title: The treatment of proximal humeral fractures with a "Polarus" intramedullary nail.
abstract: Proximal humeral fractures are complex lesions with difficult management problems; therefore, they pose a challenge for orthopaedic surgeons. In the literature, numerous treatment techniques have been proposed for these kinds of fractures. In our study we reviewed 30 patients with a mean age of 75 years presenting a proximal humeral fracture (Neer 2-3) and treated at our clinic with a Polarus nail, with a mean follow-up of 7 years. We obtained 73.3% of good and excellent results in line with literature. Complications were recorded in 6 of the patients (20%) recruited in our study. In particular, 3 cases of proximal screw pull-out, 1 case of deep infection and 2 cases of acromio-clavicular joint impingement syndrome. The aim of our study was to review our case histories and compare them with the literature analysing this complex type fracture and treatment options.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology of the University Hospital of Verona, G.B. Rossi Polyclinic of Verona. carlo.dalloca@univr.it.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dall'Oca
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maluta
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Micheloni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lavini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001858:Bone Nails; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012784:Shoulder Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome