Operative Treatment of Distal Humeral Comminuted Fractures with Orthogonal Plating

Joong-Bae Seo; Jae-Sung Yoo

doi:10.12671/jkfs.2011.24.3.243

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Seo and Yoo: Operative Treatment of Distal Humeral Comminuted Fractures with Orthogonal Plating

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Fracture Society

Journal of the Korean Fracture Society 2011; 24(3): 243-248.

Published online: 15 July 2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12671/jkfs.2011.24.3.243

Operative Treatment of Distal Humeral Comminuted Fractures with Orthogonal Plating

Joong-Bae Seo, M.D., Jae-Sung Yoo, M.D.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Joong-Bae Seo, M.D. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dankook University College of Medicine, 119, Dandae-ro, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan 330-715, Korea. Tel: 82-41-550-3060, Fax: 82-41-556-3238, ssjb1990@dku.edu

Received 10 January 2011 Revised 1 March 2011 Accepted 20 June 2011

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

To analyze the results of operative treatment for Comminuted Fracture of Distal Humerus with Transolecranon approach and Orthogonal plating.

Materials and Methods

The subjects were 22 patients with Comminuted fracture of humerus who were treated with Orthogonal plating. Patient's age, sex, type of fracture, surgical approach, method of fixation, time of operation, time of bony union, complication, range of motion were investigated, and Function of elbow was evaluated by functional evaluation of Riseborough and Radin, Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS).

Results

Age, sex, injuried arm, operation time were not related to postoperative result. Type C2 fractures showed better results in function and range of motion (ROM) than type C3 fractures. Also early rehabilitation was important to functional recovery and ROM. The postoperative ROM was average 110. Good were 16 cases, fair were 6 cases in functional evaluation of Riseborough and Radin. Excellent were 13 cases, good were 8 cases, fair was 1 case in MEPS.

Conclusion

Operative treatment with Transolecranon approach and Orthogonal plating showed favorable result on its function. Intraarticular comminution and early rehabilitation were closely related to postoperative function of elbow.

Keywords: Humerus, Distal humerus comminuted fracture, Orthogonal plating, Transolecranon approach

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

(A) Anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of elbow in a 40-year-old man show intercondylar comminuted fracture of distal humerus (AO C3 type).

(B) Follow up anteroposterior and lateral radiographs 20weeks after operation show bony union without complication.

Table 1

Summary of cases

^*AO: AO classification, ^†OP day: period from injury to operation, ^‡ROM: Range of motion, ^§MEPS: Mayo elbow performance score.

Table 2

Comparison of clinical results between C2 fractures and C3 fractures

ROM: Range of motion, MEPS: Mayo elbow performance score.

Table 3

Comparison of clinical results according to period of postoperativetime needed for spontaneous first elbow joint exercise

ROM: Range of motion, MEPS: Mayo elbow performance score.

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