AO/OTA type C3 distal humeral fractures in patients aged 75 years and older: Is ORIF with double precontoured anatomical locking plates a reliable treatment?

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of osteoporotic distal humeral fractures (DHF) is on the rise. Their operative management is demanding. Fixation with non-locking reconstruction plates was associate with a high number of complications. Elbow arthroplasty (total or hemi) has been proposed as an alternative treatment, in spite of lifetime activity restrictions, and risk of complications, unknown implant survival and problematic revision surgery. Precontoured anatomical locking plates have increased the strength of the fixation in complex fractures. HYPOTHESIS: double plating ORIF with precontoured anatomical locking plates is a safe and reliable treatment option for the management of AO/OTA type C3 DHF in patients aged 75 and older. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective case series study of patients aged 75 years old and older with an AO/OTA type C3 DHF treated with ORIF with double precontoured anatomical locking plates between 2007 and 2021. Pathologic fractures were excluded. Patients' demographic, surgical, clinical, and radiological data were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 27 women and 3 men, mean age of 80.1 years (range 75-93 years), were included. Mean Charlson index was 5 (range 3-8). Out of 30 patients, 19 had already died. Mean survival time after the surgical treatment was 72.3 months. Mean Mayo elbow performance score was 88.9 (range 60-100); 23 patients scored excellent or good. All fractures healed with no cases of delay union or non-union, hardware failure or loss of reduction. No patient needed a revision surgery to arthroplasty. The total number of complications was 12 (40%), mainly ulnar neuropathy (5) and cerclage removal (4). CONCLUSION: ORIF with double pre-contoured locking plates may be a safe and reliable treatment for type C3 DHF in patients aged 75 years and older, with a good functional outcome. Complications are expected but not related to loss of reduction, fixation failure or revision to elbow arthroplasty.

MIPO helical pre-contoured plates in diaphyseal humeral fractures with proximal extension. Surgical technique and results.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of applying the MIPO technique with a helical-shaped plate in the treatment of humeral shaft fractures with proximal extension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We present an observational prospective study of patients with a humeral shaft fracture involving the proximal humerus fixed with a long proximal humerus polyaxial locking plate with an anterior curvature and helical shape (ALPS® Zimmerbiomet, Warsaw, Indianapolis, USA), using a MIPO technique. Between January 2017 and July 2020, 15 patients were treated at our institution. Proximally a 4-5 cm anterolateral transdeltoid approach was made. And distally, a 5-7 cm incision was made 4 cm proximal to the elbow crease. At each follow-up, radiographs were taken to evaluate fracture healing. Funtional scales were applied to evaluate clinical results. RESULTS: Ten women and five men were included, with a mean age of 62 yo (range 26-86). All but one fracture healed uneventfully. The mean time to union was 28 weeks (range 12-48 weeks). Two out of 15 patients presented complications (an atrophic nonunion and a peri­implant distal fracture). None of the patients had a nerve palsy prior neither after the surgery. No other complications, including infection, were registered during follow-up. Shoulder range of motion showed the following means: abduction of 147° (range 50°-180°), anterior flexion of 144° (range 80°-180°), external rotation of 77,5 ° (range 70°-80°) and internal rotation of 54.5° (range 45°-60°). All patients recovered their pre-fracture elbow range of motion. All patients presented less than 10° of angular deviation in varus/valgus or ante/recurvatum after the surgical procedure. At the end of the follow-up, all final functional scores were "good" or "excellent": mean Constant-Murley score was 72 ± 13 (range 38-91), ASES score was 73 ± 12 (range 41-88), UCLA shoulder scale was 30 ± 3,5 (range 10-35), and Q-DASH score was 16.5 ± 0,11 (range 4-57). CONCLUSION: When applied correctly, the treatment of diaphyseal humeral fractures involving the proximal humerus using a polyaxial locking helical plate with a MIPO technique is a reliable treatment method. It has high union rates with low complications.