Humeral Neck Fracture Research Articles

Development of the humeral head offset index for control of humeral torsion

BackgroundControl of humeral torsion can present a challenge, especially intraoperatively during closed reduction and fixation of humeral shaft fractures or 2-part surgical neck fractures of the proximal humerus. The objective of this study is to develop and validate an indirect method for the assessment of humeral torsion using an index that is linearly correlated with rotational arm position and can be derived from only a single plain radiographic image of the proximal humerus.MethodsThe Humeral Head Offset Index (HHOI) is calculated as the ratio of the medial and lateral offset of the humeral head measured from the outer cortices of the shaft on a plain radiographic or fluoroscopic image. The relationship of HHOI with humeral torsion was first verified on a sawbone model with radiopaque characteristics under fluoroscopic control. Different degrees of retroversion were simulated through manual rotation of the humerus with a digital protractor in 5° increments until 40° internally rotated and then in 5° increments until 40° externally rotated from the neutral position. The same procedure was subsequently performed digitally on Digitally Reconstructed Radiographs (DRRs) from computed tomography (CT) dataset of the sawbone. Next, the HHOI index was applied to eight randomly selected patients with total humerus CT using the same method. Spearman’s rho was calculated for the bivariate analysis of correlation between the simulated degree of retroversion and the HHOI. Strength of correlation was classified according to Koo and Li. Interrater and intrarater reliability of three blinded observers with repetition of measurement after three months were analyzed by assessing the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).ResultsBoth in the sawbone model and in DRRs, we demonstrated a high to very high significant linear correlation between simulated retroversion and the HHOI. ICC values demonstrated excellent interrater reliability and excellent intrarater reliability for measurement of the HHOI.ConclusionsThe HHOI is a new, simple, reliable index that has a linear relationship to the rotation of the humerus and can therefore allow an indirect control of humeral torsion in comparison to the contralateral side.

Lateral Wall Integrity of the Greater Tuberosity Is Important for the Stability of Osteoporotic Proximal Humeral Fractures After Plate Fixation.

Previous studies assessing surgical fixation of osteoporotic proximal humeral fractures have primarily focused on medial calcar support. In this study, we utilized a specific model for 2-part surgical neck fracture of the osteoporotic proximal humerus to investigate how severe comminution of the greater tuberosity (GT) lateral wall affects biomechanical stability after fixation with a plate. Ten matched pairs of cadaveric humeri (right and left) were assigned to either a surgical neck fracture alone (the SN group) or a surgical neck fracture with GT lateral wall comminution (the LW group) with use of block randomization. We removed 5 mm of the lateral wall of the GT to simulate severe comminution of the lateral wall. Axial compression stiffness, torsional stiffness, varus bending stiffness, and the single load to failure in varus bending were measured for all plate-bone constructs. Compared with the SN group, the LW group showed a significant decrease in all measures, including torsional stiffness (internal, p = 0.007; external, p = 0.007), axial compression stiffness (p = 0.002), and varus bending stiffness (p = 0.007). In addition, the mean single load to failure in varus bending for the LW group was 62% lower than that for the SN group (p = 0.005). Severe comminution of the GT lateral wall significantly compromised the biomechanical stability of osteoporotic, comminuted humeral surgical neck fractures. Although the generalizability of this cadaveric model may be limited to the extreme clinical scenario, the model showed that severe comminution of the GT lateral wall significantly compromised the stability of osteoporotic humeral surgical neck fractures fixed with a plate and screws alone.

A Woman with Right Shoulder Pain.

We report a case of an 89-year-old female who presented with pain in her right shoulder following a fall onto her outstretched hand. Upon presentation, her right hand was held behind her head and elbow held above her head in flexion. There was obvious deformity seen and felt in her axilla. Radiograph of the shoulder showed an inferior shoulder dislocation and impacted humeral neck fracture. Given her age and comorbid osteoporosis, a bedside reduction was performed by orthopedics where the humeral head was intentionally dislocated from the humeral shaft. Thirteen days after the initial shoulder dislocation, the patient's shoulder was successfully repaired by open reduction. Luxatio erecta, which means "erect dislocation" in Latin, refers to an inferior shoulder dislocation. It accounts for less than 1% of shoulder dislocations. Our case report highlights an inferior shoulder dislocation with a rare, concomitant humeral neck fracture, managed via staged reduction by orthopedics with intentional dislocation of the humeral head given concern over patient's age and osteoporosis. The patient was eventually successfully repaired via arthroplasty within two weeks.

