Conservative Treatment of Scapular Fractures

You, Jae Won; Yoon, Hyun Jung

Abstract

Fracture of the scapula is relatively uncommon injuries. It is often caused by violent direct trauma and associated injuries of the shoulder and thorax are very common. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical results and the complications of the conservative treatment on the scapular fracture. We reviewed 42 cases of the scapular fracture treated conseuatively from 1987 to 1993. The follow up period ranged 14 to 30 months. The results were as follows. 1. The most common cause was traffic accident(30 out of 42 cases), especially pedestrian(15 cases). 2. Mostly associated injuries were ipsilateral clavicle fractures(25%), rib fractures(22.5%), humerus fractures(20%), hemopneumothorax(20%), brachial plexus injuries(20%), and head trauma(20%). 3. According to the classification by Ada and Miller, the neck fracture was most common(36.5%). 4. According to the criteria of functional result by Hardegger et al, excellent and good results are 80.9%(34 out of 42 cases). 5. The complications were the limited range of motion(3 cases), shoulder pain(2 cases), brachial plexus injury(2 cases), and malunion(2 cases). 6. In most cases of conservative treatment, we obtained satisfactory results but we think that the more active surgical treatment will be necessary in the cases of the intraarticular glenoid fracture, the combined fractures, the floating shoulder, and the double disruption of superior suspensory shoulder complex, especially in the active age.