title: Outcomes of proximal humeral fracture fixation with locked CFR-PEEK plating.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the outcomes of proximal humeral fracture (PHF) fixation with a novel carbon-fiber-reinforced (CFR)-PEEK plate and to compare results with outcomes after conventional locked titanium plating.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients (7 male, 14 female) with operative treatment of unilateral displaced PHFs (mean age, 66.8 ± 9.9 years) with a novel CRF-PEEK plate were prospectively enrolled. Patients were followed up clinically (Constant Score, Simple Shoulder Test and Simple Shoulder Value) and radiologically 3 months postoperative and again clinically 12 months postoperative. Implant-related complications were evaluated after 3 and 12 months. Results at 1-year follow-up were compared with results of 21 patients (7 male, 14 female; mean age, 67.4 ± 9.7 years) with conventional titanium locked plating by matched case-control analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All functional outcomes improved after CFR-PEEK plating (p < 0.05). Twelve months postoperatively, the mean age- and gender-related Constant Score was 99.8 ± 21.2%. All fractures healed by the 3-month follow-up without evidence of secondary screw perforation, fragment displacement or loss of fixation. There were no significant differences between the functional outcomes of patients with the CF-PEEK plate and patients with locked titanium plating (p > 0.05). Patients with locked titanium plating were significantly more likely to require revision surgery related to articular screw perforations (p = 0.048).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fracture fixation of displaced PHFs with a novel CFR-PEEK plate resulted in good to excellent 1-year functional outcomes which were similar to outcomes of conventional locked titanium plating. The stiffer locked titanium plating was associated with a higher risk of articular screw perforations than the more elastic CFR-PEEK plate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, DIAKOVERE Friederikenstift gGmbH, Humboldtstr. 5, 30169, Hannover, Germany. christoph.katthagen@ukmuenster.de.|Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Albert-Schweizer-Str. 1, 48149, Münster, Germany. christoph.katthagen@ukmuenster.de.
authors.forename: Jan Christoph
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Katthagen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, DIAKOVERE Friederikenstift gGmbH, Humboldtstr. 5, 30169, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ellwein
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, DIAKOVERE Friederikenstift gGmbH, Humboldtstr. 5, 30169, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, DIAKOVERE Friederikenstift gGmbH, Humboldtstr. 5, 30169, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Voigt
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, DIAKOVERE Friederikenstift gGmbH, Humboldtstr. 5, 30169, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lill
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001860:Bone Plates / Q000009:adverse effects; D001863:Bone Screws / Q000009:adverse effects; D002244:Carbon; D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017102:Fracture Healing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation; D012784:Shoulder Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D014025:Titanium; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D002244:Carbon; D014025:Titanium
keywords: Carbon-fiber; Locked plating; PEEK; Proximal humeral fracture; Titanium