Commonly referred to as the collarbone, it connects your sternum or breastbone to your shoulder. Doctors use the terms fracture and broken bone to mean the same thing. Even if doctors use different terms to describe this condition, if you are told you have a fracture, it means you have a broken bone. The most common cause of clavicle fractures is some kind of trauma. This can involve falling down, being hit on the shoulder, or being in an automobile accident.
Some people can break their clavicle without any trauma.
Newborns Occasionally during delivery of an otherwise healthy baby, the forces involved in trying to deliver the baby from the mother can break the collarbone. This is the most common bone broken during delivery. This is usually detected in the hospital, and the baby recovers well. Even more rarely, a physician may have to break the infant s collarbone in order to deliver the baby safely. This only occurs when a process known as shoulder dystocia develops.