Fixation of displaced proximal humeral fractures with proximal humeral internal locking plate in the elderly / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the treatment effect of the proximal humeral internal locking system (PHIL()S) on the elderly patients with displaced proximal humeral fractures.MethodsFrom Feb 2004 to Mar 2007, 36 patients (mean age 72.2 years) with proximal humeral fractures were treated with PHILOS plate fixation which included 14 cases with 2-part, 17 cases with three-part and 5 cases with four-part fractures according to Neer classification.Operation time,intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion, perioperative complications and function evaluation of the operated shoulder joint were calculated with 14.5 months follow-up at average.Results The average operation time and blood loss were (61.5± 11.6) min and ( 165.2±91.2) ml, respectively. 1 case with accidents of blood vessel and 1 case with pneumonia were found without neurovascular injuries. All fractures were radiographically healed in an average of 3-5 months.No necrosis of humeral head appeared and 30 (83.3％) cases were excellent or good according to Neer scoring system. Two part fracture and early operation ( within 3 days after operation) might improve the postoperative function of shoulder joint, but the patient's age, gender and ASA score were not statistically with Neer score.Conclusions PHILOS plate fixation is a suitable procedure for displaced proximal humeral fractures via stable fixation and early rehabilitation, especially for elderly patients combined with osteoporosis.