Fracture of the clavicle bone is prevalent , up to almost 10 per cent of all fractures
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THE HEALTH | NOVEMBER , 2023
| Column |
BONE TO PICK
IN 1992 , the man who would later be known as King Eric signed for Manchester United . Eric Cantona was a footballing superstar in every sense of the word , not only for his silky skills on the field but also for his style off it .
While many have probably done it before , no one quite did it like him . The “ it ” I am referring to here is the way he decides to don his jersey . King Eric had an iconic style whereby his collar was always up .
Like many others in fashion , this trend seems to go in and out of fashion . So , what does this have to do with orthopaedic surgery , you may ask ? Well , it ’ s got to do with the collar bone , more precisely called the clavicle .
Fracture of the clavicle bone is prevalent , up to almost 10 per cent of all fractures . So , do all clavicle fractures need fixing ?
You could show the same x-ray of a broken collar bone to two orthopaedic surgeons , and they would both make an excellent case to either support or go against surgery .
However , that being said , there are some instances where surgery is an absolute indication . For example , in a fracture , there is a wound over the fracture or when the fracture is displaced upwards ( a collar up pun reference ) and causes a tenting-like effect on the overlying skin .
Some other reasons for surgery include the amount of the fracture displaced or if there are other limb fractures that also need fixing .
Because of these reasons , whether or not a clavicle fracture needs surgical fixation seems to go in and out of trend with new medical research and updates .
One may say that fashion similar to the collar-up style also goes in and out of fashion .
WHEN SURGERY IS REQUIRED
The clavicle joins the breast bone ( sternum ) on the middle part and the shoulder girdle bones ( acromion ) to make up the sternoclavicular and the acromioclavicular joints , respectively .
Apart from clavicle fractures , these joints on either side can also get injured or dislocated .
Dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint is extremely rare . The end of the
Clavicle fracture .
Collar up – what ’ s the latest fashion style ?
Fracture of the clavicle bone is prevalent , up to almost 10 per cent of all fractures
ACJ injury .
Complete tear of coracoclavicular ( CC ) ligament
Complete tear of acromioclavicular ( AC ) ligament
collar bone connecting to the breast bone may be displaced forward or backward after a trauma .
When it goes backwards , there is a risk of injuring structures behind the bone , like the breathing ( trachea ) or the eating tubes ( oesophagus ). Such acute injuries require prompt surgery to reduce them .
On the other end of the bone is the acromioclavicular joint . Allow me to use the collar-up reference once again . The end of the collar bone on this side may be displaced upwards
Dr Jonas Fernandez is an Orthopaedic Surgeon at Putrajaya Hospital . He is also a member of the Malaysian Arthroscopy Society ( MAS ). when injured .
This injury may be a dislocation of the joint itself or a fracture of the end of the bone . In both instances , if the ligamentous structures responsible for holding the bone down in its place is torn , the end of the clavicle / collar bone will point upwards . Thus , the collar up reference .
When this happens , surgery is often required to hold the bone back in its place using plates and screws or by reconstructing the ligaments .
However , that being said , there are some instances where surgery is an absolute indication . For example , in a fracture , there is a wound over the fracture or when the fracture is displaced upwards ( a collar up pun reference ) and causes a tentinglike effect on the overlying skin .”
Apart from acute traumatic injuries to the acromioclavicular joint , this particular joint is also prone to developing arthritis , which may cause a dull , aching pain in the shoulder .
The collar bone is a rather peculiar one , not least because of the many different treatment options available when there is a fracture or a dislocation .
Much like the famous collar-up fashion that goes in and out of style , when the collar bone also displaces upwards after a trauma , different treatment options seem to go in and out of style and keep up with the latest research . – The Health