EARLY RESULTS OF OPEN REDUCTION AND INTERNAL FIXATION FOR CLAVICLE FRACTURES IN CAN THO UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY HOSPITAL

Abstract

Background: Clavicle fracture is one of the most common injuries of the shoulder girdle. Malunion with angulation or shortening following fractures could cause significant functional deficits of the shoulder. Many kinds of treatment, such as conservative treatments (figure-of-eight bandage, arm sling) or surgeries (fixation with an intramedullary nail, a Kirschner wire, or plates and screws), are described to have their pros and cons for clavicle fractures. Recently, surgeons have preferred open reduction internal fixation because it helps restore the clavicle’s anatomy and allows patients to rehabilitate sooner. Objectives: (1) To investigate the demographics, clinical characteristics, and radiographic images of patients having clavicle fractures; (2) To evaluate the early results of open reduction internal fixation in those patients. Materials and method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients having clavicle fractures and undergoing open reduction internal fixation in Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital from December 2021 to November 2022. Results: A total of 70 patients were included in this study, with 53 (75.7%) male and 17 (24.3%) female. The average age was 37 ± 13.5 years old. Traffic accident (98.6%) was the most common reason, followed by falling on the ground. All patients had pain; 81.4% had bruises, 88.6% had clavicle discontinuation, and 71.4% had crepitus. Radiographic images showed transverse fractures, comminuted fractures, and oblique fractures accounting for 62.4%, 22.9%, and 14.3%, respectively, and only 1 case of segmental fracture. The average incision size was 7.00 ± 0.73 cm. There was no surgical wound infection afterward. VAS pain scores significantly improved by 5 points after surgery to 3.31 ± 1.0 (p < 0.001). The average in-hospital stay was 5.93 ± 1.88 days. Most patients (62, 88.5%) felt extremely satisfied after surgical treatment. Conclusions: Early outcomes of open reduction internal fixation for clavicle fractures show significant postoperative pain relief, anatomical reduction achievement, a short in-hospital stay, and patient satisfaction achievement. A long-term follow-up should be considered for further outcome evaluation.