Search

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of Endobutton plate combined with high-strength suture Nice knot fixation in the treatment of distal clavicular fractures with coracoclavicular ligament injuries., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 43 patients who sustained distal clavicular fractures along with injuries to the coracoclavicular ligament. These patients were treated between January 2017 and December 2023. The fractures were classified according to the fixation method: high-strength Nice knot suture fixation (experimental group, n = 23) and acromioclavicular Kirschner wire fixation (control group, n = 20). The basic information of the two groups of patients, including age, gender, cause of injury, fracture classification, hospitalization duration, fracture healing time and complications, was collected and analyzed. The increase rate of coracoclavicular space on the affected side was collected and analyzed. The pain level of the affected shoulder was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). The shoulder joint function was assessed using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores and Constant-Murley scores before and after surgery., Results: No significant differences were observed in the general demographic data, including age, gender, injury etiology, Craig classification, and hospitalization duration between the two groups (p > 0.05). Both groups were followed for a period ranging from 12 to 33 months, with an average follow-up of 20.53 ± 5.16 months. The bone healing time in the experimental group was significantly shorter than in the control group (12.82 ± 1.12 weeks vs. 17.25 ± 1.71 weeks, p < 0.05). At the final follow-up, The increase rate of coracoclavicular space was (9.25 ± 2.53) % in the experimental group and (8.10 ± 2.53) % in the control group, which was not significantly different (p > 0.05). Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in VAS scores, Constant-Murley scores, and ASES scores post-operatively compared to pre-operative values (p < 0.05). One month after surgery, the Constant-Murley and ASES scores were significantly superior in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). However, no statistical difference was observed three months post-surgery or during the final follow-up (p > 0.05). The control group reported one case of infection related to the Kirschner wire and one case of Kirschner wire displacement postoperatively. Conversely, no significant complications were reported in the experimental group., Conclusion: In the management of distal clavicle fractures accompanied by coracoclavicular ligament injuries, particularly oblique fractures or those with butterfly-shaped fragments, the application of a high-strength Nice knot suture in conjunction with Endobutton plate fixation can effectively stabilize the fracture site. This approach not only mitigates complications associated with Kirschner wire fixation but also enhances fracture healing, leading to favorable postoperative outcomes., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Fuyang people’s Hospital. Written informed consent is obtained from legal guardian of participants. Consent for publication All participants gave written informed consent for their personal and clinical details along with any identifying images to be published in this study. Informed consent Written informed consent is obtained from legal guardian of participants. Written informed consent is obtained from adult participants as well. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Neer type V distal clavicle fractures are considered the most unstable fracture type and are characterized by the disruption of continuity between the coracoclavicular (C-C) ligaments and proximal or distal bone fragments. However, owing to the rarity of such fractures, there is currently no universally accepted surgical procedure for their treatment. Recently, the scorpion plate, an anatomical, non-locking, pre-contoured plate with two grasping arms to fix the distal or inferior clavicular fragments, was introduced. This study aimed to investigate the postoperative functional and radiological outcomes of osteosynthesis using only scorpion plates in Neer type V fractures., Methods: We retrospectively identified 23 patients who underwent scorpion plate fixation for Neer type V fractures at two general hospitals. All patients underwent only plate fixation without C-C ligament augmentation. Subsequently, we investigated their postoperative functional outcomes, complication rates, and modified C-C distance ratio at 1 year., Results: The mean postoperative Constant score was 96 ± 5, with all cases achieving bone union. Complications within 1 year postoperatively included plate loosening in one patient (4.3%) and plate irritation in two patients (8.7%). Additionally, the modified C-C distance ratio averaged 114 ± 15%., Conclusions: This study offers novel insights into the management of Neer type V distal clavicle fractures. Our findings indicate that osteosynthesis using only scorpion plates can lead to satisfactory functional outcomes with minimal complications., Competing Interests: Declarations Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval and consent to participate This study was approved by the Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital Independent Ethics Committee (No. 2023-28) and National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center Independent Ethics Committee (No. R19-037). This retrospective study adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from all patients using an opt-out notification on our hospital’s bulletin board and website. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Clinical trial number Not applicable., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rationale: Acalvaria is an exceptionally rare congenital disorder marked by the absence of flat bones of the cranial vault, dura mater, and associated muscles, while the facial bones and base of the skull remain intact. Typically, the central nervous system is unaffected. Due to their extreme rarity, reported cases in the literature are infrequent. This condition often results in fatalities, as newborns with this anomaly generally have short life expectancies. However, there are a few documented cases of prolonged survival., Patient Concerns: A 1-day-old full-term Palestinian male born to first-cousin parents at 37 + 6 weeks gestational age presented with an excessively soft skull without scalp abnormalities. The mother experienced polyhydramnios during the last 7 weeks of pregnancy., Diagnoses: Head ultrasound and X-rays confirmed the absence of skull vault bones and clavicles with normal facial bones. A CT scan showed well-formed brain structures and foci of hemorrhage in the left frontal lobe., Interventions: Supportive care was the primary management approach. The patient received comprehensive care in the neonatal intensive care unit, with a focus on stabilization and monitoring., Outcome: After 3 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit, the patient showed normal feeding and function, but the prognosis remained poor. The patient's family was informed about the poor prognosis., Lessons: This case reveals a unique combination of acalvaria and absent clavicles. Early antenatal diagnosis is essential but was delayed here. More research is needed to understand and improve the diagnosis of these conditions., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and clinical outcomes of Nice knot-assisted fixation in the management of comminuted and displaced clavicle fractures., Methods: A systematic search was conducted across multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine (CBM) database, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP database, to identify studies comparing Nice knot-assisted fixation with traditional surgical treatment for displaced midshaft clavicle fractures. The primary outcomes assessed included fracture healing times, hospitalization days, complications, and functional outcomes. Secondary outcomes such as intraoperative blood loss, operative time, incision length, and fluoroscopy time were also evaluated. Data were analyzed using random-effects models, and summary statistics including Mean Difference (MD), risk ratios (RRs) and theirs' 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated., Results: Screening of the literature yielded a total of 11 studies meeting the inclusion criteria, involving 754 patients. Meta-analysis of the pooled data demonstrated a significant advantage of Nice knot-assisted fixation over traditional surgical treatment in terms of operative time (MD = -11.53, 95% CI: -18.16 to -4.91, p = 0.0006) and blood loss (MD = -14.19, 95% CI: -20.93 to -7.45, p = 0.00001). Additionally, Nice knot-assisted fixation was associated with reduced fracture healing time (MD = -0.63, 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.14, p = 0.01) rather than hospitalization days (MD = -0.47, 95% CI: -1.14 to 0.21, p = 0.18) and complications (RR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.23 to 1.01, p = 0.05) compared to traditional surgical treatment. Moreover, nice knot-assisted fixation was associated with increased constant-murley score and Neer score, and reduced visual analogue scale (VAS) score compared to traditional surgical treatment., Conclusion: This study highlights that Nice knot assistance offers advantages in reducing intraoperative blood loss, shortening operation time, and achieving favorable postoperative outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction (CLR) technique for the treatment of acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) dislocation has gained immense clinical popularity. However, this technique also has some limitations