Demographics of the injury pattern in severely injured patients with an associated clavicle fracture: a retrospective observational cohort study

Despite an increasing interest in the treatment of clavicle fractures, this is still a not yet defined area in severely injured patients as most studies exclude these patients. Analyzing fracture type and evaluate accompanying injuries can provide valuable information in an early stage of trauma car...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:World journal of emergency surgery 2013-09, Vol.8 (1), p.36-36, Article 36
Main Authors: van Laarhoven, Jacqueline Jem, Ferree, Steven, Houwert, R Marijn, Hietbrink, Falco, Verleisdonk, Egbertjan Mm, Leenen, Luke Ph
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Care and treatment
Clavicle
Diagnosis
Emergency medical care
Emergency services
Head injuries
Hospitals
Mortality
Shoulder injuries
Studies
Trauma centers
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Summary:Despite an increasing interest in the treatment of clavicle fractures, this is still a not yet defined area in severely injured patients as most studies exclude these patients. Analyzing fracture type and evaluate accompanying injuries can provide valuable information in an early stage of trauma care. To identify prevalence, fracture type and accompanying injuries of clavicle fractures in the severely injured patient. We included all severely injured patients (ISS ≥ 16) with a clavicle fracture from January 2007 - December 2011. We prospectively collected data about demographics, injuries, trauma mechanism and mortality. Fractures were classified using the Robinson classification. A total of 1534 patients had an ISS ≥16, of which 164 (10.7%) patients had a clavicle fracture. Traffic related accidents were the main cause of injury (65%). Most fractures were midshaft fractures (66.5%) of which 56% were displaced. Seven patients were treated operatively. There was no significant difference in ISS between the three fracture types. 83% of the patients sustained additional injury to the head and neck; the most prevalent injuries were skull or skull base fractures (41.5%) and maxillofacial fractures (29%). Furthermore 77% of the patients had additional thoracic injury; the most prevalent injuries were rib fractures (59%) and a pneumothorax (38%). The mortality rate was 21.4%. A clavicle fracture was present in more than 10% of the severely injured patients. Displaced midshaft clavicle fractures were the most common type of fracture. Additional injuries to the head and neck region occurred in 83% of the patients and thoracic injuries occurred in 77% of the patients.
ISSN:1749-7922
1749-7922
DOI:10.1186/1749-7922-8-36