[Clavicle Fractures: Diagnosis and Choice of the Appropriate Therapeutic Procedure].

Abstract

Clavicle fractures are one of the most common injuries of the shoulder girdle. In addition to the targeted clinical examination, the appropriate imaging must be initiated to formulate the correct diagnosis and subsequently apply an appropriate therapeutic method. Indirect force impact in recreational and sports accidents, such as falling on the outstretched or adducted arm, is the most common accident mechanism. The prevalence shows a bipartite clustering. On the one hand, there are young male patients and, on the other hand, female patients from the age of 65. Thus, a heterogeneous patient population with different complication profiles and different functional demands presents itself.The demand for a stable and, as far as possible, anatomical restoration after clavicle fracture results from its function as the sole connection between the shoulder joint and the sternum. Conservative therapy was the standard procedure for a long time, but due to further development of surgical therapy is now frequently used. Pediatric clavicle fracture remains the domain of conservative therapy. Early functional exercise of the shoulder girdle is essential for outcome in both surgical and conservative therapy.