Contemporary treatment of clavicle fractures

Abstract

The article synthesizes contemporary approaches to clavicle-fracture management. While nonoperative care remains reasonable for nondisplaced injuries, displaced fractures—especially in active patients—show higher union rates and faster functional recovery with surgery. For mid-shaft fractures, long-term outcomes are broadly comparable between plate fixation and intramedullary nailing, though plates offer superior stability in multifragmentary patterns. Current guidelines discourage hook plates for distal fractures due to pain and impingement risks, favoring alternatives with stronger evidence. Across techniques, the trend is toward biological, minimally invasive osteosynthesis to reduce soft-tissue injury and speed rehabilitation. Implant selection should be individualized, and emerging devices plus adjuncts such as microsurgical bone grafting may further lower nonunion and improve outcomes.