Adult Skin Problems Slideshow Pictures Gallery of Skin Problems and Image Collection

Medical Author:

Thomas G Costantino, MD

Medical Editor:

Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM

Medical Editor:

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD

Medical Editor:

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

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Broken Collarbone Symptoms

• A broken collarbone most often causes immediate pain in the area of the break.

• Some people report hearing a snapping sound.

• Most people tend to hold their arm close to their body and support it with their other hand. Despite the pain, some people, particularly younger athletes, can have a surprising range of motion of their arms following a broken collarbone.

• The shoulder of the affected side is usually slumped downward and forward due to gravity.

• If the clavicle is gently touched along its length, pain is usually greatest at one point, locating the break. Often a crunching feeling is noted over the break, known as crepitus.

• The skin over the break often bulges outward and can be discolored a reddish-purple, indicating an early bruise.