Introduction: To compare surgical and conservative management of midshaft clavicle fractures according with scapulothoracic joint angle change, considering clinical, functional, and radiological outcomes. Methods: A total of 95 midshaft clavicle fracture patients aged between 18-70 years with a minimum follow-up duration of 12 months were included in this study. Patients were treated either conservatively (Group I) or surgically (Group 2). Plane deformities, scapulothoracic joint angle, shortness and isokinetic muscle strength were measured. Shoulder Pain, Disability Index (SPADI) and Short Form-3 6 (SF36) were assessed. Results: Scapulothoracic joint angles were higher in the conservative treatment group than in surgery group (p=0.036). Consequently, winged scapula was seen more commonly in the conservative treatment group than in the surgery group (p=0.001). Surgical treatment was associated with significantly better SF-36 physical scores and with SPADI pain and disability scores. However, the two groups did not differ in terms of isokinetic muscle strength. Negative anteroposterior plane deformity (p<0.001) and negative axial plane deformity (p=0.004) were more frequent in the conserva- tive treatment group. Clavicle shortness was more common in the conservative treatment group. Conclusions: According to our findings scapulothoracic joint angle changes were seen in the conservative treatment group more than in the surgery group. Consequently, winged scapula was seen more commonly in the conservative treatment group than in the surgery group (p=0.001). Level of Evidence III; Retrospective comparative study.
Background and Objectives: Complex wounds in the hand and distal lower extremities pose challenges in reconstructive surgery, often involving critical structures like tendons. Tendon injuries, prevalent in such wounds, necessitate optimal repair methods for functional recovery. This study investigates the impact of vascularised and nonvascularised adipofascial tissue on tendon repair, focusing on early healing stages, mobilisation, and scintigraphic evaluation of flap vascularity. Materials and Methods: Wistar Albino rats were divided into groups undergoing primary tendon repair, vascularised adipofascial flap application, or nonvascularised flap application. Scintigraphic evaluation and histopathological assessment were performed to analyse healing processes. Results: Pedicle-free flaps support healing in tendon injuries without negatively affecting medium-term outcomes. Vascularised flaps exhibit faster healing. The scintigraphic analysis showed that the static measurements of the late phase were statistically significantly higher in the group with the non-vascularised adipofascial flap (p = 0.038). The mean perfusion reserve was higher in the vascularised pedicled adipofascial flap group than the non-vascularised adipofascial flap group. Scintigraphic analysis highlights the viability of pedicle-free flaps. Conclusions: Pedicle-free adipofascial flaps support the healing of the tendon without complicating the results, while vascularised flaps show accelerated healing. These findings provide valuable insights into optimising tendon repair strategies using adipofascial flaps, with implications for enhancing functional recovery in complex wounds.
29 January 2023 in Journal of Orthopedics Research and Rehabilitation