Cancellous screw with tension band wiring for fractures of the olecranon.

BACKGROUND: Olecranon fractures are one of the most commonly seen orthopaedic injuries in the emergency room. The K-wire which is used in the AO Tension Band Wiring (TBW) technique resists the shear better than the figure of eight wire alone, but, it does not add compression to the fixation strength. But, the cancellous screw plus the tension band wire, in combination, provides the strength of fixation i.e., by converting the tensile force to a compressive force at the fracture site, with additional resistance to the displacement due to the lag screw compression.

OBJECTIVE: To clinically evaluate the result of the cancellous screw with tension band wiring for fractures of the olecranon.To assess the elbow joint motion and stability after the procedure.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Tweenty five cases of fractures of the olecranon which were treated by using 6.5mm AO cancellous screws with a screw length of 80-105mm with a 16 gauge TBW, were evaluated . All the cases were followed up and the results were analyzed by using a 19 point scale.

RESULTS: The results which were obtained in our series were excellent in 15(60%) patients, good in 3(12%) patients and fair in 7(28%) patients and there were no poor results.

CONCLUSION: The technique of open reduction and internal fixation with a 6.5mm AO cancellous screw and TBW, is a simple and effective means of treating fractures of the olecranon and it is based on the biomechanical principle of sound.