Risk factors for hardware removal following operative treatment of middle- and distal-third clavicular fractures.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of hardware removal (HWR) after operative fixation of clavicular fractures varies widely. Risk factors related to HWR remain incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of and risk factors for HWR after plate fixation of middle- and distal-third clavicular fractures. We hypothesized that (1) the total HWR incidence would be <20%, (2) the HWR incidence of operatively treated distal- and middle-third clavicular fractures would not be statistically different, and (3) symptomatic implants would be the most common HWR indication. METHODS: We performed a multi-hospital retrospective study of skeletally mature patients who underwent plate fixation of middle- and distal-third clavicular fractures from November 2008 to November 2018. Data included patient demographic characteristics, mechanism of injury, operative records, hardware-related symptoms, subsequent HWR, and complications. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients (aged 16-75 years, 76.7% male patients) were included. Of the patients, 87 (84.5%) underwent plate fixation for midshaft clavicular fractures and 16 (15.5%) underwent plate fixation for distal-third clavicular fractures. HWR was performed in 13 patients (12.6%). A significantly higher percentage of HWR procedures were performed for distal clavicular fractures (50%) than for middle-third clavicular fractures (4.9%, P < .0001). An initial high-energy mechanism of injury was associated with HWR (P = .0025). The most common indication for HWR was symptomatic hardware (69.2%). The overall complication rate was 14.5%. CONCLUSION: The overall incidence of clavicular HWR was 12.6%. A distal fracture location was associated with a significantly higher incidence of HWR. An initial high-energy mechanism of injury was a significant risk factor for HWR. The primary indication for HWR was symptomatic hardware.

Intramedullary Nailing Technique for Proximal Humeral Fractures Using a Straight Antegrade Nail with Locking Tuberosity Fixation.

Background: Intramedullary straight nail fixation of proximal humeral fractures using a locking mechanism provides advantages compared with plating, including (1) less soft-tissue dissection, which preserves periosteal blood supply and soft-tissue attachments; (2) improved construct stability for comminuted fractures or osteopenic bone; and (3) shorter operative time for simpler fractures. Description: The patient is placed in the beach-chair position with the head of the bed elevated approximately 45°. The fracture is reduced with use of closed or percutaneous methods, ideally, or with an open approach if required. Temporary fragment fixation with percutaneous Kirschner wires can be utilized. A 1-cm incision is made just anterior to the acromioclavicular joint, overlying the zenith of the humeral head and in line with the diaphysis. A guide-pin is then placed through this incision and is verified to be centrally located and in line with the humeral diaphysis on fluoroscopic views. The guide-pin is advanced into the diaphysis. A cannulated 9-mm reamer is inserted over the guide-pin to create a starting position. The nail is then inserted, with adequate fragment reduction maintained until the proximal nail portion is buried under the subchondral humeral head. The proximal screw trajectory and alignment are checked fluoroscopically. The proximal locking screws are pre-drilled and inserted first using percutaneous drill sleeves through the radiolucent targeting jig. The screw is inserted through the guide and is advanced into the nail until appropriately seated. This process is then repeated for the other proximal screws as necessary. Finally, the distal diaphyseal screws are pre-drilled and inserted in a similar percutaneous fashion using the jig, and the jig is removed. Final orthogonal images are obtained. Copious irrigation of the incisions is performed and they are closed and dressed with a sterile dressing. The operative arm is placed in an abduction sling. Alternatives: Alternative treatment options for proximal humeral fractures include nonoperative treatment with use of a sling, percutaneous reduction and internal fixation with Kirschner wires, open reduction and internal fixation with a locking plate and screw construct, hemiarthroplasty, and anatomic or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty1. Rationale: The presently described technique for proximal humeral fracture fixation using a straight, antegrade, locking nail allows for minimal soft-tissue disruption, preserving vascularity and soft-tissue support and achieving angularly stable fixation in often osteopenic bone. The superior and in-line entry point avoids complications of rotator cuff injury and/or subacromial impingement. The proximal locking screws avoid complications of screw penetration or migration. This technique is appropriate for surgically indicated Neer 2-, 3-, and 4-part humeral fractures, including in elderly patients, when the humeral head fragment remains viable1-5. Expected Outcomes: Based on available Level-III and IV evidence using this technique, patients should expect recovered motion and the ability to perform daily activities independently, with a mean active elevation of 132° to 136°1,4,6, external rotation of 37° to 52°1,4,6, and internal rotation to L31. Pain scores improved significantly from preoperatively to postoperatively, with a mean pain score of 1.4 on the visual analogue scale3,4,6. Patient-reported outcomes were good to excellent, with Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation (SANE) scores of 80% to 81%1,6, mean Constant scores from 71 to 811,3,4,6, and high rates of patient satisfaction (97% satisfied or very satisfied)4. Studies also demonstrated good to excellent fracture healing, with no tuberosity migration and low rates of nonunion (0% to 5%)1,6 and humeral head necrosis (0% to 4%)1,4. Revision rates ranged from 10.5% to 16.7%4,6. Important Tips: The starting position of the guide-pin must be central and at the zenith of the humeral head on the anteroposterior Grashey and the scapular Y views, and the guide-pin must be aligned with the diaphysis prior to advancing it.Failure to bluntly dissect the percutaneous incisions risks injury to the axillary nerve.Verify correct version of the nail prior to drilling any screws, to avoid incorrect version and potential loss of functional rotation. Acronyms and Abbreviations: ABD = abductionAP = anteroposteriorCT = computed tomographyER = external rotationFF = forward flexion (forward elevation)IR = internal rotationSANE = Single Assessment Numerical EvaluationSSV = Subjective Shoulder ValueVAS = Visual Analogue Scale.

Annotating the human proteome: the Human Proteome Survey Database (HumanPSD) and an in-depth target database for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR-PD) from Incyte Genomics.

The Proteome Division of Incyte Genomics has released new volumes to the BioKnowledge Library to add human, mouse and rat protein information to its rich collection of model organism Proteome Databases. The Human Proteome Survey Database (HumanPSD) compiles the fundamental properties of more than 25 000 characterized mammalian proteins. HumanPSD includes clear, concise and current protein descriptions (Title Lines), the protein sequence, calculated physical properties, precomputed BLAST alignments, controlled-vocabulary protein properties and Gene Ontology terms, and a list of published references. Each report also contains expression data, Pfam domain information and an associated Mouse Mutant Phenotype section describing behavioral, physiological and cellular phenotypes for over 1500 mouse mutant phenotypes. GPCR-PD contains more than 3200 Protein Reports from the three mammalian species for G protein-coupled receptors, their protein ligands, associated G-proteins and their downstream signaling proteins. In addition to the features described above, each GPCR-PD Protein Report displays annotations of experimental findings from over 10 000 publications. These databases provide important new volumes of Proteome's BioKnowledge Library (http://www.incyte.com), integrating protein information from model organisms with the human proteome.