Background: One of the most common complications following surgery for midshaft clavicle fracture is nonunion/delayed union. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is an alternative to promote new bone formation without surgical complications. To date, no literature has reported low-intensity ESWT (LI-ESWT) in delayed union of midshaft clavicle fracture.
Case summary: We reported a 66-year-old Chinese amateur cyclist with clavicle delayed union treated with 10 sessions of LI-ESWT (radial, 0.057 mJ/mm2, 3 Hz, 3000 shocks). No anesthetics were applied, and no side effects occurred. At the 4 mo and 7 mo follow-ups, the patient achieved clinical and radiographical recovery, respectively.
Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings indicated that LI-ESWT could be a good option for treating midshaft clavicular delayed union.
Keywords: Case report; Clavicle fracture; Delayed union; Extracorporeal shock wave therapy; Shockwave therapy.
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