Incisional paresthesia following clavicle plate fixation: does it matter to patients?

Table 1 Patient Characteristics, Symptoms, and Satisfaction Summary

Patient Characteristics
Total enrollment		86
Gender	Men	87% (n = 75)
	Women	13% (n = 11)
Average age		41.3 years
	Men	41.4 years (range: 18–75)
	Women	40.5 years (range 26–55)
Months elapsed since procedure		49.4 months (4.1 years) (range 14–122)
Symptom Characteristics
Incidence of post-operative sensory changes		90%
Nature of symptoms		(n = 77*)
	Numbness	64%
	Burning	12%
	Pain	4%
	Tingling	3%
Rate of complete resolution		32% (n = 25)
Median time to resolution		12 months (range 3–84 months)
Severity of ongoing symptoms		4/10
Average size of affected area		36.6 cm² (+/− 26.9 cm²)
Ongoing Symptoms
Size resolution:
	Improving	69%
	Stable	31%
	Worsening	0%
Intensity resolution:
	Improving	69%
	Stable	27%
	Worsening	4%
Patient Satisfaction**				Correlation significance
Overall		8.8
Range of motion		8.8		p-value = < 0.05***
	Women		9.2	p-value = 0.06
	Men		8.7
	Age < 25 yrs.		9.6	p-value = 0.4
	Age > 55 yrs		8.7
Shoulder strength		8.2		p-value = < 0.05***
	Women		8.2	p-value = 0.5
	Men		8.6
	Age < 25 yrs.		9.4	p-value = 0.06
	Age > 55 yrs		7.6
Scar appearance		8.5		p-value = < 0.05***
	Women		8.3	p-value = 0.7
	Men		8.5
	Age < 25 yrs		8.9	p-value = 0.2
	Age > 55 yrs		9.5

*Patients were given the option of reporting several symptoms
** Patients were asked to rate their satisfaction on a numerical rating scale of 0–10 where 10 is most satisfied
***Designates a statistically significant finding

ISSN: 1471-2474