title: [Prevalence of rotator cuff defects in dislocated fractures of the humerus head in elderly patients].
abstract: Humeral head fractures are commonly found in elderly patients. A high rate of spontaneous rotator cuff tears in this patient group may endanger good results following surgical treatment. 70 patients > 65 years with dislocated humeral head fractures were prospectively studied and treated surgically following a standardised treatment protocol. In all cases the rotator cuff was examined intraoperatively. A tear of the rotator cuff was documented in 4 cases (5%). The prevalence of rotator cuff tears in elderly patients with dislocated humeral head fractures is significantly smaller than expected referring to magnetic resonance-, sonographic and cadaveric studies of same-age patients without fracture. Therefore the rotator cuff may serve as retention anchor for the surgical treatment of dislocated humeral head fractures in elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Orthopädie I, Stiftung Orthopädische Universitätsklinik Heidelberg.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parsch
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wittner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000601:surgery; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D012783:Shoulder Dislocation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012784:Shoulder Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*