Comprehensive review of surgical approaches to the elbow

The choice of the most suitable surgical approach to the elbow forms the foundation of any successful elbow surgery. The surgical approach is based on the injury or pathology to be addressed and therefore specific anatomical details need to be considered. The surgeon must be comfortable with the bony, ligamentous and neurovascular anatomy of the elbow to consider and execute the best approach for each problem. This is an imperative to avoid iatrogenic injury.This article provides a detailed analysis, valuable technical tips, advantages and disadvantages of the most common approaches to the elbow. The lateral approaches include the Kocher, Kaplan and Extensor Digitorum Communis (EDC) Split approaches, the medial approaches include the Hotchkiss, Flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) splitting approach, the Taylor and Scham approach. The anterior approach includes the anterior neurovascular interval approach and the posterior approaches include the Olecranon osteotomy, triceps sparing, triceps reflecting approach and finally the Boyd interval approach. The text and illustrations will provide a structured overview for the practicing surgeon.     

双微型锁定钢板治疗尺骨鹰嘴骨折的疗效观察

目的:探讨双微型锁定钢板治疗尺骨鹰嘴骨折的临床疗效。方法:自2017年3月至2020年5月,采用双微型锁定钢板治疗19例尺骨鹰嘴骨折患者,其中男12例,女7例;年龄20~75(40.50±7.62)岁;左侧10例,右侧9例。19例患者均为新鲜闭合骨折且不合并尺骨冠状突骨折、肘关节脱位等损伤。记录患者骨折愈合时间及并发症情况,并于术前、术后12个月采用Mayo肘关节功能评分标准(Mayo elbow performance score,MEPS)进行临床疗效评价。结果:19例患者术后均获得随访,时间12~17(13.51±3.17)个月。术后所有骨折获得骨性愈合,时间2~6(3.77±1.24)个月,未发生内固定断裂、螺钉松动、感染、内固定激惹、异位骨化、肘关节僵硬等并发症。术后12个月患侧肘关节MEPS评分(91.26±3.87)分与术前(56.18±9.56)分比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05);按照Mayo肘关节功能评分标准,结果优11例,良7例,中1例。结论:采用双微型锁定钢板治疗尺骨鹰嘴骨折,手术切口小,骨折固定可靠,术后可早期行肘关节功能锻炼,术后内固定对皮肤激惹小,肘关节功能恢复满意,是一种可靠的固定方法。     

鹰嘴解剖形接骨板与张力带治疗尺骨鹰嘴骨折的对比研究

目的:分析比较鹰嘴解剖形接骨板与张力带治疗尺骨鹰嘴骨折的疗效。方法:随机选取2012年8月-2013年8月在本院就诊的尺骨鹰嘴骨折患者60例作为研究对象,在2013年8月-2014年8月对术后患者进行完全随访。将60例研究对象随机分为试验组和对照组各30例,对照组采用克氏针张力带钢丝固定法,试验组采用鹰嘴解剖形接骨板固定法。术后通过完全随访,追踪患者的康复情况,包括肘关节功能评定、骨折愈合状况和并发症发生率等,对两组患者尺骨鹰嘴骨折治疗效果进行比较。结果:本次研究60例患者均得到随访,骨折均获得骨性愈合。试验组优25例,良3例,可2例,优良率93.3%;对照组优23例,良4例,可2例,差1例,优良率90.0%。两组比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:鹰嘴解剖形接骨板与张力带内固定这两种治疗尺骨鹰嘴骨折的方法在疗效上无明显差别,都是较为有效的治疗方法,临床上对于尺骨鹰嘴骨折的治疗需要针对不同骨折类型和人群需要而选择不同的手术方法。     

Tubercular arthritis of the elbow joint following olecranon fracture fixation and the role of TGF-beta in its pathogenesis

Tuberculosis （TB） occurring after a closed bone fracture in the patient with no history of TB and no evidence of TB infection at the time of initial fracture is a rare entity. We report one such case of a 48-year-old female, who presented in the emergency department with an olecranon fracture which was open reduced and inter- nally fixed with tension band wiring. Patient presented in the outpatient department with serosanguineous discharge at 3 weeks after surgery. The discharge was sent for culture and sensitivity tests, and the patient was managed by anti- biotics and daily dressings. There was wound dehiscence and the underlying implant was exposed, which was removed at 12 weeks after surgery. Repeat debridements and dressings continued for 6 months, but the discharge from the wound site continued. X-rays of the elbow performed at 6 months raised the suspicion of TB, which was confirmed by Ziel-Neelsen staining and histopathological examination of the debrided tissue. Following the confirmation, patient was put on antitubercular drugs. The patient responded to anti- tubercular drug therapy （ATT）, the purulent discharge from the wound ceased, and eventually the wound healed after 2 months of starting ATT.     

Olecranon fractures: factors influencing re-operation

Purpose

We evaluated factors influencing re-operation in tension band and plating of isolated olecranon fractures.

Methods

Four hundred eighty-nine patients with isolated olecranon fractures who underwent tension band (TB) or open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) from 2003 to 2013 were identified at an urban level 1 trauma centre. Medical records were reviewed for patient information and complications, including infection, nonunion, malunion, loss of function or hardware complication requiring an unplanned surgical intervention. Electronic radiographs of these patients were reviewed to identify Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) fracture classification and patients who underwent TB or ORIF.

Results

One hundred seventy-seven patients met inclusion criteria of isolated olecranon fractures. TB was used for fixation in 43 patients and ORIF in 134. No statistical significance was found when comparing complication rates in open versus closed olecranon fractures. In a multivariate analysis, the key factor in outcome was method of fixation. Overall, there were higher rates of infection and hardware removal in the TB compared with the ORIF group.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that the dominant factor driving re-operation in isolated olecranon fractures is type of fixation. When controlling for all variables, there is an increased chance of re-operation in patients with TB fixation.     

