RESULTS OF THE SURGICAL TREATMENT OF ARTICULAR SCAPULAR FRACTURES

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Traumatology
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Scapular fractures are uncommon, often resulting from high-energy trauma.
• Articular scapular fractures constitute only 15% of all scapular fractures.
• Surgical intervention is typically reserved for significantly displaced fractures or those with joint instability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of surgically treated scapular fractures.
• To assess the efficacy and safety of surgical management for these injuries.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series of eight patients who underwent surgical treatment for scapular fractures between 2013 and 2019.
• Surgical indications included mediolateral deviations, glenopolar angle, angular deviations, and joint deviations exceeding 4 mm.
• Outcomes assessed included radiographic consolidation, range of motion, functional scores (UCLA), and pain (VAS).

Main Results:

• All patients achieved fracture consolidation at a mean follow-up of 29 months.
• The mean UCLA score was 29, with 75% good and 25% moderate results.
• Mean range of motion: elevation 146°, lateral rotation 62°, medial rotation to T7. Mean VAS score was 2.3.
• All patients returned to their pre-injury work level.

Conclusions:

• Surgical treatment of articular scapular fractures in this series demonstrated satisfactory clinical and functional results.
• The procedure showed a low complication rate, supporting its use in selected cases of displaced fractures.
• This study provides Level IV evidence for surgical intervention in specific scapular fracture patterns.