Background: As nonoperative treatment of Neer type II distal clavicle fractures is associated with nonunion rates up to 33%, operative treatment is frequently advocated. However, evidence is lacking regarding which operative treatment to perform and whether this is superior to nonoperative treatment in terms of functional outcome and complication rate. Purpose: (1) To evaluate which surgical technique in the treatment of Neer type II distal clavicle fractures is optimal with regard to patient-reported outcomes and union and complication rates. (2) To review nonoperatively treated patients. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis were performed on January 27, 2021, in PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL/EBSCO, Web of Science/Clarivate Analytics, and SPORTDiscus/EBSCO. The search included all studies regarding nonoperative and operative treatment of Neer type II distal clavicle fractures with a minimum of 20 patients and follow-up of 12 months. The primary and secondary outcomes were patient-reported outcome measures at 12 months and union, complication, and revision rates. Results: A total of 59 articles were included involving 2284 patients. Coracoclavicular fixation, hook plate, transacromial pins, alternative plate, tension band wire/K-wire, a combination of surgical techniques, and a nonoperative group were described. Hook plates showed lower Constant-Murley scores as compared with coracoclavicular fixation (standard mean difference, –0.77; 95% CI, –1.26 to –0.28; P = .002). However, no significant difference was seen when the hook plate was compared with the locking plate and tension band wire/K-wire groups, and no significant difference in union rate was seen among all operative treatment groups. Operatively treated patients had significantly higher union rates than patients treated nonoperatively (standard mean difference: 0.05; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.37; P = .004). Conclusion: Patients treated with hook plates showed significantly lower Constant-Murley scores and higher complication and revision rates as compared with those treated with coracoclavicular fixation, without differences in union rate. Higher Constant-Murley scores were seen in those patients with supplemental coracoclavicular fixation when using locking. Nonoperatively treated patients showed good functional outcome despite the 31% nonunion rate, although future studies are necessary to substantiate this conclusion. When using a locking plate, additional craniocaudal fixation showed significant better functional outcome.

No abstract

Background: The ceramic coated implant (CCI) Evolution was a third-generation implant design used in approximately 2000 total ankle replacements (TARs) between 2003 and 2016. Because this implant was abandoned, long-term follow-up studies are lacking. Methods: All patients undergoing TAR using a CCI prosthesis between 2004 and 2012 were included for analysis. Preoperatively the tibiotalar alignment was measured, and postoperatively the patients were followed up clinically, with radiographs and by questionnaire. The primary outcome was implant survival at 10 years of follow-up. Implant survival was also compared for (1) inflammatory joint disease vs noninflammatory joint disease and (2) preoperative tibiotalar neutral vs varus or valgus alignment. The secondary outcomes were complications, reoperations, and function (assessed by patient-reported outcome measures). Results: Two hundred fifty-four TARs were performed in 237 patients. Two hundred twelve additional procedures were performed to achieve stable ankles. At 10-year follow-up, the survival was 67.5%, with an average time to revision of 4.5 years. The 10-year survival of the inflammatory joint disease group was 76.8% and of the noninflammatory joint group 63.1% ( P = .44). In 248 TARs, the preoperative tibiotalar alignment was measured; (62% neutral, 25% varus, and 13% valgus), these showed 10-year survival rates of 74.7%, 48.2%, and 68.9% respectively ( P = .07). The complication rate was 54%; 37% of patients underwent reoperation. At a mean of 8.5 years, postoperative satisfaction scored an average of 7.0 (SD 2.26) on a 0- to 10-point numeric rating scale. The mean Foot and Ankle Ability Measure sports subscore was 24.7, the mean Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) sports subscore was 42.8, and the mean 36-Item Short Form Health Survey score was 40.0. Regarding daily activities, the mean FAOS was 81.0. Conclusion: This is currently the sole study reporting the long-term results of the CCI prosthesis. The survival and functional outcomes were inferior to other third-generation mobile-bearing ankle implants.

No abstract