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Rate of return-to-sport varies after plate fixation for displaced midshaft clavicle fractures
Patients with displaced midshaft clavicle fractures have a high rate of return-to-sport after plate fixation; however, the time to return varies greatly, according to results of this study.
“Plate fixation of displaced clavicle fractures in athletes is a safe procedure, resulting in a high satisfaction rating and minimal disability to the upper extremity,” Steven W. Meisterling, MD, and colleagues wrote in the study abstract. “An early return (less than 6 weeks) to sports is possible after this treatment; however, the time to return is highly variable.”
Meisterling and colleagues evaluated a questionnaire that 29 athletes answered 21 months after plate fixation for displaced clavicle fractures. The athletes also completed a QuickDASH questionnaire and had follow-up radiographs to identify union time, malunion, angulation, shortening, displacement or fracture comminution, according to the abstract.
The researchers found all patients were satisfied with their surgery and no patients experienced deep wound infection, plate fracture, refracture, loss of fixation, nonunion or malunion. However, the mean time for return-to-sport was 83 days with a range of 12 days and 227 days. Of the patients in the group, 7 patients returned to sport at fewer than or at 6 weeks and 20 patients returned at fewer than or at 12 weeks.
Disclosure: The authors received financial support from the American Sports Medicine Institute.