Sternoclavicular steroid injection for treatment of pain in a patient with Osteitis condensans of the clavicle.

Osteitis condensans of the sternoclavicular joint was first described by Brower et al in 1974. It is a rare benign disorder primarily affecting women of child-bearing age. Persistent pain and swelling in the medial part of the clavicle are the most common presenting symptoms and may represent an inflammatory process in the joint among other proposed etiologies. Radiological findings include sclerosis of the medial part of the clavicle and a normal sternoclavicular joint. Diagnosis is usually confirmed by biopsy. Pain management can be challenging in these patients. Multiple treatments have been described in the past including oral NSAIDS, physical therapy, radiation, surgical resection, and oral corticosteroids but have met with limited success. This case report describes the novel utility of sternoclavicular joint steroid injections in treating a patient with Osteitis condensans of the clavicle after failed medical therapy. Based on our clinical experience, and given the limited clinical success of other reported conservative treatment measures, a sternoclavicular joint injection under fluoroscopic guidance using a local anesthetic-corticosteroid injectate should be considered as a viable treatment option for pain associated with Osteitis condensans of the clavicle.