Surgical treatment of comminuted fractures of the distal clavicle using Wolter clavicular plates.

Surgical reduction and fixation using Wolter clavicular plates was performed in 16 patients with distal clavicle fractures. Good bony union was obtained in all cases. The patients had neither postoperative pain nor muscle weakness. Compared with tension band wiring, the Wolter clavicular plates were better able to maintain the anatomic repositioning of comminuted distal clavicle fractures. However this method takes longer and requires a second operation for plate removal. Wolter clavicular plate placement is the treatment of choice for unstable distal clavicle fractures with small comminuted fragments.