including complications such as distal clavicle fractures, coracoid fractures, bone tunnel widening, implant failure, and loss of reduction. A study was conducted to analyse the extent of CTW after single-bundle CLR by measuring radiographic parameters to determine its relationship with clinical variables to reduce the risk of clavicular tunnel widening (CTW), thereby providing important insights for clinical practice., Methods: This retrospective analysis was conducted at Affiliated Fuyang People's Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, and data from 96 patients who underwent single-bundle CLR for type III-VI ACJ dislocation between January 2018 and December 2023 were initially collected. Finally, 84 patients met the inclusion criteria (63 male and 21 female, mean age: 49.5 ± 12.36 years). The clavicle tunnel (CT) width and coracoclavicular distance (CCD) was measured immediately postoperatively and at 6 months follow up using radiographic imaging, and the degree of expansion at 6 months was recorded. Preoperative variables including patient sex, age, injury cause, injury side, body mass index (BMI), Rockwood classification, extent of the CCD after surgery, and the CT location were recorded to analyze their correlation with the extent of CTW at 6 months follow up., Results: With an average follow-up duration of 10 months (range: 6-18 months). Both the extent of the CCD and CTW measured at 6 months postoperatively were differently enlarged, compared to early postoperative period (EPO) (P < 0.05). The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the CTW at 6 months postoperatively with respect to patients' sex, causes of injury, sides of injury, and Rockwood classification types(P > 0.05). However, the location of CT was significantly associated with the extent of CTW at 6 months postoperatively (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: The location of CT drilling is a significant factor that affects tunnel widening. When the drilling site is situated closer to the conoid tubercle, the extent of CTW is greater than when the tunnel is located farther from the conoid tubercle., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rationale: Bilateral distal clavicle fractures (BDCF) are exceedingly rare types of fractures. This study aimed to evaluate the surgical treatment under a single anesthesia for trauma-induced BDCF (Neer type II) through a case report., Patient Concerns: The patient brought to the emergency department due to a motor vehicle accident exhibited severe pain, tenderness, swelling, and deformity in both shoulder regions upon physical examination. No significant pain or tenderness was detected in other areas of the body. There were also no signs of additional neurological deficits or vascular pathology in the extremities., Diagnoses: Radiographic examinations led to a diagnosis of BDCF (Neer type II)., Interventions: Surgical intervention involved the simultaneous application of a neutral-angled hook plate to both clavicles via open reduction., Outcomes: Postoperative radiographs taken at the 12th week demonstrated complete healing in both fractures and no functional limitations in shoulder movements., Lessons: BDCF can compromise the stability of the shoulder girdle, necessitating surgical intervention with anatomical reduction and rigid fixation., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

In forensic age estimation, CT imaging of the clavicles is used to determine an age over completed 21 years. If ossification of the medial clavicular epiphysis is complete, young men are assumed to be over 21 years of age. The aim of this study is to check the statistical parameters (specificity, predictive probability) for the characteristic "completed ossification of the medial clavicles". 285 male patients who, for various reasons, received a chest CT at the Medical Center of the University of Freiburg between 1st December 2019 and 6th December 2022 were screened for the study, of whom 203 patients were included in the study. The stage of clavicular ossification was classified as stage 1 - 5 according to Schmeling. While 70 out of 71 patients under 21 years of age were correctly estimated to be under 21 years of age, there was one patient whose ossification on one side was classified as stage 4 and who would therefore have been estimated to be over 21 years of age. If only subjects whose ossification stage was the same on both sides are included, the specificity of the test method is 100% and the positive predictive probability is 100%. If patients for whom only one side is stage 4 are also included, the specificity is 98.6%. Thus, only the complete and symmetrical ossification of both clavicles (stage 4 according to the Schmeling classification) in a standardised thin-layer CT can be classified as a reliable indicator of an age over 21 years in young men. In the case of asymmetric ossification of the medial clavicles (stage 4 is not reached on one side), false positive evaluations and the incorrect assumption of an age over 21 years can occur., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) in the medial meta-epiphyseal region of clavicle (MERC) for adult age estimation. A total of 1064 chest MDCT scans from individuals aged 21 to 102 years were utilized to determine the MERC BMD. The Mimics software was used for the BMD measurements, and the average BMD of both MERC was also calculated. Regression analysis was conducted with chronological age as a dependent variable and MERC BMD as an independent variable to establish a mathematical model for age estimation. The mean absolute error (MAE) was calculated to evaluate the accuracy of the regression model using an independent validation sample. Among all the models, the cubic regression model showed the highest correlation between MERC BMD and chronological age and also provided the most accurate age prediction for both males and females (MAE = 9.41 for males, MAE = 10.38 for females). Our study suggests that BMD measured by MERC can be utilized for age estimation in adults when more reliable indicators are not available., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

After conservative treatment nonunion (pseudarthrosis) of the clavicle can be observed approximately 10 times more frequently (15-24%) than after surgical treatment (1.4%). Risk factors include the fracture location, displacement, fracture type, sex, the severity of the accident and refractures. The diagnosis of pseudarthrosis of the clavicle can be made by a thorough medical history, clinical examination and imaging procedures. The main symptom is pain, often accompanied by malalignment, instability, neurological symptoms and restricted mobility of the affected shoulder. The diagnosis is confirmed by X‑ray images and, if necessary, a computed tomography (CT) scan. Pseudoarthrosis is classified according to the morphological appearance in X‑ray images and the cause. A differentiation is made between vital and nonvital pseudarthroses. Only symptomatic pseudarthrosis requires treatment. Nonoperative methods, such as magnetic field therapy or ultrasound are minimally effective. Surgical interventions are indicated for pain, movement restrictions or neurovascular problems. The goals of surgical treatment are to restore the vitality, bone length and stability through angular stable osteosynthesis. In cases of surgical pretreatment the anteroinferior plate position offers a good alternative to the superior plate position. In some cases double plating osteosynthesis can be indicated. Autogenous bone material, allogeneic substitute material and vascularized grafts are used for bony defects. Surgical treatment shows high rates of healing but also carries an increased risk of infection., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Typical anatomy of the supraclavicular nerve (SCN) is described as originating from the cervical plexus and dividing into medial, intermediate, and lateral branches. The SCN is vulnerable to injury during clavicular surgery, leading to altered sensation post-operatively. There is also increasing interest in anesthetizing the SCN in shoulder or clavicular surgery. Utilizing a high-frequency (20 MHz) ultrasound probe, 20 healthy volunteers were scanned, giving data for 40 SCNs. For each nerve, anatomical course and branches were graphically plotted using a custom Python 3.8.12 program and Microsoft Excel. Of 40 nerves, only 19 (47.5%) demonstrated a typical course, with the rest showing considerable variability of branching patterns. Crossing branches (CBs) were found in 24 (60%) with a total of 54. Just over half (29, 54.7%) of these crossed the clavicle lateral to its midpoint, with 32 (59.6%) CBs having a diameter of ≥25% compared to that of the SCN main trunk. The distance from the mid-clavicular point at which the branches crossed the clavicle was recorded. This study demonstrated that over half the SCNs had atypical branching patterns with intra-volunteer variability. Preoperative mapping may be useful in preventing injury and subsequent numbness., (© 2023 American Association of Clinical Anatomists and British Association of Clinical Anatomists.)

Case: This case report describes 3 patients who developed acromioclavicular joint cysts secondary to rotator cuff arthropathy. The patients underwent arthroscopic cyst decompression and distal clavicle resection, resulting in successful excision of the cyst and minimal cyst recurrence., Conclusion: Based on these cases, arthroscopic cyst decompression with concomitant distal clavicle resection should be considered as an effective alternative to serial aspirations or open cyst excision and distal clavicle resection., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSCC/C457)., (Copyright © 2024 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None.

