Plate and Screw Fixation of Bicolumnar Distal Humerus Fractures: Factors Associated With Loosening or Breakage of Implants or Nonunion.

PURPOSE: To identify factors associated with reoperation for early loosening or breakage of implants or nonunion after operative treatment of AO type C distal humerus fractures.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 129 adult patients who had operative treatment of an isolated AO type C distal humerus fracture at 1 of 5 hospitals to determine factors associated with reoperation for early loosening or breakage of implants or nonunion.

RESULTS

Within 6 months of original fixation, 16 of 129 fractures (12%) required reoperation for loosening or breakage of implants (n = 8) or nonunion (n = 8). In bivariate analyses, the Charlson comorbidity index, smoking, a coded diagnosis of obesity, diabetes mellitus, and radiographic osteoarthritis were significantly associated with reoperation for early loosening or breakage of implants or nonunion.

CONCLUSIONS

With the numbers available, patient factors rather than technical factors were associated with reoperation for loosening or breakage of implants and nonunion. Because of the relative infrequency of fixation problems and nonunion, a much larger study is needed to address technical deficiencies.