Acute subclavian artery occlusion with associated clavicle fracture managed with bypass graft alone

Abstract

Subclavian artery injury is a rare consequence of clavicle fracture. It most often results from penetrating trauma but can result from blunt trauma with adjacent bone fragments causing rupture, pseudoaneurysm, dissection or thrombosis of the artery. If flow through the subclavian artery is compromised there is a risk of ipsilateral upper limb ischaemia. Life-threatening haemorrhage may result in cases of laceration, and cerebral infarction may result from dissection. Vascular injury in association with clavicle fracture is typically regarded as an indication for internal fixation of the fracture. We present a case of subclavian artery thrombosis in association with a comminuted midshaft clavicle fracture causing limb ischaemia managed by carotid to brachial artery bypass without internal fracture fixation. The fracture united at 4 weeks and there was no sustained vascular or neurological impairment at follow-up. We advocate urgent vascular intervention in subclavian artery injury. There is little discussion in the literature regarding non-operative management of clavicle fractures with subclavian artery injury. We suggest that select clavicle fractures with subclavian artery injury can be safely managed non-operatively.

Keywords: orthopaedics; trauma; vascular surgery.

Figure 1

CT with 3D reconstruction in the acute setting showing filling defect in the right SA extending to the axillary artery. SA, subclavian artery.

Figure 2

X-ray of the comminuted right clavicular fracture.