[Surgical access route and choice of implant in the region of the clavicle shaft].

Abstract

Background: Clavicle fractures are among the most frequent injuries of the shoulder girdle. Nondisplaced fractures are generally treated conservatively, whereas dislocated fractures require surgical reduction and stabilization. A variety of implants and surgical techniques with reliable results are available. While all techniques provide similar healing rates, they share a common disadvantage with the high incidence of implant irritation and correspondingly high rates of second interventions for material removal.

Objective: The various surgical techniques for clavicle shaft fractures with their specific areas of application as well as advantages and disadvantages are presented. This review also provides an aid for deciding which surgical technique is most appropriate based on the fracture morphology. Furthermore, an overview of current research activities is presented, with a specific focus on new implants which could help to reduce implant irritation.

Results and conclusion: Open superior and anteroinferior plate osteosyntheses each show similar reliable results. The minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) technique offers an alternative for multifragmented fractures as it has a lower complication rate compared to the open procedure. Double plate osteosynthesis using minifragment plates shows promising results with respect to the incidence of implant-related irritation. Larger prospective studies are still pending. Intramedullary nailing offers a good alternative, especially if material removal is planned anyway, e.g., in the pediatric setting.