Observational Study on the Effective Treatment of Humeral Neck Fracture in the Medicine of Mongolia

Observational Study on the Effective Treatment of Humeral Neck Fracture in the Medicine of Mongolia

Greater tuberosity fractures of the humerus: complications and long-term outcomes after surgical treatment

BackgroundIsolated greater tuberosity (GT) fractures typically occur in younger patients following high-energy trauma compared to humeral neck fractures. Surgical treatment is indicated when superior displacement is > 5 mm. This study aimed to assess the complications and long-term outcomes of surgically-treated GT fractures.MethodsA retrospective review of 39 patients who underwent surgery from 2010 to 2014 was conducted. The cohort comprised 54.6% females, with an average age of 56.74 years and a median follow-up of 6.71 years. Only 25 patients returned for reevaluation, with functional outcomes assessed using Constant-Murley score.ResultsWomen were older than men (63.00 ± 12.15 vs. 48.65 ± 16.93, p = 0.006). 18/39 patients (46.1%) sustained avulsion-type, 1 patient out of 39 (2.6%) depression-type, and 20/39 patients (51.3%) split-type fractures. The mean Constant-Murley score was 84.08 ± 18.36, with higher scores observed in men (p = 0.021). Avulsion-type fractures were related to higher postoperative scores compared to split fractures (p = 0.069). Post-surgical complications occurred in 20.5% of patients, with no differences noted between sexes, fracture types, or procedures.ConclusionThis study enhances understanding of the long-term outcomes of surgically-treated GT fractures, aiding in treatment selection. Interfragmentary screws may be preferable in younger male patients, but are associated with the higher risk of reintervention, particularly in fragile bone. Prospective multicentric studies are warranted to further elucidate long-term results and treatment strategies.

Alfacalcidol in clinical practice: focus on the efficacy and safety of the Russian generic drug

The most important factors that determine the risk of fractures are not only the presence of osteoporosis (OP), but also the risk of falls. In addition to sufficient physical activity, medications are needed that have a positive effect on the strength and functional performance of the skeletal muscles. Vitamin D supplements play a key role in this therapeutic approach.Objective: to investigate the tolerability, safety and efficacy of the generic drug Alfacalcidol Canon on the functional status of patients with reduced bone mineral density in clinical practice.Material and methods. The study involved 30 women with OP or osteopenia who were at high risk of falls (mean age 68.0±7.2 years) and who were administered Alfacalcidol Canon at a dose of 1 mcg/day for 3 months. The follow-up period included 4 visits to the clinic, during which laboratory tests were performed and falls and fractures, adverse reactions and patients' adherence to treatment were registered. At the first and last visits, quality of life was assessed using the EQ-5D and the functional status of the skeletal muscles was examined. At the 4th visit, the tolerability of the medication was assessed.Results and discussion. After 3 months of therapy, an increase in muscle strength of the dominant arm was observed by an average of 15.4% (p=0.00002). The time for the "Chair Stand Test" and the "Time up and go" test decreased by 17.4% (p=0.000012) and 13.6% (p=0.00004) respectively. The gait speed test increased on average by 13.9% (p=0.000013), it increased in 26 (86.7%) women. The SPPB test score increased on average by 12.5% (p=0.000001), and achievement of the best indicators was found in 23 (76.7%) women. There were no cases of hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia and hypermagnesemia, but 1 case of hypercalciuria was detected. Falls occurred in 2 women (6.7%) who had fallen in the previous year, one of whom suffered a fracture of humeral neck. Adverse reactions were observed in 3 (10 %) women, one of whom stopped taking the drug. 90% of the patients tolerated the treatment excellently. The average compliance rate was 94.3%.Conclusion. Alfacalcidol Canon is a safe and effective drug that can be used to improve the physical performance of skeletal muscles in patients with a high risk of falls.

