What is a broken collar bone (clavicle fracture) and its anatomy?
The clavicle is a bone in the upper part of the torso popularly referred to as the “collarbone.” The clavicle is the most commonly broken bone in the body, probably due to its location just beneath the skin and the forces it is subjected to in connecting the arm to the body. A broken collar bone (clavicle fracture) comprises up to 5% of all fractures. Generally, a fall onto the shoulder causes 85% of these fractures. Direct impact and fall on to an outstretched hand comprises the other 15%. Occasionally, the clavicle can break during violent seizures, from chronic stress resulting in “micro-fractures,” or due to tumors or other lesions that weaken the bone. The clavicle is an S-shaped bony strut that connects the arm to the trunk. Interestingly, the clavicle is the first bone to start to ossify in the fifth week of the fetal life and last to conclude the growth through its growth center as late as the age 25. It is a very prominent structure with only skin and “supraclavicular” skin se
