Intramedullary Screw Fixation of Olecranon Fractures Reduces the Risk of Early Unplanned Reoperation: A Retrospective Review of 556 Patients

Objectives: To determine the effect of intramedullary screw-based fixation on early postoperative complications after olecranon fractures. We hypothesized that intramedullary screw-based fixation results in decreased need for reoperation compared with plate and screw-based and tension band-based fixation. Design: Retrospective cohort. Setting: Two academic Level-1 trauma centers. Patients/Participants: Five hundred fifty-six patients treated with a tension band-based, plate and screw-based, or intramedullary screw-based construct for an olecranon fracture over a 10-year period. Intervention: Open reduction and internal fixation. Main Outcome Measurement: Unplanned reoperation. Demographic, injury type and severity, supplemental fixation, and length of follow-up data were viewed as potential confounders and analyzed as such. Results: We identified 556 relevant patients. One hundred ninety-nine patients were treated with an intramedullary screw-based construct, 229 with a plate and screw-based construct, and 128 with a tension band-based construct. We observed significant differences in the age, fracture type, percentage of open fractures, use of supplemental fixation, and treating institution between the treatment groups. Ninety-five patients (17.1%) had an unplanned reoperation. When we adjusted for confounders, intramedullary screw-based fixation reduced the odds of an unplanned reoperation by 54% compared with plate and screw-based treatment. In the adjusted analysis, we did not observe a difference between plate and screw-based treatment and tension band-based fixation. Conclusions: Intramedullary screw-based fixation of olecranon fractures results in decreased need for early reoperation compared with more common olecranon fixation strategies.