Dear Dr. Millett,  My son sustained a fracture of the left
clavicle, middle third of the bone. The x-ray shows a distinct
break. How long would a break like this take to heal? He is
currently in a figure eight brace awaiting a doctor’s
appointment.    Dear Russell,  Clavicle fractures can be managed
in several different ways depending on the severity. I
surgically fix many of the more significantly displaced ones to
allow patients to get a faster recovery and to improve the
functional outcome. Your son may be a candidate for this type of
minimally-invasive surgery for this particular problem. We use
both plates and screws and specially-designed pins that hold the
bone fragments in place while they heal. However, as you can
imagine, there can be many different factors to consider for
shoulder injuries such as your son’s. I would want to look at
the surrounding ligaments and tissue to see if further damage or
injury has occurred. Furthermore, as you might expect, there can
be several treatment options and risks