BACKGROUND Proximal humerus (3rd) part fractures have always been posing great challenges to the orthopaedicians, due to extreme complexity involved in it, mainly, deformed muscular forces around fracture site, osteoporosis and non-affordability to new generation plates and screws etc. Ever since the inception of internal fixation, different approaches have been used, for proximal humerus (3rd) part fractures, like fixation with anatomically contoured locking plates with locking screws and nonlocking plates, hemi-arthroplasty, percutaneous k-wire etc. but only little had been compiled and recorded on such fractures. This study was conducted to evaluate and determine the efficacy of K-wire fixation in such fractures with supporting data to draw a clear-cut favourable conclusion over other methods of fixation of such fractures. METHODS 20 patients were included (matching our inclusion criteria), rest were treated differently and were excluded from the study. All fractures were classified in accordance with Neer classification. All patients were treated with K-wire fixation; only the number of K-wires differed from case to case. After their discharge from hospital, all patients were called for stringent review for 15, 30, 60, 90 days on half yearly and yearly basis. Final outcome was evaluated using constant Murley score. RESULTS The average union time was 22 weeks; the mean constant Murley’s score was 82 points. Only 3 post-operative complications were noted among all the 20 patients; these were, one mal-union and two cases of pin tract infection. Result was overwhelming success for us. The results of our study were extremely encouraging and in favour of K-wire fixation of such fractures. CONCLUSIONS K-wire fixation of proximal humerus [3rd part] fractures provide stable fixation of such fractures, with negligible post-operative complications and at an extremely cheap cost, easily affordable to average and low-income group patients with early discharge from the hospital, with very low intra operative blood loss and very low operative time, and exposure to C-arm machine. KEY WORDS Proximal Humerus [3rd] Part Fracture, Percutaneous K-Wire Fixation, Neer Classification, Greater Tuberosity
Classification of non-unions of the proximal humerus