Fifteen-degree clavicular hook plate achieves better clinical outcomes in the treatment of acromioclavicular joint dislocation.

OBJECTIVE: Clavicular hook plate application is one of the most commonly used treatment methods for acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocation, although it may cause multiple postoperative complications. We modified the regularly used 0° hook plate to 15° and compared the clinical outcomes of these two hook plates for treatment of AC joint dislocation. METHODS: Forty-three patients with acute AC joint dislocation were randomly enrolled (0° hook plate, 20 patients; 15° hook plate, 23 patients). The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and visual analog scale for pain (VASP) scores were evaluated preoperatively and at 3 days and 1, 2, 3, and 6 months postoperatively and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with the preoperative scores, the 6-month postoperative ASES score gradually increased but the VASP score decreased in both groups. Furthermore, the ASES and VASP scores were significantly different between the two groups at every postoperative time point. CONCLUSION: The 15° hook plate is superior to the 0° hook plate in reducing shoulder pain and improving postoperative recovery in the treatment of AC joint dislocation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III; Treatment study (retrospective comparative study).

Effect of cannulated screws with deep circumflex iliac artery-bone grafting in the treatment of femoral neck fracture in young adults.

OBJECTIVES: Surgical treatment of femoral neck fracture in young adults is clinically challenging due to the high incidence of avascular necrosis of femoral head and fracture nonunion. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of cannulated screws with deep circumflex iliac artery bone grafting (DCIABG) by comparing to the routinely used method in the treatment of femoral neck fracture in young adults. METHODS: From March 2006 to December 2012, a total of 185 patients with femoral neck fracture were admitted to the hospital for internal fixation surgery, 103 patients (61 males and 42 females, mean age of 39.1 years) were treated with three cannulated screws with DCIABG (group A), and 82 patients (49 males and 33 females, mean age of 35.5 years) were treated with three cannulated screws without DCIABG (group B). RESULTS: All patients were followed up for at least 24 months after the surgery. The patients in group A had a significantly higher Harris Hip Score (p < 0.001), shorter fracture healing time (p < 0.001), lower occurrence rate of avascular necrosis of femoral head (p = 0.008) and fracture nonunion (p = 0.012) compared to the patients in group B. However, the operation time and intraoperative blood loss were significantly lower in patients in group B than those in group A (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Cannulated screws with DCIABG significantly reduced femoral head osteonecrosis and fracture nonunion. Therefore, it is a feasible and effective method in the treatment of young adult patients with femoral neck fracture.