[Fractures of the lateral clavicle]

Fractures of the lateral clavicle end account for 12-15 percent of all clavicle fractures. In contrast to the clear treatment of midshaft fractures the therapy of the distal third is still open to controversy. The high non-union rate up to 40 percent that occurs with the lateral end fractures shows the special biomechanical mechanisms. The role of the coracoclavicular ligaments is comparable to the acromioclavicular joint disruption. To make a clear decision about the therapy we need a treatment based classification such as the one by Jäger and Breitner, which distinguishes four different fracture types. The treatment options reach from conservative therapy up to numerous different operative techniques. The aim of this article is to demonstrate a simple and save way for the diagnosis and therapy of that special kind of fracture.