Background: Shortening of midshaft clavicle fractures has been described as a critical fracture characteristic to guide treatment. The degree to which shortening may change in the initial weeks following injury has not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change in shortening of adolescent clavicle fractures in the first 2 weeks following injury., Methods: This was a multicenter study of prospectively collected data, which was acquired as a part of a cohort study of adolescent clavicle fractures. A consecutive series of patients 10 to 18 years of age with completely displaced diaphyseal clavicle fractures with baseline radiographs 0 to 6 days from the date of injury, as well as 7 to 21 days from the date of injury, were included. Measurements of end-to-end (EES) and cortex-to-corresponding-cortex (CCS) shortening were performed., Results: A total of 142 patients were included. Baseline radiographs were obtained at a mean of 1.0 day following injury with mean EES of 22.3 mm, and 69% of patients demonstrating > 20 mm of shortening. Follow-up radiographs obtained at a mean of 13.8 days postinjury demonstrated a mean absolute change in EES of 5.4 mm. Forty-one percentage of patients had >5 mm of change in EES. When analyzing changes in shortening relative to the specific threshold of 20 mm, 18 patients (41%) with <20 mm EES increased to ≥20 mm EES, and 19 patients (19%) with ≥20 mm EES decreased to <20 mm EES at 2-week follow-up., Conclusions: Clinically significant changes in fracture shortening occurred in 41% of adolescents with completely displaced clavicle fractures in the first 2 weeks after injury. In 26% of patients, this resulted in a change from above or below the commonly used shortening threshold of 20 mm, potentially altering the treatment plan by many providers. There is no evidence to suggest that adolescent clavicle fracture shortening affects outcomes, and as such, the authors do not advocate for the use of this parameter to guide treatment. However, among physicians who continue to use this parameter to guide treatment, this study supports that repeat radiographic assessment 2 weeks postinjury may be a better measure of the true shortening of this common adolescent injury., Level of Evidence: Level IV-case series., Competing Interests: J.J.N. discloses speaking fees from Smith & Nephew; consulting fees from Ceterix Orthopaedics, Smith & Nephew, and Responsive Arthroscopy; educational support from Arthrex and Elite Orthopedics. J.J.N. is also a consultant with Ceterix Orthopaedics, Smith & Nephew, and Responsive Arthroscopy. E.W.E. discloses fees received from Orthopediatrics and Arthrex Corporation for speaking/organizing an educational program. H.B.E. discloses speaking fees from Smith & Nephew and Synthes GmbH, speaking fees from Orthopaediatric, educational support from Pylant Medical, and hospitality payments from Arthrex. M.S.K. discloses consulting fees and royalties from OrthoPediatrics, speaking fees and honoraria from Stryker, and educational support from Kairos Surgical. M.S.K. is also a consultant with OrthoPediatrics, Smith & Nephew, and Ossur. Y.L. discloses educational support from Zimmer/Biomet. Y.L. is also on the advisory board for Medtronic. N.K.P. discloses consulting fees from OrthoPediatrics and educational support from Evolution Surgical. N.K.P. is also a consultant with OrthoPediatrics. A.T.P. discloses speaking fees from Smith & Nephew, consulting fees from OrthoPediatrics, and educational support from Sporstek Medical. A.T.P. also owns stock or stock options in Imagen Technologies and receives publishing royalties and financial or material support from Wolters Kluwer Health–Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. A.T.P. also is a consultant with OrthoPediatrics. D.D.S. discloses educational support from Gentleman Orthopedic Solutions. S.C.W. discloses speaking fees from Arthrex and Smith & Nephew and consulting fees from Smith & Nephew. S.C.W. also is a consultant with Smith & Nephew. P.L.W. discloses educational support from Pylant Medical. B.E.H. discloses educational support from Kairos Surgical and consulting fees from Arthrex Inc. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Case: We present a 17-year-old male patient with an initially missed posterior sternoclavicular fracture dislocation who presented with symptoms related to thrombotic emboli arising from a pseudoaneurysm. He was treated 6 weeks after injury with a figure-of-eight tendon allograft repair with good clinical outcomes., Conclusion: This is a unique presentation that highlights the significant risk of a missed diagnosis, life-threatening complications that may ensue, and biomechanically superior surgical intervention., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSCC/C415)., (Copyright © 2024 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Introduction: The purpose of this prospective study was to report the outcomes of two different methods in CC and AC reconstruction for the treatment of AC separation using a tendon graft and knot-hiding titanium clavicular implant., Materials and Methods: Twenty-seven patients with Rockwood grade III and V acromioclavicular (AC) separations were randomized into two groups. The primary outcome was whether taking the tendon graft through the coracoid risked a fracture. The following were secondary outcomes: follow-up of clavicular wound healing and Nottingham Clavicle score, Constant score, and Simple Shoulder Test results obtained preoperatively and 24 months postoperatively. The anteroposterior radiographic change between the clavicular and coracoid cortexes and the clavicular tunnel diameter was measured postoperatively and 24 months postoperatively. General patient satisfaction with the outcome (poor, fair, good, or excellent) was assessed 2 years postoperatively., Results: No coracoid fractures were detected. No issues in clavicular wound healing were detected. The mean Nottingham Clavicle score increased from a preoperative mean of 42.42 ± 13.42 to 95.31 ± 14.20 (P < 0.00). The Constant score increased from a preoperative mean of 50.81 ± 17.77 to 96.42 ± 11.51 (P < 0.001). The Simple Shoulder Test score increased from a preoperative mean of 7.50 ± 2.45 to 11.77 ± 1.18 (P < 0.001). The changes were significant. The coracoclavicular distance increased from 11.88 ± 4.00 to 14.19 ± 4.71 mm (P = 0.001), which was significant. The clavicular drill hole diameter increased from 5.5 to a mean of 8.00 ± 0.75 mm. General patient satisfaction was excellent., Conclusions: There were no significant differences between the two groups. There were no implant related complications in the clavicular wound healing. The results support the notion that good results are achieved by reconstructing both the CC and AC ligaments with a tendon graft., Study Registration: This clinical trial was registered on Clinicaltrials.gov., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of assessing preoperative conventional X-ray diagnostics in determining whether a comminuted clavicle fracture is present., Methods: A total of 326 patients with complete clinical and radiological documentation treated for a central clavicle fracture at the author's department between January 1, 2012, and June 30, 2023, were included. Among these, 73 were female, and 253 were male in a mean age of 37.5 ± 17 years., Results: On preoperative X-ray images or operation reports, 109 (33%) or 78 (24%) simple and 217 (67%) or 248 (76%) comminuted fractures were identified. Thity-one out of 248 comminuted fractures were only discovered intraoperatively, accounting for 13%. According to the AO classification on preoperative X-ray or operation reports, 109 or 78 fractures were classified as type A (33% or 24%), 51 or 45 as type B (16% or 14%), and 166 or 203 as type C (51% or 62%). For 40 patients, the discrepancy between the preoperative X-ray and the intraoperative fracture type led to a change in the surgical procedure. This represents 12% of the total cohort or 91% of the fractures that were classified differently preoperatively compared to intraoperatively. In these cases, fractures were treated with open reduction and angular stable plate osteosynthesis instead of the preoperatively planned elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN)., Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that conventional X-ray diagnostics may not always detect comminuted clavicle shaft fractures. The treating physician should be aware of this issue., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Purpose: We created an infrastructure for no code machine learning (NML) platform for non-programming physicians to create NML model. We tested the platform by creating an NML model for classifying radiographs for the presence and absence of clavicle fractures., Methods: Our IRB-approved retrospective study included 4135 clavicle radiographs from 2039 patients (mean age 52 ± 20 years, F:M 1022:1017) from 13 hospitals. Each patient had two-view clavicle radiographs with axial and anterior-posterior projections. The positive radiographs had either displaced or non-displaced clavicle fractures. We configured the NML platform to automatically retrieve the eligible exams using the series' unique identification from the hospital virtual network archive via web access to DICOM Objects. The platform trained a model until the validation loss plateaus. Once the testing was complete, the platform provided the receiver operating characteristics curve and confusion matrix for estimating sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy., Results: The NML platform successfully retrieved 3917 radiographs (3917/4135, 94.7 %) and parsed them for creating a ML classifier with 2151 radiographs in the training, 100 radiographs for validation, and 1666 radiographs in testing datasets (772 radiographs with clavicle fracture, 894 without clavicle fracture). The network identified clavicle fracture with 90 % sensitivity, 87 % specificity, and 88 % accuracy with AUC of 0.95 (confidence interval 0.94-0.96)., Conclusion: A NML platform can help physicians create and test machine learning models from multicenter imaging datasets such as the one in our study for classifying radiographs based on the presence of clavicle