Cardiac Tamponade presenting to the Emergency Department after Pinning of a Clavicle Fracture

ABSTRACT

Aortic rupture caused by migration of a clavicular pin is a rare complication sometimes seen after clavicular fracture. There are many reviews of the complications of pin migration following surgery on the shoulder girdle. It is uncommon, though, for clavicular pin migration to result in aortic rupture and a subsequent cardiac tamponade. This unusual injury can be presented as acute shock symptoms after the previous pinning operation of a clavicle fracture, and it manifests characteristics that can be detected through computed tomography (CT) and focused by abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST). We report a case in which a patient suffered an aortic rupture induced cardiac tamponade caused by clavicular pin migration following surgery for a clavicular midshaft fracture.