Collarbone Fracture Surgery Recovery
Clavicle Fracture ORIF
What the operation does
The broken collarbone is realigned and held with a metal plate and screws along its upper or front surface, or occasionally with a rod passed down the inside of the bone. Fixing it restores the length and shape of the bone so the shoulder sits where it should while the fracture heals.
Why most clavicle fractures are not operated on
Worth knowing, because it explains why yours was. The great majority heal well in a sling without surgery, bump and all. Surgery is generally chosen where the bone is badly displaced or shortened, where it is broken into several pieces, where the skin is threatened by a sharp end, or where an early return to overhead work or sport matters. Fixing it reduces the chance of the bone failing to unite and shortens the time in a sling.
The plate you will feel
Almost everyone does. There is very little tissue between the collarbone and the skin, so the plate sits just underneath — you can usually feel its outline, and it commonly catches on a seatbelt, a rucksack strap or a bra strap. It is the most frequently removed hardware in the body. Removal is a smaller day-case operation, generally not before a year, and is a planned option rather than a complication.
Numbness below the scar
Small nerves cross the collarbone on their way to the skin of the upper chest, and they are unavoidably cut. A patch of numbness below the incision is very common, often larger than the scar itself. It usually shrinks over months and frequently leaves a permanent area. Most people notice it only when shaving or showering.
Motion starts early
Because the plate is holding the bone, there is no need to protect it with prolonged immobilisation. A sling is usual for comfort for a couple of weeks, and gentle shoulder movement generally starts within days. Stiffness from over-resting is the commonest self-inflicted problem after this operation.
What you protect against early
Lifting the arm above shoulder height against resistance, carrying weight on that side, pushing up out of a chair with the arm, and leaning on it. Those load the fracture through the shoulder. Using the hand at waist height, and the elbow, is encouraged from the start.
Sleeping
Awkward for the first few weeks, and many people sleep propped up rather than flat. Lying on that side is uncomfortable for a while, and it is usually a good marker of progress when it becomes possible again.
Whether the bone heals
Union rates are high with fixation, considerably higher than for badly displaced fractures treated without surgery. Failure to heal is uncommon and more likely in smokers and in people with diabetes. Not smoking through the healing period is the clearest thing within your control.
The bump and the scar
Fixing the bone generally restores its shape, so the prominent bump seen in fractures treated without surgery is usually avoided — though the plate itself creates a modest ridge. The scar runs along the collarbone and is visible in open-necked clothing. It fades over a year or so.
When the bone is healed
Judged on X-rays rather than on comfort, usually at around six to twelve weeks. The collarbone often feels reliable well before the X-ray agrees, which is why contact sport and heavy lifting wait for confirmation rather than for how it feels.
Returning to sport
Non-contact activity such as running, cycling on a stationary bike and lower body training commonly returns within four to six weeks. Contact and collision sport, and anything involving falling onto that shoulder, usually waits until around three to four months and until healing is confirmed.
Driving and work
Driving generally waits until you are out of the sling and can control the wheel with both hands comfortably — commonly around two to four weeks. Desk-based work is often possible within one to two weeks. Work involving lifting or overhead reaching commonly waits six to twelve weeks.
Nerve and lung structures nearby
Important structures run just beneath the collarbone, and they are respected during surgery rather than routinely at risk. Numbness or weakness in the arm, or breathlessness after surgery, are uncommon and worth reporting promptly rather than waiting.
How the first months usually unfold
Two weeks in a sling for comfort with gentle movement started. Two to six weeks brings full shoulder movement back. Six to twelve weeks brings strengthening and, usually, confirmation on X-ray that the bone has healed. Three to six months brings full loading and contact sport. Most people consider themselves recovered by around six months, with the plate the main remaining talking point.
Staying in touch with your care team
The fracture pattern and how it heals shape this recovery, and your surgeon is following it on X-ray. If something about your recovery is worrying you or does not match what is described here — particularly a wound that is not settling over the plate — contact your care team rather than waiting.
Exercises for Collarbone Fracture Surgery
An illustrated, phase-by-phase exercise program for this procedure. View the Collarbone Fracture Surgery exercise program.
Recovery education · Condition guides · Exercise programs
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This guide is general education and doesn't replace evaluation by a licensed provider. Recovery and treatment vary by person — follow the guidance of your own surgeon or care team.