Clinical Pain 2020;19(2):138-141

doi:10.35827/cp.2020.19.2.138

A Case Report of Golf-Swing-Induced T2∼T3 Clay-Shoveler’s Fractures

Jae Sam SEO 1 ; Young Sook PARK ; Hyun Jung CHANG ; Jin Gee PARK ; Eun Sol CHO ; Kyo Hoon KU

Affiliations

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Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Clay-shoveler’s fractures are rare stress-type avulsion fractures of the spinous processes especially in sports. There have been two case reports that discussed clay-shoveler’s fractures in golf. A 36-year-old beginner golfer presented with a pain in the back after practicing golf swing. No fractures were detected using cervical radiography; however, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed T2∼T3 spinous process fractures. The patient was treated conservatively and his pain subsided. The mechanism of injury is speculated to that of clay-shoveler’s fractures. Therefore, if a golfer suffers persistent pain in the cervicothoracic region, clay-shoveler’s fracture is one possibility to consider.