fracture., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Mannudeep K. Kalra reports a relationship with Siemens Healthineers that includes: funding grants., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Video Available at: https://ota.org/education/ota-online-resources/video-library-procedures-techniques/distal-clavicle-fracture-repair., Competing Interests: Dr Babar Shafiq is a paid consultant for DePuy Synthes. He is on the editorial board for Frontiers in Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, and is a Board/committee member for the Orthopaedic Trauma Association. He also receives research support from DePuy Synthes. Dr Davis Rogers is a paid consultant for Thumbroll, LLC. The remaining authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflict of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of double plate fixation for failed clavicle shaft fracture surgery., Materials and Methods: We analyzed 14 patients who underwent double plate fixation due to plate failure after clavicle shaft fracture surgery from March 2016 to March 2021. The study used 3.5 mm locking compression plates for superior clavicle and anterior reconstruction in all patients. In addition, moldable allograft bone was used to fill the bone defect. Clinical and radiological evaluation was performed immediately, at 2 and 4 weeks, and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively. The visual analog scale (VAS), University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder scale, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores and range of motion of the shoulder were evaluated as clinical results. For radiological evaluation, anteroposterior, caudal, and cephalad views of both clavicles were used. Successful bone union was defined as complete adjoining of the fracture site through callus formation., Results: Successful bone union was achieved in all patients, and the mean time to bone union was 16.7 ± 1.2 weeks (range, 12-24 weeks). Statistically significant improvement in forward flexion and external and internal rotation was observed from 135.5° ± 6.3, 45.2° ± 5.3, and 13° ± 2.3 preoperatively to 157.0° ± 9.3, 68.7° ± 6.3, and 9.8° ± 3.1 at the final follow-up, respectively. The VAS score improved from an average of 6.2 ± 2.8 preoperatively to 1.3 ± 0.7 at the final follow-up, which was statistically significant (P = 0.018). In addition, the ASES score significantly increased from a mean of 52.1 ± 6.3 points preoperatively to 83.6 ± 7.8 points at the final follow-up (P = 0.001). The average UCLA shoulder score was 16.7 ± 1.4 and 31.4 ± 2.2 points preoperatively and at the final follow-up, respectively, which was statistically significant (P = 0.001)., Conclusion: Double plate fixation has shown good results after failed open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for clavicle shaft fractures. Therefore, in complicated situations after ORIF, double plate fixation is considered a surgical treatment option., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Radiological age assessment using reference studies is inherently limited in accuracy due to a finite number of assignable skeletal maturation stages. To overcome this limitation, we present a deep learning approach for continuous age assessment based on clavicle ossification in computed tomography (CT)., Methods: Thoracic CT scans were retrospectively collected from the picture archiving and communication system. Individuals aged 15.0 to 30.0 years examined in routine clinical practice were included. All scans were automatically cropped around the medial clavicular epiphyseal cartilages. A deep learning model was trained to predict a person's chronological age based on these scans. Performance was evaluated using mean absolute error (MAE). Model performance was compared to an optimistic human reader performance estimate for an established reference study method., Results: The deep learning model was trained on 4,400 scans of 1,935 patients (training set: mean age = 24.2 years ± 4.0, 1132 female) and evaluated on 300 scans of 300 patients with a balanced age and sex distribution (test set: mean age = 22.5 years ± 4.4, 150 female). Model MAE was 1.65 years, and the highest absolute error was 6.40 years for females and 7.32 years for males. However, performance could be attributed to norm-variants or pathologic disorders. Human reader estimate MAE was 1.84 years and the highest absolute error was 3.40 years for females and 3.78 years for males., Conclusions: We present a deep learning approach for continuous age predictions using CT volumes highlighting the medial clavicular epiphyseal cartilage with performance comparable to the human reader estimate., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: In medical imaging, the integration of deep-learning-based semantic segmentation algorithms with preprocessing techniques can reduce the need for human annotation and advance disease classification. Among established preprocessing techniques, Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) has demonstrated efficacy in improving segmentation algorithms across various modalities, such as X-rays and CT. However, there remains a demand for improved contrast enhancement methods considering the heterogeneity of datasets and the various contrasts across different anatomic structures., Method: This study proposes a novel preprocessing technique, ps-KDE, to investigate its impact on deep learning algorithms to segment major organs in posterior-anterior chest X-rays. Ps-KDE augments image contrast by substituting pixel values based on their normalized frequency across all images. We evaluate our approach on a U-Net architecture with ResNet34 backbone pre-trained on ImageNet. Five separate models are trained to segment the heart, left lung, right lung, left clavicle, and right clavicle., Results: The model trained to segment the left lung using ps-KDE achieved a Dice score of 0.780 (SD = 0.13), while that of trained on CLAHE achieved a Dice score of 0.717 (SD = 0.19), p<0.01. ps-KDE also appears to be more robust as CLAHE-based models misclassified right lungs in select test images for the left lung model. The algorithm for performing ps-KDE is available at https://github.com/wyc79/ps-KDE., Discussion: Our results suggest that ps-KDE offers advantages over current preprocessing techniques when segmenting certain lung regions. This could be beneficial in subsequent analyses such as disease classification and risk stratification., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Wang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Cortical thickness and porosity are two main determinants of cortical bone strength. Thus, mapping variations in these parameters across the full width of the distal end of the clavicle may be helpful for better understanding the basis of distal clavicle fractures and for selecting optimal surgical treatment., Methods: Distal ends of 11 clavicles (6 men, 5 women; age: 81.9 ± 15.1 years) were scanned by micro-computed tomography at 10-µm resolution. We first analyzed cortical thickness and porosity of each 500-μm-wide area across the superior surface of distal clavicle at the level of conoid tubercle in an antero-posterior direction. This level was chosen for detailed evaluation because previous studies have demonstrated its superior microarchitecture relative to the rest of the distal clavicle. Subsequently, we divided the full width of distal clavicle to three subregions (anterior, middle, and posterior) and analyzed cortical porosity, pore diameter, pore separation, and cortical thickness., Results: We found the largest number of low-thickness and high-porosity areas in the anterior subregion. Cortical porosity, pore diameter, pore separation, and cortical thickness varied significantly among the three subregions (p < 0.001 p = 0.016, p = 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). Cortex of the anterior subregion was more porous than that of the middle subregion (p < 0.001) and more porous and thinner than that of the posterior subregion (p < 0.001, p = 0.030, respectively). Interaction of site and sex revealed higher porosity of the anterior subregion in women (p < 0.001). The anterior subregion had larger pores than the middle subregion (p = 0.019), whereas the middle subregion had greater pore separation compared with the anterior (p = 0.002) and posterior subregions (p = 0.006). In general, compared with men, women had thinner (p < 0.001) and more porous cortex (p = 0.03) with larger cortical pores (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Due to high cortical porosity and low thickness, the anterior conoid subregion exhibits poor bone microarchitecture, particularly in women, which may be considered in clinical practice., Levels of Evidence: Level IV., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The costoclavicular space serves as an alternative approach to the infraclavicular brachial plexus block, and numerous studies in adults have demonstrated promising outcomes for distal upper limb surgery. Blocking the brachial plexus at this level is potentially advantageous because the cords are relatively superficial, located in close proximity to each other and easily identified using ultrasound., Aims: This study aimed to assess the success rate and feasibility of costoclavicular block in children undergoing unilateral below elbow upper limb surgery., Methods: Thirty children aged 2-12 years scheduled for unilateral below elbow surgery under general anesthesia were included. Costoclavicular block was performed under ultrasound and nerve stimulator guidance with 0.5% ropivacaine, 0.5 mL/kg. Success was evaluated based on the absence of significant hemodynamic response to skin incision made 20 min after the block. The sono-anatomy of costoclavicular space, ease of needling, complications, and the post-operative pain scores were assessed., Results: The mean age and weight of the children were 6.5 ± 3.8 years and 19.7 ± 9.1 kg, respectively. The success rate of costoclavicular block in our cohort is 100%. Sonographic visualization was graded as excellent (Likert Scale 2) in 90% of cases. The plexus was located at a depth of 1.4 ± 0.3 cm from the skin, the lateral extent of cords from the artery