Midterm outcomes of suture anchor fixation for displaced olecranon fractures

• Published in: Clinics in shoulder and elbow Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 39 - 44
• Main Authors: Michael J. Gutman, Jacob M. Kirsch, Jonathan Koa, Mohamad Y. Fares, Joseph A. Abboud
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Olecranon fracture; Suture anchor; Hardware; Mayo classification; Old age
• ISSN: 2383-8337

Background: Displaced olecranon fractures constitute a challenging problem for elbow surgeons. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of suture anchor fixation for treating patients with displaced olecranon fractures. Methods: A retrospective review was performed for all consecutive patients with displaced olecranon fractures treated with suture anchor fixation with at least 2 years of clinical follow-up. Surgical repair was performed acutely in all cases with nonmetallic suture anchors in a double-row configuration utilizing suture augmentation via the triceps tendon. Osseous union and perioperative complications were uniformly assessed. Results: Suture anchor fixation was performed on 17 patients with displaced olecranon fractures. Functional outcome scores were collected from 12 patients (70.6%). The mean age at the time of surgery was 65.6 years, and the mean follow-up was 5.6 years. Sixteen of 17 patients (94%) achieved osseous union in an acceptable position. No hardware-related complications or fixation failure occurred. Mean postoperative shortened disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (QuickDASH) score was 3.8±6.9, and mean Oxford Elbow Score was 47.5±1.0, with nine patients (75%) achieving a perfect score. Conclusions: Suture anchor fixation of displaced olecranon fractures resulted in excellent midterm functional outcomes. Additionally, this technique resulted in high rates of osseous union without any hardware-related complications or fixation failures.