

Anatomy Involved

The clavicle links your arm and shoulder blade to the rest of your skeleton at two joints, one at each end. Major nerves and blood vessels supplying your arm — the brachial plexus and nearby vessels — run directly beneath the middle of the bone, which is why clinicians always check hand and arm function after this injury.

What This Structure Normally Does

The clavicle acts like a rigid spacer bar, holding your shoulder blade and arm out to the side of your ribcage so your arm has room to move freely. Without it, your shoulder blade would collapse in toward your chest every time your arm muscles pulled on it.

Common Causes

A fall directly onto the shoulder
A fall onto an outstretched arm
A direct blow to the collarbone, common in contact sports
A motor vehicle collision
In newborns, pressure during passage through the birth canal

Most clavicle fractures happen from a single clear event rather than gradual wear, unlike many other shoulder problems on InjuryAtlas. A fall onto the shoulder is the single most common cause across all age groups (OrthoInfo).

Risk Factors

Participation in contact or collision sports
Cycling, skiing, or other activities with a real fall risk
Young age (children and teens have a higher rate of clavicle fractures)
Osteoporosis or reduced bone density in older adults
Previous clavicle fracture on the same side

Common Symptoms

Sharp pain at the top of the chest right over the break
Visible bump, deformity, or sagging of the shoulder downward and forward
Swelling, bruising, and tenderness over the collarbone
Inability or reluctance to lift the arm because of pain
A grinding sensation when trying to raise the arm
Holding the arm close to the body for comfort

Seek immediate medical care if: you have a visible deformity or bump after a fall or collision, the skin over the break looks stretched or "tented," you notice numbness or tingling in the hand or arm, or you have any difficulty breathing — these need prompt evaluation to rule out injury to nearby nerves, blood vessels, or the lung.

Pain Location

Pain is usually sharply localized right over the break, along the top of the chest between the base of the neck and the shoulder. It often spreads into the whole shoulder region, especially with any attempt to move the arm.

Pain Pattern

Pain is typically sudden and severe at the moment of injury, then remains sharp with almost any shoulder or arm movement for the first days to weeks. It gradually eases as the bone starts to heal, usually improving noticeably within the first few weeks even though full healing takes longer.

Movements That Commonly Hurt

Lifting the arm in any direction
Reaching across the body
Rolling onto the affected side while sleeping
Carrying anything with the affected arm
Deep breathing or coughing, if the fracture is more severe

Activities That Become Difficult

Getting dressed, especially pulling on a shirt
Driving, particularly shifting or turning the steering wheel
Carrying a bag or backpack on the affected side
Sleeping comfortably in most positions
Any contact sport or activity with a fall risk

Common Misconceptions

"A broken collarbone always needs surgery." Most clavicle fractures, especially those where the bone ends are still reasonably lined up, heal well with a sling and time, without surgery (OrthoInfo).
"I need to keep my whole arm completely still." While the collarbone itself needs protection, gentle hand, wrist, and elbow motion is usually encouraged early on to prevent stiffness elsewhere.
"Once the pain settles, I'm healed." Pain easing doesn't always mean the bone has fully healed — X-rays are used to confirm healing before returning to contact sports or heavy lifting.
"A bump means it healed wrong." A small bump at the fracture site is common and often permanent, even after a full, successful recovery — it doesn't usually affect how the shoulder works.

What Usually Makes It Worse

Returning to contact sports or heavy lifting before the bone has healed
Skipping follow-up X-rays that confirm healing progress
Letting the shoulder and elbow stiffen from complete inactivity
Removing sling support too early against medical advice

What Usually Makes It Better

Consistent use of a sling or arm support as directed in the early weeks
Gentle hand, wrist, and elbow movement to prevent stiffness while the collarbone heals
Following up with X-rays to confirm the bone is healing in good position
A gradual, guided return to shoulder movement and strength once healing is confirmed

Self-Care Options

Use the sling or arm support as recommended, especially in the first few weeks
Ice for 15–20 minutes at a time to help manage pain and swelling
Over-the-counter pain medication if appropriate for you
Keep your hand, wrist, and elbow moving to avoid stiffness while your shoulder rests
Sleep propped up or supported with pillows if lying flat is uncomfortable

Conservative Treatment

Sling support for comfort while the bone heals
Pain medication, such as acetaminophen or anti-inflammatories, as appropriate for you
Early motion exercises for the hand, wrist, and elbow, with gentle shoulder movement added as pain allows
Regular follow-up visits and X-rays to confirm the fracture is healing in good position

Most clavicle fractures, especially in the middle third of the bone, heal well without surgery when the bone ends haven't shifted too far out of place (OrthoInfo).

