Bench pressing is the most common trigger for a lifter's dissolving collarbone

No collision, no fall, and yet the outer end of the collarbone hurts. Pooling 483 patients, this scoping review found the most common activity-based risk factor was bench pressing — 49.1% of cases. General or unspecified weight training followed at 24.4%.

What is atraumatic distal clavicular osteolysis?

It is the gradual resorption of bone at the outer end of the clavicle, where it meets the shoulder at the acromioclavicular joint, occurring without any traumatic event. It builds from repeated loading rather than one incident. The review followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines across four databases and included eight cohort studies, mapping risk factors, clinical and radiographic features, and indications for surgery.

Why the bench press specifically?

The review points at frequency and intensity of loading rather than the exercise itself. The bench press topping the list is best read as a combination: it places repeated compressive load on the acromioclavicular joint while also being the lift most people perform most often and most heavily.

How does it present?

The most common symptom was pain at the distal clavicle or acromioclavicular joint, reported by 69.9% of patients. MRI showed marrow oedema and subchondral fracture of the distal clavicle. The most consequential line in the conclusions, though, is this: clinical signs and symptoms were not distinguishable from other shoulder pathologies. A rotator cuff problem or an AC joint sprain can look the same from the outside.

What does recovery look like?

Most patients recovered with conservative care. Sixteen percent required surgery after conservative care failed, and surgical referral produced largely favourable outcomes following resection. The authors suggest primary contact clinicians may benefit from considering a patient's sporting and loading patterns when assessing AC joint pain.

Why your log is the useful clue

If the flagged risk factors are frequency and intensity of loading, both already live in a training log. Knowing how often and how heavily you benched lets you line that history up against when the pain started, and gives you something concrete to bring to an appointment. The bench press is also one third of the Big 3 behind your Muscle Index, so losing it slows the score's recovery too. For other lifter-specific pain patterns, see pain on the pinky side of the wrist and the snapping sensation on the outside of the elbow.