Eur J Orthop Surg Tr
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Eur J Orthop Surg Tr · Dec 2012
Delayed surgical treatment of displaced midshaft clavicle fracture using Herbert cannulated screw with intramedullary bone graft.
There is an increasing trend towards operative treatment for displaced midshaft clavicle fractures. This retrospective study was performed to assess the outcome of delayed fixation of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures and test the null hypothesis that there is no difference in results between early and delayed surgical treatment for displaced midshaft clavicle fractures. Using the hospital database, two groups of patients who were surgically treated using Herbert cannulated screw for displaced midshaft clavicle fractures were identified. ⋯ The delayed group had significantly more problems with prominent, symptomatic screws that required removal (P = 0.002). There were no significant differences in union time and complication rate. Delayed fixation of displaced midshaft fractures using the Herbert cannulated bone screw and bone graft is effective and provides a good functional outcome that only slightly reduced from that recorded for early fixation.