Clinical study on the fixation of coracoid process fracture of the scapula with cannulated screws assisted by robot navigation combined with O-arm imaging.

objectiveTo explore the clinical effect of cannulated screw fixation for coracoid process fractures of the scapula assisted by robot navigation combined with O-arm imaging.

methodsA retrospective analysis was conducted of the clinical data from 19 patients with scapular coracoid process fractures who underwent surgical treatment at our center from January 2022 to July 2023. All the patients had their coracoid process fractures fixed with screws assisted by the robot navigation system combined with the O-arm imaging navigation system by experienced orthopedic surgeons. Three patients were excluded due to insufficient follow-up, and finally 16 patients were included in the study. The patients' surgical conditions (operation time, intraoperative blood loss) and fracture healing time were recorded. During the outpatient follow-up 12 months after the operation, the Constant score was used to evaluate the function of the patients' shoulder joints, and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score was applied to assess the residual pain of the patients' shoulder joints.

resultsAll patients were followed for at least 12 months, with an average of 14.2 months (ranging 12 to 19 months). The average operation time of the 16 patients was 75.8 min (ranging from 52 to 98 min), and the average intraoperative blood loss was 47.3 ml (ranging from 28 to 75 ml). All 16 fractures healed without nonunion or loss of reduction, and the average healing time was 10.2 weeks (range, 8 to 14 weeks). One year after the operation, the shoulder joint functions of all 16 patients were good. The average Constant score was 90.5 points (ranging from 82 to 97 points), and the average VAS score of the shoulder joints was 1.0 points (ranging from 0 to 4 points). No cases of blood vessel or nerve injury related to surgical operation were found in all patients during the perioperative period and follow-up period.

conclusionIn this retrospective case series, robot-assisted cannulated screw fixation with O-arm navigation for coracoid process fractures resulted in satisfactory fracture healing and shoulder function, with minimal blood loss and low perioperative complication rates. The proceduralized workflow may facilitate surgical standardization. Given the study's exploratory nature and low level of evidence, further controlled studies are needed to confirm comparative advantages.