was 0.8 ± 0.4 cm and they were observed inferior and lateral to the artery. The mean needling time was 3.6 ± 1.1 min. None of the children experienced complications such as vascular or pleural puncture, hematoma, Horner's syndrome or diaphragmatic palsy. Postoperative pain scores were low, and no rescue analgesia was required., Conclusions: In conclusion, the costoclavicular block exhibited a notably high success rate in pediatric population. This study substantiates that the three cords of the brachial plexus are consistently visible and superficial during ultrasound examination using this approach, confirming their separation from vascular structures and the reliable achievement of blockade without observed complications., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This paper presents a retrospective analysis of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) scans of secondary ossification centers in the medial clavicular epiphysis, iliac crest apophysis, proximal humeral epiphysis, distal femoral epiphysis, proximal tibial epiphysis, and distal tibial epiphysis. At the same time, we analyzed PMCT scans of the maxillary and mandibular incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. We assessed 203 corpses, whose age ranged from 2 to 30 years, including 156 males and 47 females. The purpose of our study was to compare the processes of secondary ossification center fusion and permanent tooth maturation. Our research hypothesis was that certain stages of skeletal and dental maturation occur along consistent timelines that can be related to the chronological age. Secondary ossification center fusion was evaluated based on Kreitner and also McKern and Steward's classifications. The process of permanent tooth maturation was evaluated with Demirjian's method. Spearman's correlation coefficients (Rho) were positive in all analyses, which indicates that epiphyseal fusion progresses with age. The strongest relationship between the age and the stages of ossification was observed in the proximal tibial epiphysis (p < 0.001; Rho = 0.93) in females and in the medial clavicular epiphysis (p < 0.001; Rho = 0.77) in males. Studies show the importance of concomitant analysis of skeletal and dental maturation with a subsequent comparison of the results to achieve a greater precision in age estimation. A comparison of the results obtained in the study population of Polish children, adolescents, and young adults with the results of other studies in populations of similar ages showed a number of similarities in the time windows of dental and skeletal maturation. These similarities may help in age estimation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The primary goal of this study was to determine the anatomic relationship between the clavicle and the apical lung segment. The secondary goal was to determine the incidence of pneumothorax (PTX) in patients who underwent clavicle ORIF to analyze the utility of postoperative chest radiographs., Methods: Six hundred thirty-one patients with a midshaft clavicle fracture who underwent superior plating at a single institution were identified. Forty-two patients had a CT scan of the chest. Three points on the uninjured clavicle were defined: 2 cm from the medial end of the clavicle, the mid-point of the clavicle, and 2 cm from the lateral end of the clavicle. At each point, the distance from both the inferior cortex and the superior cortex of the clavicle to the apical lung segment was measured. All 631 patients who underwent Open Reduction and Internal Fixation had a postoperative chest radiograph to evaluate implant placement, restoration of clavicular length, and presence of PTX., Results: From the lateral end of the clavicle, the mean distance of the lung was 60.0 ± 14.9 mm (20.1 to 96.1 mm) from the inferior cortex of the clavicle. At the mid-point, the mean distance of the lung was 32.3 ± 7.2 mm (20.4 to 45.5 mm) from the inferior cortex of the clavicle. At the medial end, the mean distance of the lung was 18.0 ± 5.5 mm (8.1 to 28.9 mm) from the inferior cortex of the clavicle. A review of postoperative radiographs for all 631 patients revealed none (0%) with a postoperative iatrogenic PTX., Conclusion: The risk of injury is minimal in all three zones. Postoperative chest radiographs after clavicle fracture repair to rule out PTX are unnecessary., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between fetal clavicle length and gestational age in pregnant patients from 14 and 27 weeks of gestation., Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients from 14 and 27 weeks of gestation. Ultrasonographic measurements such as abdominal circumference (AC), femur length (FL), humerus length (HL), clavicle length (CL), head circumference (HC), biparietal diameter (BPD), estimated fetal weight (EFW), and transverse cerebellum diameter (TCD) were made and compared., Results: A total of 552 patients were evaluated in our clinic and CL was measured properly and successfully in all fetuses. Fetal AC, FL, HL, CL, BPD, HC, EFW and TCD measurements were significantly and strongly correlated with gestational week, and Pearson's correlation values were 0.964, 0.965, 0.959, 0.965, 0.951, 0.917, 0.925, and 0.954, respectively (p < 0.001). In the regression analysis equation, gestational week = 0.894 + CL × 0.961., Conclusion: There was a significant positive correlation between fetal CL (mm) and gestational week. We suggest that the 1 mm = 1 week rule can be used for patients with anomalies of the cerebellum and vermis, as well as for patients with unknown last menstrual period., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rib graft is a common source of cartilage in rhinoplasty. Donor site choices for this resource were identified according to the authors who presented the introduction of this technique. However, the scientific basis of this valuable method lacks information, including the anatomical properties of costal cartilage. In this study, cartilage radioanatomy is examined and tested for if any estimators are present. A total of 148 thoracal CT scans of patients who applied to our facility were analyzed. Patients were divided per their sex and age of 35, and rib cartilage dimensions, including axial length between the sternal and costal ends of the cartilage (TotL), posteroanterior diameters at the sternal end (StDia), costal end (CosDia), the thickest part (MaxDia) as diametrical parameters and vertical height at the thickest part (h) were recorded. Length of the sternum (St), the axial length of the clavicle (ClavL), the distance of the sixth rib from the anterior axillary border (AntAx), and thorax circumferences at the level of both pectoralis major muscle origin (ThC) and nipples (BrC) were recorded. Statistical analyses were done for correlations. St, ClavL, ThC, and BrC were found to have the most correlated measurements in groups with the age of 35 and less of both genders, and the relations were lost in older groups. Thorax shape may change after the age of 35 years, but in younger patients, St in females and ClavL in males can be used as estimators of cartilage amount., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

Background: The clavipectoral fascia plane block (CPB) is a novel anesthetic management strategy proposed by Valdes-Vilches for clavicle fractures. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of the injected solution around the clavicle and the surrounding tissues., Methods: Twelve clavicle samples were acquired from six cadavers. CPB was conducted using a 20 mL solution comprising methylene blue and iodinated contrast agent to improve visibility of the injected substance's dispersion. Methylene blue spread was assessed through anatomical dissection across distinct planes (subcutaneous, superficial muscular, deep muscular, and periosteal layers of the clavicle) in five cadavers. For the purpose of comparing methylene blue distribution, CT scans were performed on three cadavers., Results: Methylene blue was detected in the medial, intermediate, and lateral supraclavicular nerves, as well as superficial muscles including the deltoid, trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, and pectoralis major. However, no staining was observed in the deep muscle plane, including the subclavius, pectoralis minor, and clavipectoral fascia (CPF). Anterosuperior periosteum exhibited staining in 54% of surface, while only 4% of the posteroinferior surface. CT images displayed contrast staining in anterosuperior periclavicular region, consistent with observations from sagittal sections and anatomical dissections., Conclusion: The CPB effectively distributes the administered solution in the anterosuperior region of the clavicular periosteum, superficial muscular plane, and supraclavicular nerves. However, it does not affect the posteroinferior region of the clavicular periosteum or the deep muscular plane, including the CPF., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Clavicle fractures represent up to 10 % of all fractures, affecting mainly a young population. Open reduction and internal plate fixation provide good results, but evidence on the best plate positioning is still unclear. Aim of this retrospective study was to compare superior and antero-inferior plating positioning in the surgical treatment of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures., Materials and Methods: 104 patients aged > 18 years, treated surgically with plate fixation (51 superior, 53 antero-inferior) for a midshaft clavicle fracture from January 2010 to April 2021 were included. At the time of the visit, mean follow-up time was 6.6 ± 2.6 years. Shoulder function was evaluated with the use of Constant-Murley Score (CMS) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score. Return to sport, aesthetic satisfaction, operative time, radiological outcomes, rate of implant removal, and overall patient satisfaction were documented as well., Results: Mean CMS was 94.1 ± 10.0 points in the superior plating group and 93.4 ± 11.6 points in the antero-inferior plating group. DASH score: 4.6 ± 11.0 superior, 5.1 ± 10.5 antero-inferior. Return to sport: 8.2 ± 2.9 superior, 8.2 ± 3.0 antero-inferior. Aesthetic satisfaction: 8.9 ± 1.6 superior, 8.8 ± 2.1 