Fractures of the proximal humerus.

Fractures of the proximal humerus have been diagnosed and managed since the earliest known surgical texts. For more than four millennia the preferred treatment was forceful traction, closed reduction, and immobilization with linen soaked in combinations of oil, honey, alum, wine, or cerate. The bandages were further supported by splints made of wood or coarse grass. Healing was expected in forty days. Different fracture patterns have been discussed and classified since Ancient Greece. Current classification of proximal humeral fractures mainly relies on the classifications proposed by Charles Neer and the AO/OTA classification. Since the late 1980's it has been known that intra- and inter-observer variation was high within the two systems. I conducted a series of observer studies to qualify the disagreement further and to study to what extent improvement of agreement could be obtained. No clinically significant differences in observer agreement were found at different levels of clinical experience, by reducing the number of categories, or by adding high quality radiographs, CT or 3D CT scans. A consistently low agreement on the Neer classification within and between untrained orthopaedic doctors was found. However, we also found that inter-observer agreement on treatment recommendation was higher than the agreement on the Neer classification. In a randomized trial we found that agreement could improve significantly by training of doctors, especially among specialists. However, classification of proximal humeral fractures remains a challenge for the conduct, reporting, and interpretation of clinical trials. The evidence for the benefits of surgery in complex fractures of the proximal humerus is weak. In three systematic reviews I studied the outcome after locking plate osteosynthesis or reverse arthroplasty in complex fractures patterns. No randomized trials or well-conducted comparative studies were identified. High failure rates suggest that the use of these implants for complex fractures of the humerus should not be used outside clinical protocols. I recommend the conduct of randomized trials, and a design of such study is proposed.

Three-and four-part proximal humerus fractures: evolution to operative care.

The recent increase in life expectancy is expected to bring about a concurrent rise in the number of proximal humerus fractures. Those presenting with significant displacement, osteoporosis, and comminution present distinct clinical challenges, and the optimal treatment of these injuries remains controversial. As implant technologies and treatment strategies continue to evolve, the role and appropriateness of certain operative and nonoperative treatment modalities are being debated. Prior concerns regarding humeral head viability forced many physicians to abandon operative management in favor of nonoperative modalities. However, with greater appreciation and understanding of the factors governing humeral head viability, operative intervention is increasingly used and investigated. Nevertheless, sub-optimal results with earlier implants continue to cloud the debate between nonoperative and operative treatment modalities. This paper will review historical considerations, biologic considerations, and implant considerations in the management of three-and four-part proximal humerus fractures.

Management of proximal humeral fractures in the nineteenth century: an historical review of preradiographic sources.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and treatment of fractures of the proximal humerus have troubled patients and medical practitioners since antiquity. Preradiographic diagnosis relied on surface anatomy, pain localization, crepitus, and impaired function. During the nineteenth century, a more thorough understanding of the pathoanatomy and pathophysiology of proximal humeral fractures was obtained, and new methods of reduction and bandaging were developed. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: I reviewed nineteenth-century principles of (1) diagnosis, (2) classification, (3) reduction, (4) bandaging, and (5) concepts of displacement in fractures of the proximal humerus. METHODS: A narrative review of nineteenth-century surgical texts is presented. Sources were identified by searching bibliographic databases, orthopaedic sourcebooks, textbooks in medical history, and a subsequent hand search. RESULTS: Substantial progress in understanding fractures of the proximal humerus is found in nineteenth-century textbooks. A rational approach to understanding fractures of the proximal humerus was made possible by an appreciation of the underlying functional anatomy and subsequent pathoanatomy. Thus, new principles of diagnosis, pathoanatomic classifications, modified methods of reduction, functional bandaging, and advanced concepts of displacement were proposed, challenging the classic management adhered to for more than 2000 years. CONCLUSIONS: The principles for modern pathoanatomic and pathophysiologic understanding of proximal humeral fractures and the principles for classification, nonsurgical treatment, and bandaging were established in the preradiographic era.

Historical development of shoulder care.

The development over the last century and a half of treatment for dislocation of the shoulder, fractures, acromioclavicular dislocation, arthroplasty, and rupture of the rotator cuff is outlined.