Objective To analyze the clinical effect of clavicular hook plate in treating Neer type Ⅱ fracture of distal clavicle. Methods From March 2004 to April 2006, 15 patients suffering from Neer type Ⅱ fracture of distal clavicle were treated with clavicular hook plate, including 12 males and 3 females with an average age of 39 years (range,17-69 years). All patients had acute injury,including accident injury (8 cases) and falling injury (7 cases). The results were assessed by the JOA method. Results The wounds healed by first intention. No early complications were found. All patients were followed up for an average of 16.4 months(range,9-34 months) .The mean JOA score was 93.1. Themean pain parameter was 28.0, the fuction was 18.8 and the range of motionwas 26.3. The X-ray films showed that bony union was obtained in all patients after 3.6 months, and the mean healing period was 3.9 months.No acromioclavicular subluxation and dislocation occurred. Conclusion The principal advantages of this method are reliable fixation and early rehabilitation. It is necessary to protect rotator cuff and tissues behind acromioclavicular joint and remove the plate as soon as possible after bony union.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of anatomical locking plate internal fixation combined with coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction in treatment of the Neer type Ⅱb distal clavicle fractures by comparing with the simple anatomical locking plate internal fixation.MethodsThe clinical data of 40 patients with Neer type Ⅱb distal clavicle fractures who met the criteria between February 2013 and January 2017 were analyzed. Eighteen cases were treated with anatomical locking plate internal fixation and coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction by using a suture anchor (reconstruction group), and 22 cases were treated only with anatomical locking plate internal fixation (non-reconstruction group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, injured side, causes of injury, associated injuries, time from injury to operation between 2 groups (P>0.05). The operation time, medical expense, postoperative coracoclavicular distance, Constant-Murley scores of injured side, and complications were recorded and compared between 2 groups.ResultsAll patients were followed up 12-27 months (mean, 16.3 months). One patient in reconstruction group had superficial wound infection. One patient in non-reconstruction group had pullout of screws from the distal fragment and reduction loss at 1 month postoperatively. The operation time and medical expense in reconstruction group significantly increased when compared with those in non-reconstruction group (P<0.05). All fractures in 2 groups achieved bony union at last follow-up. The rate of coracoclavicular distance increase of injured side in non-reconstruction group was significantly higher than that in reconstruction group (t=2.371, P=0.023). The Constant-Murley scores at 1 month, 3 months after operation, and last follow-up were significantly improved when compared with preoperative values in 2 groups (P<0.05), but no significant difference was observed between 2 groups (P>0.05).ConclusionBoth anatomical locking plate internal fixation with and without coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction can achieve good effectiveness for the Neer type Ⅱb distal clavicle fractures. Therefore, the coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction is not necessary, except for comminuted fractures with the length of lateral fragment less than 1 cm or the patients with poor compliance.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a clavicular hook plate with coracoclavicular ligament augmentation by suture anchor in the treatment of Neer types Ⅱ and Ⅴ distal clavicle fractures.MethodsBetween January 2010 and June 2016, 16 patients with Neer types Ⅱ and Ⅴ distal clavicle fractures were treated with clavicle hook plates and coracoclavicular ligament augmentation by suture anchor. There were 12 males and 4 females with an average age of 45.6 years (range, 14-81 years). The injury mechanism included falling in 10 cases, traffic accident injury in 2 cases, falling from height in 2 cases, and heavy object injury in 2 cases. The Neer classification of clavicle fractures included 2 cases of type Ⅱa, 13 cases of type Ⅱb, and 1 case of type Ⅴ. The injury severity score (ISS) was 6-29, with an average of 11.2. The time from injury to operation was 1-18 days, with an average of 6.4 days. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization stay, fracture healing, and postoperative complications were recorded; the disability of arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) score, the shoulder joint Constant score, and the Oxford shoulder score (OSS) were used to evaluate the shoulder joint at last follow-up.ResultsAll operations were successfully completed. The operation time was 50-100 minutes, with an average of 75.6 minutes; intraoperative blood loss was 30-100 mL, with an average of 52.8 mL; hospitalization stay was 4-47 days, with an average of 13.7 days. All patients were followed up 1.2-7.5 years, with an average of 3.5 years. All clavicle fractures healed, and the healing time was 9.4-13.6 weeks, with an average of 11.9 weeks. No fracture nonunion, fracture displacement, failure of internal fixation, or incision infection, etc. occurred. Fifteen patients took out the hook plate after fracture healing and functional recovery, and 1 case refused to remove the hook plate from the second operation because of no obvious discomfort. At last follow-up, the DASH score was 0-13, with an average of 2.2; the shoulder joint Constant score was 90-100, with an average of 96.8; the OSS score was 12-14, with an average of 12.3.ConclusionClavicular hook plate with coracoclavicular ligament augmentation by suture anchor can help achieve good effectiveness with less postoperative complication in the treatment of Neer types Ⅱ and Ⅴ distal clavicular fractures.