ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of open reduction and internal fixation for multiple injuries of superior shoulder suspensory complex (SSSC) with coracoid process fracture.MethodsBetween January 2014 and October 2018, 22 patients with multiple injuries of SSSC with coracoid process fracture were treated by open reduction and internal fixation. There were 16 males and 6 females, aged from 24 to 72 years with an average age of 36.6 years. There were 10 cases of falling injury, 5 cases of traffic accident injury, and 7 cases of falling from height injury. All of them were fresh closed injuries. The time from injury to operation ranged from 2 to 17 days with an average of 6.9 days. Both X-ray film and CT showed the coracoid process fracture complicated with clavicular fracture in 14 cases, acromioclavicular joint dislocation in 12 cases, and acromioclavicular fracture in 5 cases. There were 14 cases of two places of SSSC, 7 cases of three places of SSSC, and 1 case of four places of SSSC.ResultsAll incisions healed in primary stage after operation. All patients were followed up 10-24 months with an average of 14.1 months. X-ray films showed that all fractures healed and the acromioclavicular joint was normal. The healing time ranged from 6 to 12 months, with an average of 6.2 months. No complications such as internal fixation failure and nonunion occurred. According to University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder scoring system, the shoulder joint function was rated as excellent in 15 cases, good in 5 cases, and poor in 2 cases at last follow-up. The excellent and good rate was 90.9%.ConclusionOpen reduction and internal fixation for treatment of multiple injuries of SSSC with coracoid process fracture is firm and reliable. Combined with active postoperative rehabilitation program intervention, it can accelerate the recovery of shoulder joint function and achieve satisfactory effectiveness.
Objective To explore effectiveness of TiRobot-assisted screw implantation in the treatment of coracoid process fractures of the scapula. Methods A retrospective analysis of clinical data from 24 patients with coracoid process fractures of the scapula admitted between September 2019 and January 2024 and met selection criteria. Among them, 12 patients underwent TiRobot-assisted screw implantation (robot group) and 12 underwent manual screw implantation (control group) during internal fixation. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in baseline data such as gender, age, body mass index, disease duration, cause of injury, coracoid process fracture classification, and proportion of patients with associated injuries between the two groups. The incision length, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, accuracy of screw placement, coracoid process fracture healing time, and complications were recorded and compared, as well as pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and Constant-Murley score at last follow-up. ResultsThe intraoperative blood loss and incision length in the robot group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05); however, there was no significant difference in operation time and hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). All patients were followed up 8-27 months (mean, 17.5 months), and the difference in follow-up time between the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the VAS score for shoulder pain in the robot group were lower compared to the control group, and the Constant-Murley score was higher, with significant differences (P<0.05). In the robot group, 16 screws were implanted intraoperatively, while 13 screws were implanted in the control group. Radiographic re-evaluation showed that the excellent and good rate of screw implantation was higher in the robot group (93.8%, 15/16) than in the control group (61.5%, 8/13), but the difference in the precision of screw implantation between the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). Four patients in the robot group and 1 in the control group achieved double screws fixation; however, the difference in achieving double screws fixation between the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). All fractures healed in both groups with 1 case of malunion in the control group. There was no significant difference in healing time between the two groups (P>0.05). During follow-up, 1 patient in the control group experienced screw loosening and displacement. There was no significant difference in the incidence of screw loosening and fracture malunion between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Compared with manual screw implantation, TiRobot-assisted minimally invasive treatment of coracoid process fractures of the scapula can reduce intraoperative blood loss, shorten incision length, alleviate pain, and better promote shoulder joint functional recovery.