Dislocation of the clavicle: causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Dislocation of the clavicle is a very common injury. The main thing is to be able to distinguish the dislocation of the external and internal end of the bone. Most often, such injuries occur as a result of falling on a detached arm or shoulder. There are cases of dislocation due to compression of the area of the shoulder in the longitudinal direction.

What are clavicles

The clavicle is a hollow hollow bone that forms part of the shoulder girdle. This component first enters the process of ossification during the intrauterine period. It performs many important functions:

1. Supporting. Thanks to the muscles on it, the scapula and upper limbs are attached.
2. Protects the cavity through which vital structures pass.
3. It transfers impulses from the limb to the spine.
4. However, its main task is to ensure the process of free movement of hands. And this is all due to the successful structure of the bone.

Symptoms of dislocation

Dislocation of the clavicle occurs as a result of indirect mechanical damage. Such a trauma can happen during a fall or a blow to the upper body. There are cases when the clavicle turns out on its own.

Doctors subdivide the external and internal dislocation of the clavicle. The main symptoms during an external dislocation are pain when trying to move the arm or shoulder and pain sensations at the junction of the scapula and clavicle. If injured, there may be swelling and deformity. The outer end of the bone protrudes slightly back and up.

Internal dislocation is characterized by severe pain in the area of the collarbone with the sternum. Trauma will be accompanied by painful breathing, swelling of soft tissues and deformation of the forelegs.

Pay attention to the most important sign of dislocation of the clavicle: if you press the protruding end of it, then it can easily be fixed. But after the cessation of the pressure, it will just as easily come to its original place.

In people with large excess weight, the collarbone injury is less noticeable.

How to provide first aid

If you notice signs of dislocation of the clavicle, then try to give the injured patient first aid. For this, take a bandage or a kerchief and hang a limb. A bandage on the shoulder joint and a roller placed in the armpit area will help to gently lead the patient to the hospital ward.

To reduce swelling, apply a cold object to the damaged area. For this purpose, an ice pack or a frozen water bottle is perfect.

Doctors do not recommend taking pain medication before arriving at the hospital. This can lead to an incorrect diagnosis. Of course, in the case of a low pain threshold, an exception can be made.

Specialists strongly do not recommend trying to correct the dislocation itself, as there have been recorded cases of amateur activity that adversely affected the treatment of doctors.

Diagnostics

In advance, find out the address of the emergency room and then go on the road. Of course, you can diagnose the injury only due to external signs, such as pain, swelling and bone deformation. But the doctor also needs to do an x-ray and conduct a palpation to pinpoint the damaged area. In difficult situations, computer tomography can be prescribed.

Dislocation of clavicle: treatment

This pathology can be cured by both conservative and operational methods. To fix the clavicle itself is a very simple and quick task. It is much more difficult to hold and fix it in the correct position.

Elastic bandages

The most common and simple way to solve the problem is a bandage to the shoulder joint. Before it is applied, the damaged area is treated with an anesthetic drug - Procain - and the bone is inserted. The dressing is superimposed in this way:

1) Wrap the breast with a bandage two times.

2) Then the bandage should be moved diagonally across the chest, passing through the armpit area from the intact arm to the damaged one.

3) Now the bandage should be lowered to the elbow fold, moving along the back surface of the shoulder.

4) Bend the elbow and work with a bandage on the forearm of the injured arm. Move to the armpit of a healthy limb.

5) Move the bandage diagonally in the back area. Begin with a healthy arm and go to the area of the forearm damaged.

6) Now go around the shoulder strap and get a bandage under your elbow.

The last three steps are done several times to fix the hand as carefully as possible. Do not try to fix the dislocation yourself. Only an experienced doctor will be able to cope well with this task.

Inelastic bandages

Adjusting the shoulder dislocation is also not the most difficult task. A plaster cast will come to the aid, which will perfectly fix the hand. Can be used without surgery. The type and term of wearing a bandage of any type is determined by a specialist. Itself in any case is not allowed to remove it. The average period of wearing is one to two months. It is not necessary to be in a hospital at all.

Surgical treatment

Dislocation of the clavicle (the operation is done only as a last resort) is most often treated by conservative methods. Modern development of medicine allows using various methods of invasive therapy. Screws, buttons, knitting needles and other devices can be used to fix the clavicle.

Dislocation of the clavicle, accompanied by surgical treatment, can be cured due to metal needles. This is one of the most inexpensive types of surgery. But this option is not the most effective, since the acromial process and the connecting ligaments do not coalesce. In this case, a repeated operation is very often required.

The direction of shoulder dislocation and its subsequent fixation are carried out with the help of screws. In this case, the risk of re-operation is maximally reduced. However, an excessively reliable attachment can limit movements of the arm and shoulder girdle.

The most gentle method of fixation, including the effect of the spokes and screws, is the fastening with buttons. Thanks to this method, the patient's postoperative state is excellent. However sewing buttons can leave a trace.

To date, the most effective method of surgical treatment is plastic ligaments. The essence of the operation is to create synthetic ligaments, which replace damaged structures.

Before carrying out the operation, the doctor performs a closed correction of the dislocation, and during the operation intervention, the clavicle is mechanically attached. After this procedure, impose a plaster or tire, which is not removed within a month. Do not expect that after the full term, the injured limb will immediately recover completely. This will happen only after one and a half to two months.

At the end of this period, it is necessary to conduct a repeated diagnosis, that is, to make a tomography and an X-ray. Only after the passage of such procedures is appointed a rehabilitation package of measures.

On reception at the doctor necessarily learn all details of your tram. After all, every case is individual. Terms of wearing dressings and rehabilitation period may be delayed, or, conversely, will pass faster. There are complications. So find out in advance what you can expect.

Rehabilitation

Find out the address of the emergency room closest to you and go for treatment. For speedy rehabilitation there is a special set of procedures. This includes massage, exercises and manual therapy. Such measures are appointed only by a specialist, based on the type of dislocation.

In no case delay treatment, as in a few weeks after getting the injury, the dislocation will be considered chronic and it will be much harder to treat it. Too late treatment entails surgery. Older dislocations can not be treated conservatively. In this case, the predictions for the operation can not be positive even when using the latest techniques and expensive drugs.