Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to report patterns of scapular fractures and define them with a contemporary methodology. METHODS: . Design: Retrospective study, 2015–2021. Setting: Single, academic, Level 1 trauma center. Patient Selection Criteria: Consecutive patients $18 years, presenting with unilateral scapula fracture, with thin-slice (#0.5-mm) bilateral computed tomography (CT) scans of the entirety of both the injured and uninjured scapulae. Outcome Measures and Comparisons: Thin-slice (0.5-mm) CT scans of injured and normal scapulae were obtained to create three-dimensional (3D) virtual models. 3D modeling software (Stryker Orthopedics Modeling and Analytics, Stryker Trauma GmbH, Kiel, Germany aka SOMA) was used to create a 3D map of fracture location and frequency. Fracture zones were delineated using anatomic landmarks to characterize fracture patterns. RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients were identified with 75 (86%) extra-articular and 12 (14%) intra-articular fractures. The dominant fracture pattern emanated from the superior lateral border (zone E) to an area inferior to the spinomedial angle (zone B) and was present in 80% of extra-articular fractures. A second-most common fracture line propagated from the primary (most-common) line toward the inferior medial scapular border with a frequency of 36%. Bare zones (with 1 or no fractures present) were identified in 4 unique areas. Furthermore, intra-articular fractures were found to be heterogenous. CONCLUSIONS: The 3D fracture map created in this study confirmed that extra-articular scapular fractures occur in certain patterns with a relatively high frequency. Results provide greater insight into scapular fracture locations and may help to study prognosis of injury and improve treatment strategy including operative approaches and surgical tactics.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | E48-E54 |
Journal | Journal of orthopaedic trauma |
Volume | 38 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 1 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords
- fracture density
- fracture patterns
- fracture zones
- scapula fracture
- scapula fracture map
- three dimensional
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article