Nonunion of the Clavicle Among Children: A Review of the Literature and a Report of Three New Cases

Abstract

Nonunion of the clavicle among children and adolescents is rare. A systematic review was conducted to identify published reports of nonunion of the clavicle among children after conservative treatment. A retrospective study was performed of 2096 children who were treated for clavicle fractures at our institution to identify cases of nonunion. Fourteen studies (27 children) from the literature met the inclusion criteria, and 3 new cases from our institution were identified. The mean age at injury was 11 years. Male sex, age younger than 12 years at the time of injury, and refracture of the clavicle are possible predisposing factors for nonunion. [ Orthopedics . 2022;45(4):e190–e195.]