Collarbones

Collarbones, or clavicles, are some of the most injured and broken bones for kids. We usually see broken clavicles in clinic after a kiddo has fallen awkwardly onto their shoulder or upper chest during sports or on the playground. The good news is that out of all the big bones in the body, the clavicle does an amazing job at healing on its own without braces or casts even when broken and popped out of place. However, a caveat to this is that if you see the bone popping out of the skin, it is going to need to be treated by the orthopedic (bone) surgical team. The braces or wraps sometimes used after a clavicular fracture are more for comfort than healing.

The other time we see clavicle fractures is during or shortly after birth. Some kids who get their shoulder stuck when coming out of the birth canal (shoulder dystocia) will break their clavicles to help get through the vaginal canal. If it is a big enough break, we can sometimes feel it during the first few exams with a baby, but oftentimes, we don’t feel or see it until it is starting to heal and forms a callus over the area that has the fracture. But again, the good news is that with minimal intervention the clavicle will heal wonderfully on its own, although some pediatricians will have parents put the baby’s affected shoulder inside the baby’s shirt/onesie with a wrap to prevent jostling of the shoulder that could be painful.