title: Return to sport following clavicle fractures: a systematic review.
abstract: This review aims to provide information on the return rates and return times to sport following clavicle fractures.
  
  
  
  A systematic search of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHAL, Cochrane, Web of Science, PEDro, SPORTDiscus, Scopus and Google Scholar was performed using the keywords 'clavicle', 'clavicular', 'fractures', 'athletes', 'sports', 'non-operative', 'conservative', 'operative', 'return to sport'.
  
  
  
  Twenty-three studies were included: 10 reported on mid-shaft fractures, 14 on lateral fractures. The management principles for athletic patients were to attempt non-operative management for undisplaced fractures to undertake operative intervention for displaced lateral fractures and to recommend operative intervention for displaced mid-shaft fractures.
  
  
  
  The optimal surgical modality for mid-shaft and lateral clavicle fractures.
  
  
  
  Operative management of displaced mid-shaft fractures offers improved return rates and times to sport compared to non-operative management. Suture fixation and non-acromio-clavicular joint (ACJ)-spanning plate fixation of displaced lateral fractures show promising results.
  
  
  
  Future prospective studies should aim to establish the optimal treatment modalities for clavicle fractures.
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Orthopaedic Trauma Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK. greg_robertson@live.co.uk.
authors.forename: G A J
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Orthopaedic Trauma Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy; D001860:Bone Plates; D002968:Clavicle / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D000072700:Conservative Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011184:Postoperative Period; D000068958:Return to Sport / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: clavicle; fracture; rate; return; sport; time