Functional Outcomes of Compression Plating and Bone Grafting for Operative Treatment of Nonunions About the Forearm.

Abstract

To describe one center's experience with nonunion of one or both bones of the forearm and report on the functional recovery of patients treated for a single- or 2-bone forearm nonunion. We performed a retrospective analysis of 23 patients who presented to our institution over an 11-year period and underwent surgical repair of a forearm nonunion (radius, ulna, or both bones). The main outcome measurements included time to union, visual analog scale pain scores, range of motion, Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment scores, and postoperative complications. Of the 23 patients, 21 (91.3%) healed their nonunion after a single surgical procedure. All patients ultimately healed their nonunion; 7 patients were healed at 3-month follow-up, 11 healed at 6-month follow-up, and 5 healed at 12-month follow-up. Mean visual analog scale pain scores improved considerably from presentation to latest follow-up. The mean range of motion at the latest follow-up was as follows: elbow 130.9° flexion-extension arc, forearm 78.5° pronation/77.8° supination, and wrist 76.1° palmar flexion/74.3° dorsiflexion. Mean Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment arm and hand index scores improved significantly from baseline to the latest follow-up. Mean Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment function, activity, and bothersome indices demonstrated improvement, though this was not statistically significant. Two patients required further surgery to achieve osseous union. One patient sustained an iatrogenic posterior interosseous nerve palsy, which resolved spontaneously. Repair of forearm nonunion with compression plating and bone grafting provides reliable clinical and functional outcomes. Patients treated surgically for nonunion of one or both of the forearm bones can expect to heal with the potential for considerable improvements in pain and function postoperatively. Therapeutic IV.