
Trauma
Intramedullary fixation preferable to plate fixation in midshaft clavicle fractures
PeerJ. 2016 Feb 22;4:e15406 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 9 non-randomized controlled trials were included in the present investigation. The analysis was performed to determine if the fixation of midshaft clavicle fracture with intramedullary nailing could achieve superior surgical outcomes without compromising union rates or safety when compared to plate fixation. Significantly lower blood loss, operative time, surgical wound size, length of hospital stay, and time to union were reported in patients undergoing intramedullary fixation in comparison to plate fixation, as were significantly lower overall and major complications. Union rate, shoulder score, and secondary complications were found to be comparable between groups. However, these results should be interpreted with caution as few RCTs were identified, and while findings remained robust when conducting analyses in only RCTs, these assessments were limited by the number of patients included.
Unlock the full article
Get unlimited access to OrthoEvidence with a free trial
Start TrialCritical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics
Or continue reading this full article
Register Now

Subscribe to "The Pulse"
Evidence-Based Orthopaedics direct to your inbox.