Chief Complaint/Clavicle Fracture Injury
31 year-old mountain biker and extreme sports enthusiast sustains a direct blow to his left shoulder in a crash
Workup/Images
X-rays reveal a displaced and comminuted(fragmented) fracture of the lateral clavicle as demonstrated in the video. We discuss treatment options, goals and considerations related to surgical repair of this complex fracture.
Surgery – Clavicle Fracture Repair
Patient taken to surgery for open reduction internal fixation to anatomically reduce/align the fracture and fixate/repair the fracture with a pre-contoured locking plate and screws.
Result
After 6 weeks in sling and dedicated work in physiotherapy over 3-4 months, the patient makes a full recovery and returns to all desired sports without limitation. Displaced clavicle fractures are common injuries in athletes of all age and abilities. Lateral clavicle fractures may involve comminution or fragmentation of the bone and injury to the adjacent coracoclavicular ligaments. Members of the ASES are dedicated to providing the highest level of care both surgical and non-operative to optimize return to function
