Fractured collarbone/clavicle (children)

• Your child has a fractured collarbone.
• This type of injury almost always heals well without any loss of function.
• A routine follow-up is not necessary for this type of injury.
• You can remove the sling as soon as your child’s pain allows you to do this. During the night you do not have to wear the sling. Use the sling for max. 4 weeks
• To prevent the shoulder from getting stiff, it is important that your child starts moving the shoulder and arm as soon as possible. Only use the shoulder when the pain allows this.
• You can find instructions on how to reapply the sling in our Virtual Fracture Care app in the App store (iPhone) or Google Store (Android).
• If you have any questions, or are experiencing problems with your recovery, you can call the 'Breuklijn' (fracture hotline) on workdays between 10.00-12.00.

A fractured collarbone is a common injury in children. The fracture is treated with a sling. If your child is young and won’t wear the sling, this is not a problem. Collarbone fractures almost always heal without any problems or complications.

Follow these instructions for a good recovery.

• Wear the sling. The sling keeps your child’s arm in a comfortable position for a few weeks.
• You can remove the sling as soon as your child’s pain allows you to do this. During the night you do not have to wear the sling. Use the sling for max. 4 weeks.
• To prevent a stiff shoulder it is important that your child starts moving his/her shoulder as soon as possible. Only use the shoulder when your child’s pain allows to do this. No specific exercises are necessary.
• Activities such as sports can be done after 4 weeks when your child’s pain allows to do this. It is no problem to wait longer with these activities.
• Instructions on how to reapply the sling can be found in this video.
• Is your child in pain? Use a mild pain killer such as acetaminophen. Do not wait with the use of acetaminophen until the pain is too much.

• This type of injury almost always heals well with time and use.
• No specific treatment is required and routine follow-up is not necessary.
• As the bone heals, a bump over the fracture may appear. This is normal, it is the results of bone healing. It may take up to one year for this bump to disappear. If your child is older than ten years, a small bump may persist. This does not affect the function of your child’s shoulder.
• Does the pain increase, or does it not improve? Please contact the 'Breuklijn' (fracture hotline). See also de information below at the bottom of this page.
• Physiotherapy is not necessary. If you are not satisfied with the function of your child’s shoulder after 6 weeks, you can ask for a referral to a physiotherapist from your general practitioner.

Instructions on how to reapply the sling can be found in this video and in our Virtual Fracture Care app.

To prevent a stiff shoulder it is important that your child starts moving the shoulder as soon as possible. Only use the shoulder when the pain allows you to do this. No specific exercises are necessary.

In our Virtual Fracture Care app, you can find more information about your injury. You can also find exercises here to improve your recovery. You can find the app in the Appstore (iPhone) and in the Google Store (Android). You can also scan the QR-code, automatically you will be transferred to the app.

If there are any questions after reading this information, please call the 'Breuklijn' (fracture hotline) on workdays between 10.00-12.00.