A 22-year-old man falls directly onto his left shoulder while playing football. X-ray shows a completely displaced fracture of the clavicle. In adults, the most common site of clavicular fracture is:
- A Middle third, at the junction of the outer and middle thirds ✓
- B Lateral third, between the coracoclavicular and acromioclavicular ligaments
- C Medial third, adjacent to the sternoclavicular joint
- D The acromial end, involving the articular surface
Correct answer: A. Middle third, at the junction of the outer and middle thirds
Explanation
About 75 to 80 percent of clavicle fractures occur in the middle third, the region where the bone transitions from a cylindrical to a flattened cross-section and where it lacks muscular and ligamentous attachment. Lateral third fractures account for roughly 10 to 15 percent and medial third fractures are rare, about 5 percent. The thin subcutaneous position and the double-curved shape make the midshaft the weakest point under axial compression transmitted from the shoulder.
Reference: Rockwood and Green's Fractures in Adults, 9th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.