Treatment of displaced midshaft clavicular fractures: a comparison between smooth pin and LCDCP and reconstruction plate fixation

ABSTRACT

To compare the results of internal fixation of the clavicular fractures by pin and LCDCP and reconstruction plates in displaced fractures of middle third. Between April 2008 to December 2010 a total of 68 clavicular fractures were treated in Razi hospital of Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz, Iran and the results of the operations were investigated and reviewed according to DASH score [Iranian version] and Oxford Shoulder score. Comparison of the results performed using K and Fisher exact tests and the data analyzed by SPSS software and the values less than 0.01 considered as a significant difference. Eighteen patients were excluded because 11 patients did not return for follow up and seven patients had other fractures in extremities that could interfere with the results and at the end of the study 50 patients completed the follow up program. There were 42 male and 8 female patients with mean age of 28 years [18-48 years], pin group had 25 and plate group also had 25 members. There were not any significant differences in the union time, malunion, infection and DASH and Oxford shoulder scores. Significant differences were seen between the operation time and bleeding that both were lesser in pin group. Eight patients in plate group complained of symptomatic hardware compared with pin group [no symptomatic hardware] with P value = 0.001. Although both the procedures have been used in clavicular fractures with high rates of success, but pin fixation has lesser morbidity and complications if it is used by experienced surgeons with close observation