ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Chirurgia 2020 April;33(2):79-83

DOI: 10.23736/S0394-9508.19.04977-5

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

A comparison of different conservative treatment methods in clavicular mid-shaft fractures: length measurement and functional results

Ozgun KARAKUŞ ¹ ✉, Ozgur KARAMAN ², Baransel SAYGI ³

¹ Department of Orthopedics, Omerhalis Demir University Hospital, Niğde, Turkey; ² Department of Orthopedics, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; ³ Department of Orthopedics, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

BACKGROUND: Conservative treatments of displaced clavicular fractures was investigated, to evaluate the effect on functional results of the change in clavicle length.
METHODS: Conservative treatment of simple shoulder sling was applied to 27 patients and a figure-of-eight bandage was applied to 33 patients.
RESULTS: After union the mean shortness in the shoulder sling group was 11.68±3.64% and in the figure-of-eight bandage group, 10.63±3.78%. The rate of 10.6% shortness after union compared with the healthy clavicle had a negative effect on functional results.
CONCLUSIONS: The effect on the functional results is not actually caused by the parameter of the conservative treatment, whether a figure-of-eight bandage or a shoulder sling, but by the shortness in the clavicle length.

KEY WORDS: Clavicle; Bone fractures; Shoulder; Conservative treatment; Comparative anatomy