Acta chirurgiae orthopaedicae
et traumatologiae Čechoslovaca

Acta Chir Orthop Traumatol Cech. 2018; 85(4):245-248 | DOI: 10.55095/achot2018/042

Osteosynthesis of Clavicle Fractures - an Overview of Complications and Causes of FailureOriginal papers

J. MÄRZ^1,*, Z. KLÉZL^2,3

¹ Chirurgicko-traumatologické oddělení, Karlovarská krajská nemocnice, a.s., Karlovy Vary, ČR

² Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, England, UK

³ Ortopedicko-traumatologická klinika 3. lékařské fakulty Univerzity Karlovy a Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady, Praha, ČR

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY:
The study aimed to find out whether the higher rate of complications described in literature in the case of plate and intramedullary osteosynthesis of clavicle fractures is high enough to discredit one of these methods.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:
In the period from July 2007 to March 2016, a total of 151 osteosyntheses of diaphyseal clavicle fractures were performed in 149 patients (106 men, 43 women). The plate as well as intramedullary techniques were used in this group of patients. The follow-up of 12 months was completed in 125 patients (91 men, 34 women). The age of patients ranged from 15 to 74 years. The postoperative rehabilitation with no load applied started immediately by elevating the arm up to 90 ° abduction for 3 weeks, which was followed by full range of motion exercises. The load was set based on the radiological finding. The number of complications, including the failure of osteosynthesis, was assessed.

RESULTS:
Some kind of a whole range of complications (postoperative discomfort, infection, failure of osteosynthesis, non-union) occurred in 37 patients (29.6%), with osteosynthesis failing in six of them (4.8%), always within 6 months after the surgery. No later failure was reported. A statistically significant difference was observed only when comparing the patients discomfort for individual surgical techniques, with poorer results in case of intramedullary osteosynthesis. (p

Keywords: clavicle fractures, surgical treatment, plate osteosynthesis, intramedullary osteosynthesis, osteosynthesis failure, non-union

Published: August 1, 2018  Show citation