BRISBANE Lions midfielder Allen Christensen will miss the remainder of the season after suffering another shoulder setback. 

Christensen played his first game for 2017 in the NEAFL at the weekend after recovering from a second fractured collarbone in the past 12 months.

However, after racking up 24 disposals and 10 tackles, he pulled up sore and was sent for scans. 

The scans revealed the bone was intact, but a crack had developed in the surgical steel plate that had been implanted to strengthen the collarbone. 

Christensen and club medical staff are consulting with specialists to map out the next steps. 

Immediate surgery has been ruled out given the large amount of work done on the area since its first break in round 11 last season. 

"Allen has worked really hard to get back into excellent shape not once, but twice, over the past 12 months, and we are all incredibly disappointed for him," Lions football general manager David Noble said. 

"This is a very unusual problem, certainly one that we have never seen before, and we are frustrated that it’s happened, so we will seek some clarity around how it could occur.

"Our overriding concern is for Allen’s wellbeing, and we all agree it's best to take a conservative approach to ensuring he gets back to full fitness." 

Christensen, 25, has played 98 AFL games since making his debut for Geelong in 2011, and was named in the Lions leadership group for the first time during the pre-season.