Extruded Epiphysis of the Distal Clavicle Resulting in Painful Nonunion: A Case Report

Case: A 17-year-old adolescent boy sustained right lateral clavicle physeal separation with the epiphysis displaced superiorly in the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ). The ossified epiphysis formed a painful nonunion with the clavicular metaphysis. Resection of the epiphysis has achieved an excellent outcome. Conclusion: Children and adolescents with lateral clavicle injuries often develop pseudodislocation of the ACJ in which the metaphysis is displaced due to physeal separation. By contrast, displacement of the unossified epiphysis is extremely difficult to diagnose both radiographically and clinically at the time of injury.