Your child has has broken their collarbone. They have had a thorough examination and are now considered fit to be discharged. The following instructions will aid their recovery.
What is it?
Your child has broken or fractured their clavicle (collarbone), which is the bone which goes across the top of their chest to meet their shoulder. This type of fracture is common in children and occurs after falling over.
What symptoms will my child have?
Your child will experience pain and swelling to this area. After a period of time bruising may develop. They will also not be able to move their arm because of pain.
What is the treatment?
Your GP or the Emergency team will have sent your child for an X-ray which shows the broken bone. This fracture generally requires no specialist treatment and heals well without any problems. Your child’s arm will be placed in a sling for comfort and to reduce pain.
Other things that can help, we would also advise you to:
- Take regular simple pain killers; Paracetamol and/or Ibuprofen can be purchased over the counter in any chemist. Always check the manufacturer’s instructions when using over the counter medication.
- Applying an ice pack for 10–20 minutes every 2 hours can also help. Ensure the ice pack/ bag of frozen peas within a damp towel (to prevent ice burns).
- Positioning when sleeping. Your child may find it more comfortable to sleep sitting upright for a few days after the injury.
What to expect
We would expect the collarbone to be painful for 4–6 weeks.
The shoulder and arm can be moved out of the sling as comfort allows. This will usually be about 2 weeks after the injury but can be sooner if comfortable.
Your child will have a bump over the fracture site. This is quite normal and is produced by healing bone. It may take up to one year to disappear. If your child is older than 10 years a small bump may remain.
Normal activity
Your child may return to sports such as swimming as soon as comfortable, but should avoid contact sports (such as football, rugby, basketball) for 6 weeks.
If you are still experiencing significant symptoms after several months, please phone the Fracture Clinic helpline as listed below
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Should you have any worries or concerns about your injury following your visit to the Emergency Department please contact:
Fracture Clinic on: 07769 234 030
(9 am until 4 pm, Monday–Friday, excluding bank holidays)
or attend the Emergency Department outside these hours.
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