• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.96-98
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• 2012

Fractures of isolated spinous processes of cervical and thoracic vertebrae are called as Clay shoveler's fracture. Such fractures related to sports activities are quite rare. In this report, a case of 27-year-old male with isolated spinous process fracture of C7 during golf swing is reported. The patient was prescribed on muscle relaxant and analgesic therapy. Cervical immobilization was maintained for four weeks with a cervical collar. The patient gradually recovered and was asymptomatic. He started playing golf twice a week after 5 months from the onset of pain.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.138-141
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• 2020

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.