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of Endobutton plate coracoclavicular fixation combined with fracture site high-strength suture Nice knot cerclage fixation in the treatment of distal clavicle fracture with coracoclavicular ligament injury. Methods The clinical data of 33 cases of distal clavicular fracture with coracoclavicular ligament injury treated by Endobutton coracoclavicular plate fixation between January 2017 and December 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. According to the fixation methods of fracture site, they were divided into two groups: the high-strength suture Nice knot fixation group (study group, 16 cases) and the transacromial Kirschner wire fixation group (control group, 17 cases). There was no significant difference between the two groups in common data such as age, gender, injury side, cause of injury, Craig type, combined injury, time from injury to operation, and preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score and Constant-Murley score (P>0.05). Postoperative fracture healing and complications were observed, and the increase rate of coracoclavicular space on the affected side was calculated at last follow-up. VAS score was used to evaluate shoulder pain before operation, at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months after operation, and at last follow-up. The shoulder function was evaluated according to Constant-Murley shoulder score before operation, at 1 month, 3 months after operation, and at last follow-up. Results The operations were successfully completed in both groups without severe complications such as vascular nerve injury and coracoid fracture. In the control group, 1 case (5.9%) had slight pin tract infection and 1 case (5.9%) had Kirschner wire displacement; there was no obvious complication in the study group. The patients in both groups were followed up 9-36 months (mean, 22.9 months). The fracture healing time of the study group and the control group were (12.56±0.73) weeks and (13.59±0.87) weeks, respectively, and the difference was significant (t=−3.661, P=0.001). At last follow-up, the increase rates of coracoclavicular space on the affected side of the study group and the control group were 8.88%±1.19% and 8.55%±1.07%, respectively, showing no significant difference (t=0.837, P=0.409). The postoperative VAS score and Constant-Murley score of the two groups significantly improved when compared with those before operation, and the two scores gradually improved with the extension of time after operation (P<0.05). Except that the VAS score at 1 week and 1 month after operation and the Constant-Murley score at 1 month after operation in the study group were significantly better than those in the control group (P<0.05), there was no significant difference between the two groups at other time points after operation (P>0.05). Conclusion For oblique fracture or combined with butterfly fracture in the distal clavicle fracture with coracoclavicular ligament injury, the fracture site high-strength suture Nice knot fixation is a good supplement to the Endobutton plate coracoclavicular fixation. It can stabilize the fracture end, reduce the complications of Kirschner wire fixation, and is more conducive to fracture healing. The effectiveness is satisfactory.
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of Kirschner wire fixation and coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction with suture anchor in the treatment of Cho type ⅡC distal clavicle fractures. Methods The data of 17 patients with Cho type ⅡC distal clavicular fractures, who were treated with Kirschner wire fixation and coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction with suture anchor between June 2019 and June 2021, was retrospectively analyzed. There were 11 males and 6 females with an average age of 38.7 years (range, 19-72 years). The fractures were caused by falling in 12 cases and traffic accident in 5 cases. All patients had fresh closed fractures. The interval from injury to operation was 1-5 days (mean, 2.6 days). The preoperative injury severity score (ISS) was 6-27 (mean, 10.2). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, fracture healing, and postoperative complications were analyzed. The shoulder joint function was evaluated by disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) score and Constant score at last follow-up. Results All operations were completed successfully. The operation time was 20-50 minutes (mean, 31.6 minutes). The intraoperative blood loss was 30-100 mL (mean, 50.6 mL). The hospital stay was 4-9 days (mean, 5.3 days). All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 12-16 months (mean, 13 months). All clavicle fractures healed, and the healing time was 8-15 weeks (mean, 11 weeks). No complications such as fracture displacement or nonunion caused by internal fixation failure occurred. During the follow-up, skin irritation caused by the Kirschner wire withdrawal occurred in 3 cases. The Kirschner wires were removed after fracture healing in 17 patients. At last follow-up, the Constant score of shoulder joint was 90-100 (mean, 98.2). The DASH score was 0-10 (mean, 1.5). ConclusionKirschner wire fixation combined with coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction with suture anchor in the treatment of Cho type ⅡC distal clavicle fractures has less postoperative complications and slight complications. It is convenient to remove the internal fixator. The Kirschner wire does not fix the distal clavicle fracture through the acromion, which has little effect on shoulder joint function and can obtain good effectiveness.