Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34645437›Full record

ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2021

Temporary spanning plate across the elbow for complex fractures of the distal humerus.

Ashraf N Moharram, Mostafa Mahmoud, Ahmed Lymona, Ahmed Afifi, Mostafa Ezzat, Mohamed Abdel-Wahed

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 48% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ashraf N MoharramKasr El-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Mostafa MahmoudKasr El-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Ahmed LymonaKasr El-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Ahmed AfifiKasr El-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Mostafa EzzatKasr El-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Mohamed Abdel-WahedKasr El-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. mohamadabdelwahed@kasralainy.edu.eg.
Cairo University · EG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOpen reduction internal fixation (ORIF) is the gold standard management of fractures of the distal humerus. Stable fixation to allow early mobilization is not always possible in cases with comminuted fracture patterns and bone loss, with a high failure rate. We propose augmentation of internal fixation in these unstable situations with a spanning plate across the elbow to protect the fixation construct temporarily until bone union.

methodsEighteen patients with complex distal humeral fractures were managed with standard ORIF technique augmented with a temporary plate spanning across the elbow as an internal fixator. Cases included were either very distal, comminuted (6 cases) or insufficiency fractures (4 cases) or revision fixation cases (8 cases). The temporary spanning plate was removed as soon as signs of early radiographic union were detected.

resultsSeventeen patients were available for final follow up at a mean 28.3 months. The spanning plate was removed after 3.4 months on average. At the final follow-up, the mean elbow total arc of motion was 86.3°. The mean Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) was 80, and the mean Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (Q-DASH) score was 27.

conclusionSpanning the elbow temporarily with a plate in adjunct to standard ORIF technique is both simple and effective in achieving fracture stability and union and minimizes failure rates after fixation of comminuted, very distal fractures, osteoporotic cases, or revision fixation cases with bone loss. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Therapeutic study.

Indexed as

Elbow JointHumeral FracturesBone PlatesElbowFracture Fixation, InternalHumansHumerusRange of Motion, ArticularRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeComminuted articular fracturesDistal humerusElbow fracturesSpanning plate

Identifiers

PMID34645437
PMCPMC8515665
OpenAlexW3207778378

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.