Is there a relationship between the lengths of the ipsilateral clavicle and the ulna? An anthropometric and statistical study

Abstract

Aim: Mathematical relationships between bones in close proximity are useful for determining the proper length of comminuted or severely displaced bones during surgical reconstruction. This study examined the relationship between the lengths of the clavicle and ulna to develop a length propotion formula that can facilitate obtaining the proper length of the clavicle during surgery for displaced and comminuted fractures. Methods: The study enrolled 130 individuals (76 males, 54 females) who were healty for their upper extremities and was seen in our orthopedics outpatient clinic during April 2019 to June 2019. The right and left clavicles and ulnas of each individual were measured. All measurements were peformed by two of the authors in an blinded fashion. Results. Mean overall age was 32.2 years. There were significant correlations between the clavicle and ipsilateral ulnar lengths (p=0.001). However, there was a length difference between the right and left clavicles. The left clavicle was 9.00 ± 2.16 mm longer than the right in males and 7.13 ± 2.03 mm longer in females (p=0.001). There was no significant length difference between the right and left ulnas in either sex (0.84 ± 1.033 mm in males and 0.52 ± 0.818 mm in females). Conclusion. There is a significant ratio between the clavicle and ulna lengths on both the right and left sides in both sexes, but it isn’t the same for males and females. We propose that these length proportion formula can be used for determining the clavicle length for the surgical treatment of comminuted fractures with plates and particularly with nails.