Mohammed Tauheed1, Shashi Kumar Yalagach2, Vivek Purushothaman3, Anwar Shareef Kunnath K4
INTRODUCTION
Clavicle fracture is one of the most common fracture presenting to the fracture clinic, accounting for about 5-10% of all the adult trauma reported but still the controversy exists with regards to the definitive management.
AIM
To evaluate the surgical outcome of nonunion clavicle in patients treated previously with surgical management or conservative management, using plate and slivers of autologous iliac crest corticocancellous bone.
DESIGN
Retrospective analysis of patients operated between May 2005 and February 2013 for nonunion of the clavicle.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
Twenty patients who were operated between May 2005 and February 2013 for nonunion of the clavicle at our hospital were recruited for our study and followup data was collected from our hospital records till their last outpatient visit. Inclusion criteria included patients with no evidence of radiological union, persistence of pain, cosmetic deformity, dysfunction or gross movement at the fracture site even after 16 weeks of conservative treatment or in cases of primary fixation failure.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
All Statistical analyses were made using Statistical Package Software for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 software (Chicago, IL, USA) for descriptive data. Chi2 test was used to compare the categorical data.
RESULTS
At the end of an average followup of 19 months, the average Visual Analogue Score for pain was 1.9±2.2 (range 0-6), the mean ASES score was 81±18.5 (51-100), and the mean Constant–Murley score was 80±17 (51-100). All the patients had a stable radiological union at the end of the followup period. There were no complications pertaining to the hardware or infection.
CONCLUSION
Treatment of nonunion of clavicle by using corticocancellous bone is well documented; however, use of iliac corticocancellous bone graft shaped in long slivers will give mechanical stability to the plate reconstruct in addition to providing a scaffold for new bone formation than just pieces of corticocancellous bone graft.
