Precontoured Clavicular Locking Plate with Broad Lateral End: A Newly Designed Plate for Lateral Third Clavicle Fractures

ABSTRACT

@#Introduction: Various treatment modalities are available butno consensus has been reached for optimal treatment oflateral third clavicle fractures. Precontoured locking plateswith broad lateral end for multiple screws fixation is a newlydesigned plate for lateral third clavicle fractures. Theobjective of our study was to analyse the functionaloutcomes as well as complications of this technique in asignificant number of cases with long follow-up duration.Materials and Methods: Forty-six patients with distal thirdclavicle fractures were treated by precontoured clavicularlocking plate with broad lateral end. Functional outcomeswere assessed on the basis of Constant-Murley ShoulderOutcome Score and University of California, Los Angeles(UCLA) Shoulder Rating Score, active shoulder range ofmotion, time for fracture union and coraco-claviculardistance.Results: The mean Constant-Murley score was 92.56±4.47(range 79-98) for injured side and 96.22±2.23 (range 90-100) for normal side with p-Value 0.56. Mean coracoclaviculardistance at final follow-up was 10.52±1.13 mm(range 9.7 to 11.7 mm) in injured side and 10.25±0.98 mm(range 9.6 to 11.2 mm) in normal side. Mean UCLAShoulder Rating Score was 32.55±2.12 (range 27-34) forinjured side and 33.46±1.88 (range 31- 35) on normal sidewith p value 0.58. No major complications that necessitatedrevision of surgery occurred in our study.Conclusion: This newly designed plate seemed extremelyuseful in successful union of lateral third clavicle fractures,with reduced rate of complications like fixation failures,iatrogenic rotator cuff injury, AC joint osteoarthritis andsub-acromial bursitis, with good functional out