Surgery for a broken collarbone (clavicle fracture fixation) usually means a metal plate and screws along the bone, or sometimes a rod inside it, to hold the broken ends in line while they heal. The operation is usually done under general anesthesia and often as same-day surgery or with one night in the hospital. Bone healing typically takes 6 to 12 weeks, and full function longer. Surgery is often booked within days to 2 weeks of the injury, so preparation time is short.
That short window is worth using. A few hours of setup at home makes the first two weeks of collarbone surgery recovery, when you have one working arm, much easier. Your surgeon’s protocol comes first on anything I say below. If their instructions differ, I’d use theirs.
Key takeaways
- What it does: a plate and screws, or a rod, hold the broken collarbone in line while it heals.
- Healing time: the bone typically takes 6 to 12 weeks to heal. Full function takes longer.
- One arm for a while: most people wear a sling for about 2 to 6 weeks. Driving usually waits about 4 to 6 weeks, until you are out of the sling and your surgeon clears you.
- Set up before: front-opening clothes, a propped-up sleeping position and items moved to waist height help most in the first 2 weeks.
- Surgeon first: your surgeon’s protocol comes first on sling time, movement and lifting.
What the operation does
The collarbone (clavicle) runs from the base of your neck to the top of your shoulder. It acts as a strut that holds the shoulder out to the side. When a broken collarbone has its ends shortened, overlapping or far apart, a surgeon may recommend repairing it.
Through a cut along or just below the bone, the surgeon lines up the pieces and secures them, most often with a plate on the top or front of the bone. The plate does not speed healing. It holds the bone steady so you can usually start gentle movement earlier and with less risk of the bone healing out of line. The plate is usually left in place. Some people later have it removed if it bothers them, typically not before about a year.
What to set up at home
- Clothing: loose, front-opening tops with buttons or zippers, a size larger than usual. Slip-on shoes. Elastic-waist pants. Bras that fasten at the front, or a soft sports top that steps in from below.
- Sleeping position: most people sleep better propped up for the first 1 to 3 weeks. I’d set up a stack of pillows or a reclining chair before the day of surgery, with a pillow ready to support the forearm.
- Kitchen and bathroom: move the cups, plates, food and toiletries you use daily to between waist and chest height. Pump bottles are easier than screw caps. A long-handled sponge helps with washing.
- Driving and help: you will not be able to drive yourself home, and driving usually waits about 4 to 6 weeks, until you are out of the sling and your surgeon clears you. Arrange rides to follow-up appointments and help with shopping, laundry and lifting children or pets.
- Work: many desk workers return within 1 to 2 weeks. Manual work usually takes 3 months or more. I suggest you speak with your employer now.
Two hours of setup now saves two weeks of struggling with one arm.
What to practice before surgery
- The sling: put it on and take it off with the injured arm resting, if your team has given you one already. Ask someone to watch the first time so the strap does not press on the break.
- One-handed tasks: practice dressing, washing your hair, brushing your teeth and eating with the other hand, especially if the injured side is your dominant side.
- Getting out of bed: roll to the uninjured side, drop your legs over the edge and push up with the good arm.
- Gentle hand and elbow movement: opening and closing the hand and bending the elbow while the arm stays supported, if your surgeon allows it.
Questions to ask your surgeon
- Will you use a plate on top, a plate on the front, or a rod?
- How long will I wear the sling, and can I take it off to wash and dress?
- Which movements am I allowed in the first 6 weeks, and how high can I lift my arm?
- How much can I lift, and when does that change?
- When is the first X-ray to check healing?
- When can I drive, return to work and return to my sport?
- Which of my usual medicines should I stop or continue before surgery?
- Will physical therapy be part of my recovery, and when does it start?
The first 48 hours
You will wake with the arm in a sling and a dressing over the wound. Pain is usually highest in the first 2 to 3 days and is managed with the medication your team prescribes. My advice is to take it on schedule at first rather than waiting for pain to build. A nerve block, if used, can leave the arm numb for several hours. Start your pain medication before it wears off.
Bruising and swelling around the collarbone and upper chest are common. Many people sleep propped up from the first night. Keep the dressing dry and in place until your team tells you otherwise. Moving the fingers, wrist and elbow gently, if allowed, helps limit swelling.
Call your surgeon or emergency number if
- Sudden breathlessness or chest pain: call your local emergency number. This is rare but needs urgent care.
- One calf swollen, hot or painful: call your surgeon’s team or a doctor the same day.
- Fever: a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or the temperature your surgeon gives you, or shivering and feeling unwell.
- Wound changes: spreading redness, increasing heat, discharge, a bad smell or the wound opening.
- Hand color or feeling: the hand turns pale, cold or blue, or numbness and weakness spread down the arm after any nerve block has worn off.
- Pain out of control: pain that is not controlled by the medication you were given.
Related guides: Preparing for AC Joint Reconstruction and Preparing for Surgery on a Broken Upper Arm.
More on this area: surgery recovery guides.
Prepare the house for one arm and the recovery starts on easier ground.
Written and reviewed by Louise Yow, Neck & Shoulder Physio. More about me. These pages explain; they don’t examine you, and your doctor’s or surgeon’s plan comes first.