Shoulder Fracture

Collarbone or Clavicle fractures

The clavicle(more commonly known as the collarbone) is the bone found either side of the breastbone (sternum). It connects the chest to the shoulders and acts as a supportive strut. It overlies a number of important blood vessels and nerves. A fractureis another word for saying the bone has broken. The clavicleis the most commonly fractured bone in the body.

​If the broken ends are lined up then they can heal without surgery, if not then plates and screws can be used to hold the bones in their normal position to allow for healing.

Shoulder or Proximal Humerus fractures

A fracture in the upper part of the arm (proximal humerus fracture) occurs as a result of a fall or trauma to the shoulder. Most of these are treated non-operatively but an X-ray and CT scan may be needed for diagnosis of this. If the fracture (break in the bone) has caused the bone to be in fragments (small pieces), or the bone ends are severely displaced then an operation to fix the fragments or a joint replacement may be suggested.

Surrey Orthopaedic Clinic Shoulder & Elbow Fracture Specialists: