European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: Clavicle is one of the most fractured bones in the body comprising 45% of all shoulder bone fractures. Of the surgical options, open reduction, and internal fixation of clavicle with plating and closed reduction and fixation with TENS facilitates stable fixation allowing early mobilization and reducing non-union and mal-union. This study compares functional and radiological outcome of clavicle fractures treated by plating and fractures treated by TENS. Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Orthopaedics in Government General Hospital, Kadapa from February 2023 to August 2023. In this study, 60 patients volunteered for study. Functional outcome and radiological outcome in 3 months’ post-operative period. Of them, 30 patients were selected for plate fixation and 30 patients selected for TENS. Of these patients, 46 were male and 14 females (23:7). The age group was 18 to 42 years with an average age of 27.7 years. All patients underwent surgery immediately after the fracture, on the same day or the next day. Mobilization of the limb and moderate physiotherapy started on 2nd post-operative day. In 5 patients, mobilization was delayed due to low pain threshold and was started after 1 week. At 3 months’ post-operative period, all the patients were evaluated radiologically by RUS (Radiographic Union Score) adapted from Whelan et al, and functionally by Nottingham clavicle score. Results: Overall results were, for plating, out of 30 Nottingham score >90% in 18(60%), 80-90% in 9(30%), 70-80% in 2(6.67%) and 60-70% in 1(3.33%) of patients. RUS was 4 in 20(66.67%), 3 in 6(20%) and 2 in 4(13.33%) of patients with fractures treated by plating. Of the patients, who were treated by TENS, out of 30 patients, Nottingham score >90% in 16(53.33%), 80-90% in 10(33.33%), 70-80% in 1(3.33%) and 60-70% in 3(10%). RUS was 4 in 14(46.67%), 3 in 12(40%) and 2 in 4(13.33%). Conclusion: Both the plate fixation and TENS gave good results in patients but functional outcome score by Nottingham and radiological score by RUS were slightly better for Plate fixation compared with TENS in our study.