title: Management of humeral head fractures with a trauma shoulder prosthesis: correlation between joint function and healing of the tuberosities.
abstract: This prospective follow-up study investigated the correlation between healing of the tuberosities and the functional outcome after arthroplasty with a trauma shoulder prosthesis in elderly patients with non-reconstructible humeral head fractures. Surgery was performed on 65 patients (66 shoulders) with a mean age of 74.9 years. A total of 56 patients (57 cases) underwent clinical and radiological evaluation after a mean follow-up of 16 months (range: 4 to 62). Mean Constant Score was 50 and the age- and gender-corrected value was 73%. The Constant Score was significantly higher (62 points, p = 0.015) if the tuberosities healed. Mean ASES index was 68 and correlated significantly with the Constant Score (r = 0.77). Healing of the tuberosities appears to be crucial to achieve good function in patients treated with a humeral head prosthesis. For elderly patients, the main objectives are to recover the ability to perform activities of daily living, to become pain free, and to reach a high level of satisfaction. All these criteria were largely achieved by the procedure described in this paper.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, German Red Cross Hospital (DRK-Kliniken), Berlin, Germany. f.reuther@drk-kliniken-koepenick.de
authors.forename: Falk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reuther
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Diethard
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wahl
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012399:Rotation; D012784:Shoulder Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*