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Both surgical and nonsurgical treatment of displaced clavicle fractures produced satisfactory results
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Pediatric patients experienced satisfactory results after undergoing either surgical or nonsurgical treatment of displaced clavicle fractures, according to study results.
Researchers reviewed the medical records and radiographs of 149 patients between the ages of 14 years and 17 years treated for 153 clavicle fractures to determine injury mechanism, fracture pattern, treatment and complications. The researchers also assessed injury severity as high, medium or low.
Results showed 15% of clavicle fractures were treated surgically, and fractures treated surgically were found to have greater shortening and were more likely to be comminuted compared with fractures treated nonsurgically.
A. Noelle Larson
Complications, including refracture, implant removal for prominence and nonunion with implant failure, occurred in 21.7% of fractures treated surgically, of which one was associated with intramedullary nailing and four occurred in clavicles treated with plate fixation, according to study results.
No patients who required delayed surgical intervention in the nonsurgical group sustained a refracture or malunion. Seventy-eight displaced fractures were treated by pediatric fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons, resulting in 10.3% of surgeries, and 46 displaced fractures were treated by nonpediatric orthopedic specialists, resulting in 32.6% surgeries, according to the researchers. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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