The role of cancellous screw with tension band fixation in the treatment of displaced olecranon fractures,a comparative study

Introduction  Fractures of the olecranon are among the most common injuries involving the upper extremity and require operative intervention if displaced. The most commonly used method of fixation for this type of fracture is the AO tension band wiring, although the results of this technique have been generally good, still problems have occurred, including loss of fixation, nonunion, and high re-operation rate for hardware removal. Aim of the study  To compare the results of treatment of displaced fractures of the olecranon using AO tension band wiring versus intramedullary screw with tension band. Materials and methods  In a prospective study, 30 patients with transverse or oblique olecranon fractures, were randomly divided into two equal groups, one group treated using AO tension band wiring the other group using an intramedullary cancellous screw plus tension band. Results  In the screw plus tension band group, 11 (73.3%) patients had excellent results, four (26.7%) had good results and none had fair or poor results, only one(6.6%) patient required second operation for removal of prominent hardware. In the AO tension band group, six (40%) patients had excellent results, five (33.3%) had good, three (20%) had fair and one (6.7%) patient had poor result, and eight patients (53.3%) required second operation for removal of prominent hardware. Conclusion  Using an intramedullary screw combined with tension band in treatment of displaced transverse and oblique olecranon fractures gives better clinical results and has much less re-operation rate for removal of hardware when compared to AO tension band wire fixation, avoiding costs, work time loss and possible complications from hardware removal.     

合并尺骨干经尺骨鹰嘴骨折并肘关节前脱位的手术治疗

目的探讨双钢板联合克氏针张力带钢丝内固定术治疗合并尺骨干经尺骨鹰嘴骨折并肘关节前脱位的临床疗效。方法回顾性研究。纳入2014年9月—2017年9月唐山市第二医院创伤骨科收治的合并尺骨干经尺骨鹰嘴骨折并肘关节前脱位患者21例,其中男13例、女8例,年龄36~64岁(平均50.5岁)。患者均采用尺骨鹰嘴锁定钢板及重建钢板联合克氏针张力带钢丝内固定术治疗,术后给予抗感染和消肿治疗。术后定期拍摄肘关节正侧位X线片,观察骨折愈合及内固定情况;观察患者肘关节屈伸活动度及前臂旋前旋后角度;术后12个月,采用Broberg-Morrey评分评价患肢功能。结果21例患者手术均顺利完成。术后均获得随访,随访时间为12~24个月,平均16.5个月。患者均获得骨性愈合,骨折愈合时间为2~4个月(平均3.1个月)。随访期间患者无感染、医源性神经损伤、骨折不愈合、内固定断裂失效、肘关节脱位等并发症发生。术后12个月Broberg-Morrey评分为78~100(90.0±5.5)分,患肢功能优12例、良7例、可2例,优良率为90.5%。结论双钢板联合克氏针张力带钢丝内固定治疗合并尺骨干经尺骨鹰嘴骨折并肘关节前脱位,骨折愈合率高,肘关节功能恢复良好。     

尺骨鹰嘴截骨入路与肱三头肌舌形瓣入路治疗肱骨髁间骨折疗效对比研究

目的比较肱三头肌舌形瓣入路与尺骨鹰嘴截骨入路治疗肱骨髁间骨折的临床应用价值。方法选择我院肱骨髁间骨折患者55例,根据手术方法的不同将其分为观察组（n=28）和对照组（n=27）,观察组患者选择尺骨鹰嘴截骨入路,对照组选择肱三头肌舌形瓣入路。结果①观察组患者治疗优良率为85.71%,显著高于对照组的59.26%（P=0.027 6）。②观察者患者平均手术时间显著长于对照组,平均出血量显著高于对照组（P〈0.01）。③观察者患者不良反应发生率为7.14%,与对照组的18.52%相比,差异无统计学意义（χ2=0.741,P=0.389 3）。结论尺骨鹰嘴截骨入路治疗肱骨髁间骨折效果好,具有较高的临床应用价值。     

Olecranon fracture fixation with a new implant: Biomechanical and clinical considerations

This study aims to describe the first clinical results in the treatment of dislocated olecranon fractures with 2.2-mm, fine-threaded wires with a washer. Furthermore, in the second part of the article, the stability of these new implants has been compared to standard tension band wiring in a sawbone model.

Patients

The radiological and clinical outcomes in 24 patients (mean age: 53.6 years) with 24 isolated Mayo type I and II fractures of the olecranon were evaluated in a prospective study after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with a new fixation device (FFS; Orthofix™). The quality of reduction with the implementation of 24 FFS constructions was compared with 24 tension band-wiring procedures performed by six different surgeons in a standard sawbone Mayo type IIa fracture model. Stability was tested in all constructs using a single cycle load to failure protocol (group I), cyclic loading for 300 cycles between 10 and 500 N (group II) and incremental sinusoidal loading from 10 to 200 N with an incremental increase of 10 N per cycle (group III) in a laboratory study.

Results

The Morrey elbow score was excellent in 23 patients and good in one patient, with mean DASH score of 1.6. No implant migration, secondary dislocation or nonunion was observed. In the sawbone model, the quality of reduction was the same with the FFS implants compared to the tension band wiring in the sawbone model. Here, bending moments in all three groups showed no significant difference, whereas displacement at failure was significantly greater in the tension band-wiring group at a single cycle load (p = 0.017).

Conclusion

Clinical results were comparable to tension band wiring and stability of the implants in the sawbone model was the same; thus, we conclude that the FFS technique can serve as an alternative treatment option for isolated olecranon fractures.