antero-inferior. Overall satisfaction: 9.1 ± 1.5 superior, 8.9 ± 1.7 antero-inferior. The comparison between groups showed no statistically significant differences (p = n.s.) for all outcome measures. Operative time: 101.6 ± 27.3 min superior, 113.0 ± 31.6 min antero-inferior (p = 0.05). Radiological follow-up documented one non-union and one mal-union in the antero-inferior plating group. Overall, 63 patients underwent plate removal: 58.8 % in the superior plating group and 62.3 % in the antero-inferior plating group (p = n.s.). Main reason for plate removal was pain/discomfort., Conclusions: Both superior and antero-inferior plating provided excellent clinical, functional, and radiological results for the treatment of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures, without significant differences between groups. The superior plating group showed a statistically shorter operative time. High rate of re-interventions with implant removal was documented in both groups., Level of Evidence: III., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Whether displaced lateral clavicle fractures should be treated surgically remains controversial. This study aims to compare outcomes after surgical versus non-surgical treatment of such fractures., Patients and Methods: 113 patients with lateral clavicle fractures registered in the Swedish Fracture Register (SFR) during 2018 and with complete displacement on radiography were included in this cohort study. Linkage with the National Patient Register provided information on baseline medical comorbidities and further interventions. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) were assessed using the European Quality of Life Scale (EQ-5D-3L), the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA), and the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QDASH). The primary outcome was the total number of initial and delayed surgical procedures. The secondary outcome was difference in PROM between surgically and non-surgically treated patient groups., Results: At a mean follow-up of 4.4 (range 3.9-4.9) years, 35 (67 %) of the 52 patients initially treated surgically had undergone a secondary procedure, mostly for implant removal. Of the 61 initially non-surgically treated patients, 3 (5 %) underwent delayed surgical treatment due to non- or malunion. 45 (40 %) patients responded to follow-up questionnaires, but no statistically significant differences were found in any PROM between groups., Conclusions: Two thirds of surgically treated patients with displaced lateral clavicle fractures underwent two procedures. The need for delayed surgical treatment in non-surgically treated patients was low and PROM was similar in both treatment groups. Nonsurgical treatment should be considered as an option to surgery for fully displaced lateral fractures of the clavicle more often., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND Coracoid process fractures are uncommon and are often complicated by many types of shoulder girdle injuries. Previous reports have shown that osteosynthesis for isolated coracoid process fractures results in favorable outcomes and high bone union rates. However, owing to the rarity of coracoid process fractures combined with distal clavicle fractures, there are limited data to guide treatment strategies. We report a case of symptomatic nonunion despite performing osteosynthesis for fractures of the coracoid process and distal clavicle. CASE REPORT A 60-year-old man presented with left shoulder pain after falling from the back of a truck. Radiography and computed tomography (CT) findings revealed fractures of the left distal clavicle and coracoid process. We performed plate and costoclavicular fixation using a suture button for the distal clavicle fracture and cannulated cancellous screw fixation for the coracoid process fracture. However, the patient experienced severe pain around the coracoid and had limited shoulder range of motion 1 year postoperatively. CT revealed nonunion of the coracoid process, prompting a recommendation for surgery. However, despite severe persistent functional impairment, the patient refused surgery 1.5 years postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS This case suggests the potential for symptomatic nonunion of the coracoid process when using a suture-button device for a distal clavicle fracture. To prevent postoperative nonunion of the coracoid process, postoperative CT evaluation is necessary. If a symptomatic delayed bone union of coracoid process is observed, considering early removal of the suture button is recommended.

Background: Fractures of the clavicle are common injuries, which often require reduction and internal fixation. Although Kirschner pins have been commonly used to treat these fractures with good results, migration of these devices may result in severe internal lesions., Case Presentation: We report herein the case of 61-year-old man, who presented for intrapulmonary migration of a Kirschner pin, 25 years after closed reduction and fixation of a clavicle fracture., Conclusion: Migration of an osteosynthesis pin can be lethal. Patients with osteosynthesis pins, should have a regular follow, until the removal of the wires., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To explore feasibility of 3D metal printing technology combined with virtual design proximal clavicle anatomical plate., Methods: A 52-year-old male healthy volunteer was retrospectively selected to design proximal clavicle anatomical plate system by using Mimics15.01,NX12.0 and other software. STL data were input into 3D printer to print 1:1 clavicle model and proximal clavicle anatomical plate. The fit of the plate was tested in vitro and the accuracy of screw position was evaluated by imaging. Printing time of model,nail path design and fabrication time of the anatomical plate at proximal clavicle were recorded., Results: The 3D metal printing proximal clavicle anatomical plate fitted well to clavicle model,orientation of proximal clavicle locking screw was accurate,and X-ray and CT scan showed the screw position was good. Printing time of model,the time of nail path design,and the time of making anatomical plate of proximal clavicle were 120,15 and 300 min respectively., Conclusion: The proximal clavicular anatomical plate system based on 3D metal printing technology could achieve good lamination of proximal clavicular fracture plate and precise screw placement,providing a new and accurate surgical method for the treatment of the proximal clavicular fracture.

The clavicle has various anatomic shapes unique to each individual. Additionally, with the increase in high-energy traumas such as sports injuries and traffic accidents, the patterns of fractures become complex and complicated. Thus, there is a need for a variety of shapes of locking compression plates (LCP) to accommodate different types of fractures and facilitate quicker rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to present different types of LCP that secure fracture fragments and distribute stress evenly, in comparison to typical anatomical LCPs, for reinforcing clavicle fractures. Three models were compared in this study: the typical shape, the center hole removed shape, and the double-curved wing shape. The DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) file obtained from the computed tomography scan of the patient's clavicle was used to extract the three-dimensional (3D) clavicle structure. Finite element analysis (FEA) simulation was employed to analyze the structural changes of the LCP under external forces. A reinforced jig was used to apply the same type of external force to each LCP, and an experiment was conducted to analyze the mechanical impact of the LCP's structural characteristics. When comparing the stress values at the fracture zone point, resulting from the FEA simulation with applied bending forces, it was calculated that the stress dispersion effect was approximately ten times greater when transitioning from a typical LCP shape to a double-curved partial wing structure. Moreover, the ultimate stress increased 3.33 times, from 241.322 to 804.057 N, as the LCP design changed under cantilever bending conditions. This double-curved wing LCP design reduces stress concentration at the fracture site and minimizes stress in the fracture area when subjected to cantilever bending forces. Consequently, this newly designed LCP has the potential to decrease complications related to the plate and accelerate rehabilitation protocols., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) reconstruction using artificial ligaments is a common surgical treatment for Rockwood grade III or higher injuries. These techniques use bone tunnels in the clavicle and coracoid to insert the Tightrope implants. This multicenter retrospective study compares long term radiographic follow up of clavicular tunnel widening in two groups of patients with high-grade ACJ injury who underwent reconstruction using two different surgical techniques. The first group of 23 patients underwent an arthroscopic single clavicular tunnel ACJ reconstruction. The second group of 23 patiënts underwent an open double clavicular tunnel reconstruction. Inclusion criteria are Rockwood grade III or higher injury and minimum 18 months of follow-up. Exclusion criteria are distal clavicle fracture and additional stabilization techniques. Radiographic results were measured on anteroposterior shoulder radiographs taken at the first and last follow-up. Clavicular tunnel widening is the main outcome measurement. Secondary outcomes are heterotopic ligament calcifications, migration of buttons, tunnel fracture and loss of acromioclavicular reduction. The mean clavicular tunnel widening in the single clavicular tunnel technique is 1.91 mm. In the double clavicular tunnel technique, the widening of the medial tunnel is 2.52 mm and 3.59 mm in the lateral tunnel. The difference in widening between the single tunnel and the lateral tunnel is significant (p=0.003). A very clear observation on all follow-up X-rays was a reorientation of the clavicular tunnels towards the coracoid. The double clavicular tunnel technique has more tunnel widening in both tunnels compared to the single bundle technique.

