There is still controversies in the treatment of clavicle fracture between conservative versus operative treatment. We reviewed one hundred thirth-six patients(141 cases) treated conservatively and toperatively since February 1981 to
Septmeber
1993 at Chonbuk National University Hospital. The mean follow-up was forth-six months ranging from six months to twelve years. Fifty cases treated surgically and ninty-one cases treated conservatively. In the surgical treatment group,
mostly
treated with intramedullary nailling with K-wires or Steinmann pin ad plating with screws, with or without bone graft.
We fried to evaluate the result of treatment between these two treatment group in the viewpoint of criteria of pain, deformity, limitation of motion, subjectuve symptoms and disturbance of daily activities and also in the
viewpoint
of complications like nonunion, malunion, infection and metal frailures. The most common complication of the conservative treatment was malunion and nonunion was the most common coplication in the operative treatment. Satisfactory
results
obtained in 89% of operative treatment group in the functional group and 88% of operative treatment group in the functional evaluation scale.
Each clavicle fracture should be treated according to their degree of comminution, site of fracture, neurovasular injury, associated injury and doctor's experience as which cases can promptly be treated either conservatively or
operatively.But
we would like insist of surgical treatment for the cases mecessitating surgery for the prevention of nonunion, malunion and joint stiffness what are common complications in the conservative treatment of clavicle fractures.
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