Congenital pseudarthrosis of the clavicle: the role of CT-scanning.

Abstract

Congenital pseudarthrosis of the clavicle is a rare entity. It presents on the right side in 90% of the patients, and bilaterally in up to 10%. The authors report the case of a 4-year-old boy who presented with a painful deformity over his right mid-clavicular area. Plain radiographs were inconclusive, although the opposite is true in most cases. A computed tomography (CT) 3-D reconstruction showed a pseudarthrosis of the clavicle, and excluded a neoplastic, infective or traumatic origin. Treatment involved excision of the pseudarthrosis, internal fixation with a contoured reconstruction locking plate, and bone grafting. The authors prefer operative treatment, but this is not universally accepted.