RESUMO
Purpose@#Various problems have been reported with tension-band wire (TBW) fixation. With the devel-opment of anatomical plates and the improvement of fixation forces, plate fixation is currently being performed for non-comminuted, displaced, transverse olecranon fractures (Mayo Type 2A). This study compared the usefulness of the above two procedures applied in non-comminuted, displaced, transverse olecranon fractures. @*Materials and Methods@#Fifty-three patients with Mayo Type 2A were studied retrospectively. Twenty-nine patients underwent TBW fixation, while the other 24 underwent plate fixation. The averageoutpatient follow-up period was 10 months for both groups. Both groups were analyzed radiologically and clinically. The radiological assessment included the time to bone union, joint stability, and presence of traumatic osteoarthritis at the final follow-up. The clinical assessment included the operation time,range of motion of the elbow joint, Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score, and the presence of postoperative complications. @*Results@#Both groups showed stable elbow joints, proper union of fractures, and no traumatic osteo-arthritis at the final follow-up. The range of motion for the TBW fixation group was 142° (range, 3°-145°), while that of the plate fixation group was 135° (range, 4°-139°) at the final follow-up (p=0.219). The MEPS was 98.2 and 97.7 for the TBW fixation and plate fixation groups, respectively (p=0.675). The DASH score was 10.7 and 13.9 for the TBW fixation and plate fixation groups, respectively. Both groups showed excellent results, and the differences were not statistically significant (p=0.289). @*Conclusion@#TBW fixation and plate fixation were compared in non-comminuted, displaced, transverse olecranon fractures, and good results were obtained without significant differences between the two groups. Hence, surgeons should choose a technique they are more confident with and can be applied more efficiently.