Comparison between Conservative and Surgical Treatment in Proximal Humeral Fractures. A Prospective Randomized Study with 5-Years Follow-Up

Background: Proximal humeral fractures are among common types of fractures and remain a challenging issue for surgical management. This study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes and complication rates of three- vs. four-part proximal humeral fractures, treated with internal fixation using the Philos® plate.Material and Methods: In this cohort study, a total of 30 consecutive patients with three-part or four-part proximal humeral fractures based on the Neer classification were included. Surgical treatment was performed with open reduction and internal fixation using the Philos® plate. The constant score was evaluated 6 months later in follow-up. The P<0.05 was considered significant.Results: Four-part fractures were mainly caused by trauma from above, while insults of opposite direction were responsible for more than half of 3 part fractures (P=0.01). Open fractures were only observed in patients with a four-part fracture (P=0.018). No significant differences were noticed regarding gender, cause, and side of the fracture.The presence of other fractures, fracture of the implant, reduction loss, avascular necrosis (AVN) of humerus head, rotator cuff injury, and revision surgery were significantly higher in patients with four-part fractures.The mean constant score was 81.40±11.61 and 65.09±16.09 for three-part and four-part fractures, respectively (P=0.006).Conclusion: Open reduction and internal fixation with Philos® plate yield acceptable results in both types of fractures, however, the prognosis of this intervention is poorer four-part fractures.

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Inter-rater agreement among shoulder surgeons on treatment options for proximal humeral fractures among shoulder surgeons

Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow ◽

10.5397/cise.2021.00416 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Hyojune Kim ◽

Si-Jung Song ◽

In-Ho Jeon ◽

Kyoung Hwan Koh

Keyword(s):

Surgical Treatment ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Clinical Information ◽

Fracture Pattern ◽

Proximal Humeral Fractures ◽

Humeral Fractures ◽

Rater Agreement ◽

Neer Classification ◽

Conservative And Surgical Treatment ◽

Surgical Treatments

Background: The treatment approach for proximal humeral fractures is determined by various factors, including patient age, sex, dominant arm, fracture pattern, presence of osteoporosis, preexisting arthritis, rotator cuff status, and medical comorbidities. However, there is a lack of consensus in the literature regarding the optimal treatment for displaced proximal humeral fractures. This study aimed to assess and quantify the decision-making process for either conservative or surgical treatment and the choice of surgical method among shoulder surgeons when treating proximal humeral fractures.Methods: Forty sets of true anteroposterior view, scapular Y projection view, and three-dimensional computed tomograms of proximal humeral fractures were provided to 12 shoulder surgeons along with clinical information. Surveys regarding Neer classification, decisions between conservative and surgical treatments, and chosen methods were conducted twice with an interval of 2 months. The factors affecting the treatment plans were also assessed.Results: The inter-rater agreement was fair for Neer classification (kappa=0.395), moderate for the decision between conservative and surgical treatments (kappa=0.528), and substantial for the chosen method of surgical treatment (kappa=0.740). The percentage of agreement was 71.1% for Neer classification, 84.6% for the decision between conservative and surgical treatment, and 96.4% for the chosen method of surgical treatment. The fracture pattern was the most crucial factor in deciding between conservative and surgical treatments, followed by age and physical activity.Conclusions: The decision between conservative and surgical treatment for proximal humeral fractures showed good agreement, while the chosen method between osteosynthesis and arthroplasty showed substantial agreement among shoulder surgeons.

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Surgical treatment of proximal humeral fractures with the transosseous suture fixation

Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research ◽

10.1186/s13018-021-02555-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

J. Miquel ◽

R. Martínez ◽

F. Santana ◽

P. Marimon ◽

C. Torrens

Keyword(s):

Surgical Treatment ◽

Humeral Head ◽

Functional Outcomes ◽

Proximal Humeral Fractures ◽

Humeral Fractures ◽

Suture Fixation ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Transosseous Suture ◽

Humeral Head Necrosis

Abstract Background The surgical treatment of displaced proximal humeral fractures is commonly affected by implant-related complications. We evaluated the functional and radiographic results of transosseous suture fixation in a series of displaced proximal humeral fractures (PHF). Methods Sixty-four patients were retrospectively classified by age, sex, and the Neer fracture classification. Two-part greater tuberosity (2pGT) displaced fractures and 3-part (varus and valgus) and 4-part valgus impacted fractures were managed with fragment reduction and transosseous suture fixation. Patients with minimum follow-up of 24 months and assessed with the Constant-Murley score (CMS) were included. Radiological and medical complications, as well as reinterventions were also recorded. Results Forty-six patients with a mean follow-up of 58 (24–132) and a mean age of 58 years old were analyzed. Patients with 2pGT (n = 10) fractures had a CMS of 76 points (59–89); patients with 3-part fractures (n = 22) had a score of 67 points (13–91); and those with 4-part fractures (n = 14) had a score of 64 (24–76) points. The overall complication rate was 6 out of 46, and 4 patients required reintervention for different reasons. Patients presenting with 3-part varus fractures had significantly lower functional outcomes scores (p = 0.007). Humeral head osteonecrosis was present in 9 patients and significantly affected the functional outcomes (p < 0.05). However, only three out of nine patients with osteonecrosis required subsequent surgery at the indicated follow-up. Conclusions The fracture reduction and transosseous fixation technique represents a safe technique with low complication and reintervention rates. The presence of humeral head necrosis did not lead to subsequent surgical intervention because no hardware had protruded. Level of evidence Level IV, retrospective study

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