A new procedure for fractures of the medial epicondyle in children: Mitek(®) bone suture anchor

Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. 2016 Feb;102(1):117-20. doi: 10.1016/j.otsr.2015.09.035. Epub 2015 Dec 29.

Abstract

We present a new bone suture anchor technique for fractures of the medial epicondyle. The hypothesis was that the results would be similar to those with the divergent K-wire fixation. This retrospective study included 40 patients who presented with displaced fractures of the medial epicondyle: one group was treated with a Mitek(®) non-resorbable bone suture anchor (group A: n=21), the other by K-wire fixation (group B: n=19). A medial approach was taken with an anchor placed above the olecranon fossa. The epicondyle was then repositioned by bone suture. After a mean follow-up of 18.6 months, union was obtained in all epicondyles. There was no difference in flexion-extension of the elbow. The rate of hypertrophy of the medial epicondyle was similar in both groups (57%). The bone suture anchor of the medial epicondyle is an effective technique that does not require hardware removal and is an alternative treatment option to divergent K-wire fixation.

Keywords: Bone suture anchor; Medial epicondyle fracture; Pediatric traumatology.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Bone Wires
  • Child
  • Elbow Joint / surgery*
  • Female
  • Fracture Fixation, Internal
  • Fracture Healing
  • Humans
  • Humeral Fractures / surgery*
  • Male
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Suture Anchors*