A Biomechanical Comparison of Distal Clavicle Fracture Reconstructive Techniques

Unstable fractures of the distal clavicle are often encountered in high-demand, young athletes. We evaluated biomechanical performance and mode of failure in 4 treatment methods. A Neer Type IIB distal clavicle fracture was created in fresh-frozen human cadaveric shoulders. Four fixation techniques were utilized, 5 times each on 5 different cadavers: suture fixation with a cerclage suture and coracoclavicular suture, distal clavicle locking plate, distal clavicle locking plates with suture augmentation, and distal clavicle hook plate. No significant difference in ultimate load to failure was found among groups in the treatment of the unstable distal clavicle fractures.