Craig V distal clavicle fracture treated with distal clavicle excision plus suture anchor

Objective To introduce distal clavicle excision plus suture anchor to treat Craig Ⅴ distal clavicle fracture.Methods From November, 2005 to August, 2007, 25 patients with Craig Ⅴ distal clavicle fracture were treated with distal clavicle excision plus suture anchor.They were 18 men and 7 women,with a median age of 42.6 years.They were followed up periodically by radiological examination.At the final follow-up, their shoulder functions were evaluated by University of California-Los Angeles （UCLA） scoring system and Constant scoring system, and the pain was evaluated according to visual analog scale （VAS）.Results All the patients obtained a median follow-up of 13.6 months （8 to 24） .The height of distal clavicle in all patients reached anatomical reduction.Their average UCLA score was 33.5 （28 to 35）, and average Constant score was 90.6 （79 to 100） .Their mean VAS score was 1.2 （0 to 4） .Their average forward flexion and elevation was 156.4° （ 145° to 170°）, and external rotation was 45.6° （40° to 60°） .The rate of top quality was 88.0% （22/25）.Conclusion Distal clavicle excision plus suture anchor is an effective method to treat Craig Ⅴ distal clavicle fracture which results from serious trauma. Key words: Clavicle;  Fractures;  Fracture fixation, internal;  Suture anchor;  Coracoclav-icular ligament