Where should the pins be placed to decrease the failure rate after fixation of a Mayo IIA olecranon fracture? A biomechanical analysis

•Fixation of Mayo IIA olecranon fractures (MIOF) using pins is associated with a high rate of failure.•We compared the stability and strength of four different fracture fixation configurations.•Configurations included double cortical fixation using K-wires or pins, intramedullary pin, or loose intramedullary pin.•Biomechanical strength and stiffness was evaluated using synthetic ulnar models, under a loading rate of 2 mm/min.•The double cortical pin configuration provided the best fracture stability and strength.