Surgical outcome of displaced middle third clavicular fractures treated with locking compression plate

Abstract

Conservative management of middle third clavicle fracture has been recently reported with suboptimal outcomes. Despite higher nonunion rates in initial open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), understanding the problem better and taking in accounts of previous shortcomings, such fractures can be optimally treated by ORIF with locking compression plate (LCP). This study aims at investigating the outcome of middle third clavicle fracture treated with locking compression plating in terms of function using constant score union time, complications, and patient satisfaction. Study includes 98 patients with displaced middle third clavicle fracture treated with ORIF with locking compression plate, which had follow-up for at least 1 year. The mean age was 44 years (15-59), 56 were male patients and 42 were female. Right side was involved in 53.9% of cases. All the fractures united with mean time to union of 9.2 weeks except two, in which the procedure was redone with bone grafting to achieve union. The average constant score was 89. Our study shows that displaced midshaft clavicle fracture can be optimally treated with surgical fixation with the locking compression plate to reduce malunion, unsightly deformity and nonunions. We conclude that precontoured LCP as a reliable option for fixing midshaft clavicle fractures.

Keywords

• Clavicle fracture
• constant score
• locking compression plate