Medical Treatment Options

X-ray imaging to confirm the fracture pattern and severity; CT scan occasionally used for more detail
Open reduction and internal fixation (surgery to realign the bone and hold it with a plate and screws, or sometimes pins) for significantly displaced fractures
Surgery is also considered if a bone fragment breaks through the skin or presses against it
Structured rehabilitation after either surgical or non-surgical treatment

Recovery Timeline

Healing typically takes several months, whether or not surgery is involved. Most people return to regular daily activities within about 3 months, though full return to contact sports or heavy lifting is usually guided by X-ray confirmation of healing rather than a fixed date (OrthoInfo).

Returning to Work

Desk-based work is often manageable within days to a couple of weeks, sometimes with the arm in a sling. Manual labor or jobs requiring lifting or overhead work usually need a longer, graded return, often guided by follow-up X-rays confirming the bone has healed enough to tolerate load.

Returning to Sport

Return to sport, especially contact or collision sports, isn't recommended until the fracture has fully healed on X-ray, typically around 3 months. Rushing back before the bone has healed risks the fragments shifting or, after surgery, hardware failure.

Possible Complications

Nonunion (the fracture fails to heal), which sometimes requires surgery if it causes ongoing pain or weakness
Malunion (the bone heals in a shifted position), usually cosmetic and rarely needing treatment
A visible bump at the fracture site that often remains after healing
Injury to nearby nerves or blood vessels, more likely with significant displacement
Post-surgical risks such as infection, hardware irritation, or numbness below the incision

Prevention

Using proper protective equipment and technique in contact sports, and practicing safe falling technique in fall-prone activities like cycling or skiing, can help reduce risk. See General Shoulder Health and Posture for related guidance on keeping the whole shoulder region resilient.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I need surgery for a broken collarbone? Most people don't. Surgery is generally reserved for fractures where the bone ends have shifted significantly out of place, or where a fragment is pressing on or through the skin.

How long will I need to wear a sling? This varies, but many people use a sling for comfort for the first few weeks, gradually reducing use as pain allows and under guidance from their doctor.

Will the bump on my collarbone go away? Swelling-related puffiness often reduces over time, but a small permanent bump where the bone healed is common and doesn't usually affect shoulder function.

Can I move my arm at all while it heals? Yes — gentle hand, wrist, and elbow motion is usually encouraged early on, while more demanding shoulder movement is added gradually as the fracture heals.

How do I know if the fracture is healing properly? Your doctor will use follow-up X-rays at intervals to confirm the bone is healing in good alignment before clearing you for more activity.

Is a clavicle fracture the same as an AC joint injury? No. A clavicle fracture is a break in the bone itself, while an AC joint injury involves the ligaments at the joint where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade. They can sometimes occur together after a similar fall.

Acromioclavicular Joint Injury — a different injury near the outer end of the clavicle, sometimes confused with a fracture
Shoulder Dislocation — can occur alongside clavicle-region trauma in high-force injuries
Proximal Humerus Fracture — another common shoulder-region fracture from a similar fall pattern

Clavicle fracture recovery timeline — what recovery typically looks like

References

OrthoInfo (AAOS). "Clavicle Fracture (Broken Collarbone)." https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/clavicle-fracture-broken-collarbone/
OrthoInfo (AAOS). "Shoulder Trauma (Fractures and Dislocations)." https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/shoulder-trauma-fractures-and-dislocations/
StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf). "Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Clavicle." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534836/

This information is for education only and is not a medical diagnosis. InjuryAtlas does not replace an assessment by a qualified health professional. If you have severe pain, visible deformity, numbness, loss of function, or symptoms that are getting worse, seek medical care promptly.

Clavicle Fracture (Broken Collarbone)