# Management of Clavicle Implant Failure With Olecranon Bone Graft: A Case Report

**Authors:** Yee Sean Kong, Muhammad Shukri Muhammad Safian

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.67358 · Cureus · 2024-08-21

## TL;DR

This case report describes using an olecranon bone graft to treat a failed clavicle implant in a young male patient.

## Contribution

The novel use of an autologous olecranon bone graft for clavicle implant failure is presented.

## Key findings

- An autologous olecranon bone graft was successfully used to fill a clavicle osseous defect.
- The patient had initial implant failure following a comminuted clavicle fracture.
- Revision surgery with bone grafting was effective in addressing the non-union.

## Abstract

Bone grafts have been important treatment tools in reconstructive orthopaedic surgery for years for traumatic osseous defects, defects resulting from resection of bone tumours, arthrodesis, and osteotomy procedures. We used an autologous olecranon bone graft to fill the bone gap due to fracture comminution in a patient with right clavicle implant failure. A 21-year-old male initially underwent primary fixation with a clavicle locking plate for a comminuted middle-third right clavicle fracture. At the follow-up visit after four weeks, the patient complained of pain over the right shoulder. Repeated radiographs revealed no evidence of union with implant failure. Revision surgery was done, and a cortical-cancellous bone graft was harvested from the ipsilateral olecranon to fill the osseous defect over the clavicle fracture site.

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** pain over the (MESH:D006963), bone tumours (MESH:D001859), shoulder (MESH:D000070599), clavicle fracture (MESH:C562548), osseous defects (MESH:C535395), fracture comminution (MESH:D018460)
- **Chemicals:** locking plate (-)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

6 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC11413612/full.md

## References

7 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC11413612/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC11413612