Patients with threatened arteriovenous access are often found to have central venous stenoses at the ipsilateral costoclavicular junction, which may be resistant to endovascular intervention. Stenoses in this location may not resolve unless surgical decompression of thoracic outlet is performed to relieve the extrinsic compression on the subclavian vein. The authors reviewed the management of dialysis patients with central venous lesions at the thoracic outlet, as well as the role of surgical decompression with first-rib resection or claviculectomy for salvage of threatened, ipsilateral dialysis access., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Optimal treatment of completely displaced midshaft clavicular fractures in adolescents remains controversial, with some favoring surgical management and others favoring a nonoperative approach. Few studies have comprehensively assessed longer-term nonoperative outcomes., Purpose: To prospectively assess patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and radiographic remodeling ≥5 years after injury in teenagers undergoing nonoperative treatment of completely displaced clavicular fractures., Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4., Methods: Adolescent patients previously enrolled in a prospective study from a single institution with nonoperatively treated, completely displaced midshaft clavicular fractures ≥5 years from injury were eligible for the study. Patients were clinically evaluated for scapular dyskinesia and strength deficits. Bilateral clavicular imaging assessed residual shortening, displacement, and angulation. PROs included the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), the shortened version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH), Marx Shoulder Activity Scale, cosmesis, and return to sports data., Results: A total of 24 patients were available for the follow-up, of whom 17 (71%) consented to additional imaging. The mean cohort age at the time of injury was 14.5 ± 1.1 years, with 88% being male. At a mean follow-up of 6.1 years, all fractures had healed, with no patient requiring secondary interventions. Significant remodeling was observed across all measurements, with improvements of 70% in shortening (22.8 to 6.8 mm; P < .001), 73% in superior displacement (13.4 to 3.6 mm; P < .001), and 83% in angulation (10.4° to 1.8°; P < .001). Thirteen patients (72%) had a >2-cm initial shortening, and all remodeled to <2 cm. PROs were almost universally excellent, with mean ASES, QuickDASH, and Marx activity scores of 99 ± 3, 1 ± 3, and 20 ± 1, respectively, with 79% of patients reporting perfect scores in all 3 domains. Most patients (58%) were completely satisfied with their shoulder appearance, 38% were more satisfied than not, 1 patient (4%) was neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and no patients were dissatisfied. All patients except 1 who were interested in sports returned to sporting activities. PROs were not associated with bony remodeling ( P > .05)., Conclusion: Teenaged patients with completely displaced clavicular fractures treated nonoperatively can expect excellent radiographic and clinical outcomes 5 years after injury., Competing Interests: One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: E.W.E. has received fees from OrthoPediatrics and Arthrex for speaking or organizing an educational program and support for education from Elevate Surgical. B.E.H. has received support for education from Kairos Surgical and Pylant and consulting fees from Arthrex. M.T.B. has received speaking fees from Arthrex, consulting fees from OrthoPediatrics, and support for education from Arthrex and United Orthopedics. H.B.E. has received speaking fees from Smith & Nephew, Synthes GmbH, and OrthoPediatrics; support for education from Pylant Medical; and hospitality payments from Arthrex and Stryker. M.S.K. has received consulting fees and royalties from OrthoPediatrics; consulting fees from Smith & Nephew and Ossur; speaking fees and honoraria from Stryker; and support for education from Kairos Surgical. Y.L. has received support for education from Zimmer/Biomet and is on the advisory board for Medtronic. J.J.N. has received speaking fees from Smith & Nephew and Responsive Arthroscopy; support for education from Arthrex and Elite Orthopedics; and consulting fees from Ceterix Orthopaedics, Smith & Nephew, and Responsive Arthroscopy. N.K.P. has received consulting fees from OrthoPediatrics and support for education from Evolution Surgical. C.P. has received support for education from United Orthopedics. D.D.S. has received support for education from Gentleman Orthopedic Solutions. S.C.W. has received speaking fees from Arthrex, Smith & Nephew, and United Orthopedics and consulting fees from Smith & Nephew and Vericel. P.L.W. has received support for education from Pylant Medical. A.T.P. has received speaker fees from Smith & Nephew, consulting fees from OrthoPediatrics, and support for education from Sportstek Medical and ImpactOrtho. He owns stock or stock options in Imagen Technologies, receives publishing royalties and financial or material support from Wolters Kluwer Health–Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, and receives royalties from Responsive Arthroscopy. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.

The analysis of the sternoclavicular joint holds significant importance in forensic anthropology, especially through the evaluation of medial clavicular ossification stage, which, however, is helpful only in subjects younger than 30 years of age. Given this limitation, the aim of the present work was to examine, through micro-CT, the surface of sternoclavicular joints of deceased individuals across various age groups, aiming to identify age-related degenerative changes applicable to age estimation in adults over 30 years old. A total of 41 deceased subjects were categorized into three age groups (20-39 years; 40-59 years; ≥60 years) for the analysis. Degenerative morphological features on both clavicular and sternal articular surfaces, including topography, porosity, and presence of osteophytes, were evaluated using a composite scoring system based on a modified "Falys-Prangle method.", which assigns to each parameter specific score ranges: 1-3 for surface topography (smooth, slightly irregular, markedly irregular), 1-6 for porosity (absent, micro- and macroporosity for <50 % or >50 % of surface, surface breakdown), 1-3 for osteophytes (absent, present, not evaluable). The findings revealed a positive correlation between degenerative morphological features and age for both clavicular (rs = 0.719) and sternal articular surfaces (rs = 0.750). Additionally, the combined assessment of the clavicle and sternum, or the evaluation of the clavicle alone, exhibited better differentiation among the three age groups. The micro-CT evaluation of degenerative alterations affecting the sternoclavicular joint proves to be a reliable and efficient method for age estimation in adults., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Upon finding skeletal unidentified remains, four are the questions that must be answered: age, sex, ancestry, and stature. Regarding age estimation, clavicle has received special attention because medial epiphysis is the last epiphysis, among long bones that ossifies. Falys and Prangle proposed a method of age estimation based on three degenerative characteristics-surface topography (TOP), Porosity (POR) and Osteophyte formation (OST)-evaluated on the sternal end of the clavicle according to the descriptions and the illustrations provided in the original article producing satisfactory results. The current study aims to test the applicability of the Falys' and Prangle's method on 174 individuals from two contemporary samples, one from Greece (Cretan osteological Collection and Athens Forensic Anthropology Lab collection) and one from Thailand (Osteological collection in Chiang Mai). Composite scores were calculated, inter and intra- observer error were estimated by kappa statistics and regression equations of the original study were tested in our sample and in subsamples divided by sex and population. The Greek sample gave more accurate estimates compared to the Thai sample. Regressions of known sex gave slightly better results in most cases. When individuals <40 years old were excluded, classification increased for both Thai and Greeks. The results of this pilot study indicate that there are morphological features on the clavicle that are highly correlated with age. Thus, there is a scope of expanding research on the morphological features of the collar bone., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background:  The expert opinions on forensic age diagnostics requested by state institutions are used to show the exceeding of legally relevant age thresholds, especially the completed 18 th year of life. According to the recommendations of the Study Group on Forensic Age Diagnostics (AGFAD), this requires - among other things - a determination of skeletal age., Method:  Considering recent scientific knowledge, the current conditions and established skeletal age diagnostics methods are presented. Additionally, this review article sheds light on the influence of ethnicity and socioeconomic status, questions regarding indication, as well as alternative and future developments., Results and Conclusion:  In forensic age diagnostics, particularly hand radiography and thin-slice CT of the medial clavicular epiphysis are relevant for determining skeletal age. The Atlas method of Greulich and Pyle (1959) and the clavicular stages by Schmeling et al. (2004) and Kellinghaus et al. (2010) are primarily used for this. This spectrum of methods, which is based on a very solid database, might be supplemented by MRI studies of the knee joint in the near future., Key Points:   · Determining skeletal age is an essential part of forensic age diagnostics commissioned by state authorities and courts.. · Hand radiography and CT of the medial clavicular epiphysis form the core of the spectrum of methods recommended by the Study Group of Forensic Age Diagnostics (AGFAD).. · Since the radiological studies required for forensic age diagnostics are not medically indicated, it must be ensured that the legal basis is specifically named in each case when commissioning expert opinions.. · MRI studies of the knee joint might increase the spectrum of methods in the near future.., Citation Format: · Wittschieber D, Hahnemann ML, Mentzel H. Forensic Diagnostics of the Skeletal Age in the Living - Backgrounds and Methodology. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2024; 196: 254 - 261., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

