• Jae-Woo Cho, Jong-Keon Oh, Jaewoong Um, and Hoon-Sang Sohn.
• Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
• Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2022 Nov 1; 142 (11): 332733343327-3334.

BackgroundSeverely comminuted olecranon fractures are challenging injuries. Commonly used tension band wiring exerts excessive compressive forces causing olecranon shortening and joint incongruity. This study aimed to introduce the embedded rafting k-wire technique with the bridging technique for intermediate articular fragment fixation in comminuted olecranon fractures and evaluate its clinical and radiological outcomes.Materials And MethodsA total of 34 patients with comminuted olecranon fractures were treated with rafting k-wire fixation combined with a locking plate. Time to union, the number of rafting k-wires in the intermediate articular fragment, quality of joint reduction, and secondary reduction loss were analyzed. Elbow range of motion, Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), and complications were evaluated at the final follow-up.ResultsFracture union was obtained in all patients. The mean number of intermediate articular fragments was 2.4 ± 0.7, and the average number of rafting k-wires was 3.0 ± 1.2. There were mild and moderate degree early posttraumatic osteoarthritis in 6 cases (17.6%) at the mean 20.8 months of follow-up. At the final follow-up, the mean range of elbow motion was 4.6° of flexion contracture and 133.5° of further flexion. The average MEPS was 97.1 (range, 75-100). Two patients had heterotrophic ossification without functional impairment.ConclusionThe embedded rafting k-wire technique with bridging plates in comminuted olecranon fractures exhibited satisfactory outcomes. This method might serve as an alternative when considering the ability to restore articular congruency and stability in severely comminuted olecranon fragments.Level Of EvidenceLevel IV, therapeutic.© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

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