Abstract
Rock Climbing has become increasingly popular recently. It needs repetitive high-torque movements in gaining the ascent of rock faces often in steep overhanging positions, so the upper limb injuries are common and it is the major site of overuse syndrome. Osteolysis of the distal clavicle is very infrequent, its etiology and pathogenesis are poorly understood, but may be related to overuse. We report a case of the osteolysis of distal clavicle in an elite rock climber. The diagnosis was based on no history of shoulder trauma, positive plain radiographs, positive joint scintigraphy and MRI. Using this case, we discuss the possible pathogenic mechanism especially relating to this sport, differential diagnosis and treatment options for the osteolysis of the distal clavicle.
