title: Open clavicle fractures: patterns of trauma and associated injuries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the demographic distribution, mechanism of injury, and associated injuries of patients sustaining open clavicle fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level I trauma center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trauma registry data from all patients who required admission to the hospital from October 1995 through January 2010, specifically patients with open clavicle fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patterns of open clavicle fractures and their association with severe, nonorthopaedic injuries (head, thoracic, and great vessel).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-three patients with open clavicle fractures were identified, and they were organized by mechanism of injury: 21 sustained blunt injuries, 26 penetrating injuries, and six not specified. No difference between blunt and penetrating injuries existed with respect to age, Injury Severity Score, inpatient days, or mortality rates. Blunt injuries were more likely associated with head injuries (52%) versus penetrating injuries (22%), but penetrating injuries were more likely associated with a great vessel injury (27% vs 7%, respectively), all statistically significant (P = 0.0487).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Open clavicle fractures are rare injuries. Patients often have associated head, thoracic, and great vessel injuries. Penetrating injuries have higher rates of great vessel injuries and that blunt force injuries have higher rates of head injuries.
authors: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8870, USA. hgotts@parknet.pmh.org
authors: Hilton P
authors: HP
authors: Gottschalk
authors: Guillaume
authors: G
authors: Dumont
authors: Sadia
authors: S
authors: Khanani
authors: Richard H
authors: RH
authors: Browne
authors: Adam J
authors: AJ
authors: Starr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002968:Clavicle / Q000293:injuries*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000401:mortality*; D011177:Postal Service; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology