Identifying Risk Factors for Non-union in Displaced Midshaft Clavicle Fractures to Guide Personalized Treatment

While clavicle fractures are common and often heal conservatively, displaced midshaft clavicle fractures carry a significant risk of non-union, affecting 11-18% of cases. This complication leads to chronic pain, reduced shoulder function, and prolonged recovery, often necessitating further interventions. Current standard-of-care in Denmark is conservative, but a blanket surgical approach for all displaced fractures would result in overtreatment. The critical gap is identifying which specific patients are at high risk for non-union and would genuinely benefit from early surgical intervention, thereby optimizing patient outcomes and resource allocation.

This study aims to investigate both patient characteristics and fracture-related factors to identify predictors for non-union in individuals with displaced clavicle fractures. The research intends to analyze multiple data points to develop a predictive score. This score will serve as a clinical decision-making tool, assisting clinicians and patients in collaboratively determining the most appropriate and individualized treatment strategy for clavicle fractures. The study design is observational, focusing on retrospective or prospective data collection to correlate various factors with non-union outcomes.