Internal fixation for proximal humeral fracture of aged patients
- VernacularTitle:老年肱骨近端骨折的内固定治疗
- Author:
Liangyuan WEN
;
Qingyun XUE
;
Gongyi HUANG
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Aged;
Shoulder fractures;
Fracture fixation, internal
- From:
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedics
2000;0(11):-
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To analyse the treatment results of proximal humerus fracture in over sixty-years-old patients. Methods From January 1999 to January 2003, 32 cases suffered from fractures of the proximal humerus were studied, which involved 13 males (mean age 73.2 years, range 60-88 years), and 19 females (mean age 75.5 years, range 60-94 years). There were 22 cases (65.7%) with two-part fractures, among them, 68.1% was surgical neck fracture. 3 cases with two-part and 1 with three-part fracture were treated conservatively because of either their poor health condition or their refusal to operation. The other 28 patients were operated. According to the Neer classification, through the statistic and analysis for the method and outcome, all the cases were evaluated in term of the American UCLA scale system. Results 25 of the 28 operated patients were available at the final follow-up, the mean period was 1.5 years with a range of 1 to 3 years. All the fractures had united. 5 patients with healing time more than 3 months were those fractures classified as three or four-part, which needed the tension-band fixation. All the patients complained with joint stiffness in different degree, 6 of the patients with three or four-part remained with sustaining shoulder contracture. According to the UCLA, the good-excellent rate was 81.2% in the two-part fractures, and only 33.3% in the three or four-part fractures. Conclusion The treatment methods of proximal humerus fracture in aged patients should be selected according to individual condition. The tension band fixation is a good choice for those who can't accept the joint replacement, though the outcome after the four-part fractures fixation is less satisfactory. Joint contracture and humeral head necrosis may be the common complications among the patients rated as three or four-part fractures. After operation, early and complete rehabilitation are closely related to the treatment results.
