A minimally invasive anterior approach to reduction and screw fixation of coronoid fractures.

ABSTRACT

We investigated a minimally invasive anterior approach to reduce and fix coronoid fractures with a screw in eight consecutive patients and evaluated seven patients at a minimum of 1 year (mean, 78 weeks; range, 61-89 weeks). It was only possible to repair seven of eight coronoid fractures. The average time to radiographic healing was 12 weeks and all healed without the screw loosening, migration or breakage. Endoscopy permitted an excellent view of coronoid fractures, allowing anatomic fixation, and as it avoided extensive soft tissue dissection, this method preserved soft tissue attachments of small coronoid fragments. This method was safe and minimally invasive.