The medial clavicle epiphysis is a crucial indicator for bone age estimation (BAE) after hand maturation. This study aimed to develop machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models for BAE based on medial clavicle CT images and evaluate the performance on normal and variant clavicles. This study retrospectively collected 1049 patients (mean± SD: 22.50±4.34 years) and split them into normal training and test sets, and variant training and test sets. An additional 53 variant clavicles were incorporated into the variant test set. The development stages of normal MCE were used to build a linear model and support vector machine (SVM) for BAE. The CT slices of MCE were automatically segmented and used to train DL models for automated BAE. Comparisons were performed by linear versus ML versus DL, and normal versus variant clavicles. Mean absolute error (MAE) and classification accuracy was the primary parameter of comparison. For BAE, the SVM had the best MAE of 1.73 years, followed by the commonly-used CNNs (1.77-1.93 years), the linear model (1.94 years), and the hybrid neural network CoAt Net (2.01 years). In DL models, SE Net 18 was the best-performing DL model with similar results to SVM in the normal test set and achieved an MAE of 2.08 years in the external variant test. For age classification, all the models exhibit superior performance in the classification of 18-, 20-, 21-, and 22-year thresholds with limited value in the 16-year threshold. Both ML and DL models produce desirable performance in BAE based on medial clavicle CT., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Established methods of age estimation are based on correlating defined maturation stages of bony structures with tables representing the observed range of biological ages in the majority of cases. In this retrospective monocentric study in southwestern Germany, common age estimation methodology was assessed in n = 198 subjects at the age of 25 or younger by analyzing the influence of age, quadratic age, biological sex and age-sex interaction on the ossification stages of the medial epiphysis fugue. Three readers (ICC ≥ 0.81 for left/right side) evaluated routine care computed tomography images of the clavicle with a slice thickness of 1 mm. By using least square regression analyses, to determine the real biological age a quadratic function was determined corrected for the age estimated by established methods and sex (R 2  = 0.6 each side), reducing the mean absolute error and root mean squared error in the age estimation of women (2.57 and 3.19) and men (2.57 and 3.47) to 1.54 and 1.82 for women, and 1.54 and 2.25 for men. In women, the medial clavicle epiphysis seem to fuse faster, which was particularly observable from approximately 18 years of age. Before that age, the estimation method was relatively close to the ideal correlation between assessed and real age. To conclude, the presented new method enables more precise age estimation in individuals and facilitates the determination and quantification of additional variables, quantifying their influence on the maturation of the medial clavicle epiphysis based on the established ossification stages., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The coracoclavicular (CC) loop stabilization technique is proposed for unstable distal clavicular fractures. This study aims to compare single and double CC loop stabilizations and evaluate differences in functional and radiographic outcomes between them., Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial involving 46 patients who sustained unstable distal clavicular fractures between April 2017 and 2019. The participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the single CC loop stabilization group (n = 23) or the double CC loop stabilization group (n = 23). We assessed their Constant score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (ASES), and pain level. Additionally, we recorded data on time to union, CC distance, and any complications., Results: The single CC loop group demonstrated a shorter operative time and significantly higher Constant score than the double CC loop group at 1 month (77.32 ± 5.65 vs. 71.91 ± 8.33; p = 0.016) and 3 months (86.17 ± 4.05 vs. 81.13 ± 6.34; p = 0.009) postoperatively. However, there was no differences in the ASES score, time to union or CC distance restoration between two groups. Implant irritation was observed in the double CC loop group (26.1%), but there were no cases requiring revision surgery., Conclusions: Both single and double CC loop stabilization demonstrated favorable outcomes, including a high union rate and minimal complications. Single CC loop stabilization showed slightly better early functional outcomes, reduced implant-related irritation, and shorter operative times., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Ultrasound's real-time, high-resolution imaging, and accessibility at the point of care make it a valuable tool for diagnosing clavicle fractures, with growing evidence supporting its diagnostic accuracy compared to other imaging modalities., Objective: To assess the diagnostic utility of ultrasound in detecting clavicle fractures., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by performing a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases up to March 10, 2023, following established guidelines. Eligible studies that reported outcomes of interest were included, relevant data elements were extracted, and data analysis was performed using STATA software version 17.0., Results: Meta-analysis of seven included studies showed high-pooled sensitivity (0.94) and specificity (0.98) values for ultrasonography in diagnosing clavicle fractures, with low to moderate heterogeneity for sensitivity and high heterogeneity for specificity. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses revealed that pediatric studies had higher sensitivity but significantly lower specificity (P=0.01) compared to mixed or adult studies. Additional subgroup analysis in the pediatric group indicated decreased heterogeneity for specificity. Fagan plot analysis demonstrated favorable post-test probabilities for both positive and negative results across varying pre-test probabilities. Additionally, the likelihood ratio scatter matrix showed moderate to high test performance for both exclusion and confirmation purposes., Conclusion: The current literature supports ultrasound as a reliable imaging modality for detecting clavicle fractures. It offers accurate diagnosis without exposing patients, especially children, to radiation., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International Skeletal Society (ISS).)

Background: Recent evidence suggests that for completely displaced midshaft clavicular fractures, surgery offers no clear benefit over nonoperative treatment in a general adolescent population from 10 to 18 years of age. However, the comparative outcomes of comminuted and/or severely shortened clavicular fractures specifically in older adolescent athletes have not been explored in a focused, methodologically rigorous fashion., Hypothesis: The study hypothesis was that outcomes would be superior in older adolescent athletes who underwent operative treatment compared with nonoperative treatment for comminuted and/or severely shortened clavicular fractures., Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2., Methods: A level 2, multicenter, prospective cohort study investigating the outcomes of midshaft fractures in adolescents between 2013 and 2017 was filtered to analyze the subcohorts of athletes 14 to 18 years of age with either fracture comminution or fracture shortening of ≥25 mm or both. Patient characteristics, injury mechanisms, fracture characteristics, and treatments were compared. Complications, rates, timing of return to sports (RTS), and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were analyzed., Results: The 2 treatment groups, which included 136 older adolescent athletes (69 nonoperative, 67 operative), showed similar distributions of primary sport type, competition level, comminution, shortening, and 2-year PRO response rate (n = 99; 73%). The operative group demonstrated 3 mm-greater mean superior displacement, which was therefore statistically controlled for as a confounder in the comparative PRO analysis. No 2-year differences in nonunion, delayed union, symptomatic malunion, refracture, clinically significant complications, or rates of RTS were detected between treatment groups. The difference in timing of RTS (operative, 10.3 weeks; nonoperative, 13.5 weeks) was statistically significant. After controlling for the minor difference in superior displacement, regression analysis and matched comparison cohorts demonstrated no differences between the nonoperative and operative groups in mean or dichotomized PRO scores., Conclusion: In this prospective, multicenter cohort study investigating older adolescent athletes with comminuted and/or severely shortened clavicular fractures, contrary to the study hypothesis, there were no differences in complications, RTS, or PROs between nonoperatively and operatively treated patients at 2 years. Comparably excellent outcomes of severe clavicular fractures in adolescent athletes can be achieved with nonoperative treatment., Competing Interests: One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: D.D.S. has disclosed financial relationships outside of this work with Gentleman Orthopedics, Pylant Medical, Integra LifeScience, DePuy Synthes, Stryker Corp, Bioventus LLC, Ferring Pharmaceutical, Arthrex Inc, AlloSource, and Ossur. P.L.W. has received support for education from Pylant Medical and discloses medical device intellectual property work with Orthofix Medical. A.T.P. has received support for education from SportsTek Medical and ImpactOrtho, and is a paid consultant for OrthoPediatrics. J.J.N. has received speaking fees from Smith & Nephew; consulting fees from Smith & Nephew and Responsive Arthroscopy; support for education from Elite Orthopedics; royalties from Responsive Arthroscopy; and hospitality payments from Smith & Nephew, Responsive Arthroscopy, and Arthrex. N.K.P. has no relevant disclosures. C.A.P. has received support for education from United Orthopedics and hospitality payments from Smith & Nephew. H.B.E. has received hospitality payments from Stryker Corp and support for education from Pylant Medical. B.E.H. has received support for education from Kairos Surgical and Pylant Medical; speaking fees from Arthrex; and is a stock owner for Imagen Technologies. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.