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Shockwave therapy may aid early return to sport
A 14-year-old soccer player achieved fracture consolidation and clearance for unrestricted sports participation at 8 weeks, although the treatment's contribution remains uncertain.
Clinical Scorecard: Adolescent athlete returned to sport after adjunctive shockwave therapy for clavicle fracture
At a Glance
Category
Detail
Condition
Displaced medial clavicle fracture in an adolescent athlete
Key Mechanisms
Focused electrohydraulic extracorporeal shockwave therapy was used as an adjunct to nonoperative fracture management; the case report does not establish its mechanism or efficacy.
Target Population
A 14-year-old female soccer player with a displaced right medial clavicle fracture.
Care Setting
Orthopedic and sports-injury care, described in a single-patient case report.
Key Highlights
Focused electrohydraulic shockwave therapy began on Day 4; 18 sessions were completed by Day 57.
Radiographs showed early callus on Day 15 and fracture consolidation by Day 59.
The patient was cleared for unrestricted sports participation about 8 weeks after treatment began.
At approximately 1 year, she remained asymptomatic without reported functional limitations or reinjury; radiographic healing was not reassessed.
The single-patient design, lack of a comparison group, and potential influence of natural pediatric healing prevent conclusions about treatment efficacy.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Management
Monitoring & Follow-up
Risks
Patient & Prescribing Data
One 14-year-old female soccer player with a displaced right medial clavicle fracture.
Treatment began on Day 4 and comprised 18 sessions through Day 57. Pain reportedly decreased after the first session, and shoulder movement improved by the fifth; the case does not establish that therapy accelerated healing.
Clinical Best Practices
In this case, the patient was advised to discontinue heavy-backpack use after apparent fracture-site separation was seen, despite symptom improvement.
In this case, clearance for unrestricted sport followed radiographic consolidation, mechanical stability, full functional shoulder use, and absence of pain.
The reported recovery timeline was compared with heterogeneous fracture populations and should not be interpreted as evidence that treatment accelerated healing.
