BACKGROUND:The repair method of proximal humeral comminuted fractures in the elderly remains controversial. OBJECTIVE:To compare the recovery of shoulder joint function using the hemiarthroplasty of shoulder and locking proximal humeral plate fixation for complex proximal humeral fracture in the elderly. METHODS:A total of 22 elderly patients with complex proximal humeral fracture, who were treated from October 2012 to October 2014, were retrospectively analyzed. 12 cases underwent hemiarthroplasty, and 10 cases received locking proximal humeral plate fixation. Al patients were folowed up after treatment. X-ray films were rechecked during the folow-up. The recovery of shoulder function was evaluated with Neer score. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:During final folow-up, no prosthetic loosening or avascular necrosis of humeral head was found in the shoulder hemiarthroplasty group, and the Neer score was (81±5) points. In the locking proximal humeral plate fixation group, there was fixator loosening in four cases and avascular necrosis of humeral head in three cases, and the Neer score was (69±5) points (P < 0.05). During repair, mean operation time was shorter in the shoulder hemiarthroplasty group than in the locking proximal humeral plate fixation group. The amount of bleeding was higher in the shoulder hemiarthroplasty group than in the locking proximal humeral plate fixation group (P > 0.05). These data suggest that locking proximal humeral plate fixation and shoulder hemiarthroplasty are effective repair methods for complex proximal humerus fractures, but the hemiarthroplasty had the advantage of early functional exercise and good recovery of shoulder joint.