Fractured Clavicle

If you watched Monday Night Football, then you saw Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers leave the game after being hit and landing on his left elbow and shoulder (below).  The force from the ground (ground reaction force) caused Rodgers' clavicle (collarbone) to break.  With this mechanism of injury, the athlete will typically sustain either a clavicular fracture or a sprain of the acromioclavicular (where the clavicle articulates with the scapula) joint.  When Sam Bradford was playing college football at Oklahoma, he sustained two acromioclavicular joint sprains of his left shoulder with a similar mechanism as the one that injured Rodgers.  A fractured clavicle "normally" takes about 4-6 weeks to heal, but it could be faster or slower depending on the athlete and the type of fracture.  The athlete still has to be able to perform all the necessary movements before he or she is required to play.  The good news for Rodgers is that he broke the clavicle of his non-throwing shoulder, but this will still restrict his ability to throw a football while the injury heals.  He will likely miss at least 4 weeks of action, although it could be up to twice as long.