title: Physeal injuries of the proximal humerus: long-term results in seventy two patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate our treatment methods of proximal humeral physeal injuries retrospectively and elucidate the relationship between the trauma mechanism, the radiographic injury pattern, the consequent therapy and the functional outcome, and to further deduct and verify prognostic criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  At our Department of Trauma Surgery, 303 children and adolescent patients with fractures of the proximal humeral epiphysis were treated from 1992 to 2009. 72 cases were diagnosed as physeal fractures according to the Salter-Harris classification and were included in our study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  15 physeal fractures of the proximal humerus were reconstructed anatomically by open or closed reduction and produced 93.3% excellent results. 57 physeal fractures were treated in a conservative way and produced 94.7% excellent results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We state that epiphyseal injuries should to be treated depending on the age of the patient. This is the only way to decrease the rate of posttraumatic epiphysiodesis with consequent problems, including limb-length discrepancy and/or angular deformities.
authors: Department of Trauma Surgery, Vienna Medical University, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. harald.binder@meduniwien.ac.at
authors: Harald
authors: H
authors: Binder
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Schurz
authors: Silke
authors: S
authors: Aldrian
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Fialka
authors: Vilmos
authors: V
authors: Vécsei
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