The biomechanical effect of fibular strut grafts on humeral surgical neck fractures with lateral wall comminution

No studies have evaluated the effect of fibular strut augmentation on the stability of locking plate fixation for osteoporotic proximal humeral fractures with lateral wall comminution. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of locking plate fixation with a fibular strut graft compared with locking plate alone in an osteoporotic two-part surgical neck fracture model with lateral cortex comminution. Ten paired fresh-frozen cadaveric humeri were randomly allocated into two groups, either the locking plate alone (LP group) or locking plate with fibular strut graft augmentation (LPFSG group), with an equal number of right and left osteoporotic surgical neck fractures with lateral wall comminution of the greater tuberosity. Varus, internal/external torsion, and axial compression stiffness as well as single load to failure were measured in plate-bone constructs, and the LPFSG group showed significantly greater values in all metrics. In conclusion, this biomechanical study shows that fibular strut augmentation significantly enhances varus stiffness, internal torsion stiffness, external torsion stiffness, and maximum failure load of a construct compared to locking plate fixation alone in proximal humeral fractures with lateral wall comminution.

What is the interobserver agreement of displaced humeral surgical neck fracture patterns?

The Boileau classification distinguishes three surgical neck fracture patterns: types A, B, and C. However, the reproducibility of this classification on plain radiographs is unclear. Therefore, we questioned what the interobserver agreement and accuracy of displaced surgical neck fracture patterns is categorized according to the modified Boileau classification. Does the reliability to recognize these fracture patterns differ between orthopedic residents and attending surgeons? This interobserver study consisted of a randomly retrieved series of 30 plain radiographs representing clinical practice in a level 1 and a level 2 trauma center. Radiographs were included from patients (≥18 years) who sustained an isolated displaced surgical neck fracture if they were taken ≤1 week after initial injury. A ground truth was established by consensus among three senior orthopedic surgeons. All images were assessed by 17 orthopedic residents and 17 attending orthopedic trauma surgeons. Agreement for the modified Boileau classification was fair (κ=0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.38) with an accuracy of 62% (95% CI, 57%-66%). Comparison of interobserver variability between residents and attending surgeons revealed a significant but clinically irrelevant difference in favor of attending surgeons (0.34 vs. 0.39, respectively, Δ κ=0.05, 95% CI, 0.02-0.07). The modified Boileau classification yields a low interobserver agreement with an unsatisfactory accuracy in a panel of orthopedic residents and attending surgeons. This supports the hypothesis that surgical neck fractures are challenging to categorize and that this classification should not be used to determine prognosis if only plain radiographs are available.

Clinical Outcome of Sacroiliac Rod Fixation for Fragility Fracture of the Pelvis Rommens and Hoffman Classification Type IVb: Case Series.

Fragility fracture of the pelvis (FFP), generally involving Rommens and Hoffman classification type IVb (H-shaped) requires spinopelvic fixation (SPF). We report the clinical outcome of sacroiliac rod fixation (SIRF) for FFP type IVb in a case series. In this retrospective observational study, six patients (mean age, 80.3years; range, 74-85years) with FFP type IVb who underwent SIRF since October 2019 and could be followed up for ≥1year postoperatively were included. All patients were injured in low-energy falls, a patient had a femoral neck fracture, and other had a humeral neck fracture and distal radius fracture. The mean (range) operative time was 135 (98-200) min, and mean blood loss was 103 (80-130) g. All patients achieved bone union in an average of 4.3months. No implant failure or surgical site infection requiring reoperation occurred. No patient complained of iliac screw irritation or requested removal. One patient developed a T12 vertebral fracture at 3weeks postoperatively. The mean final follow-up period was 17.8 months (13-22months) and mean final modified Majeed Score (maximum 76 points as the items "work" and "sexual intercourse" were omitted for this study) was 71.7 (56-76). SIRF is a less invasive surgical technique than SPF that uses only an S1 pedicle screw and iliac screw. SIRF using the "within ring" concept showed good clinical outcome in FFP type IVb.

Management of displaced humeral surgical neck fractures in daily clinical practice: hanging does not re-align the fracture

IntroductionIt is unclear if the collar and cuff treatment improve alignment in displaced surgical neck fractures of the proximal humerus. Therefore, this study evaluated if the neckshaft angle and extent of displacement would improve between trauma and onset of radiographically visible callus in non-operatively treated surgical neck fractures (Boileau type A, B, C).Materials and MethodsA consecutive series of patients (≥ 18 years old) were retrospectively evaluated from a level 1 trauma center in Australia (inclusion period: 2016–2020) and a level 2 trauma center in the Netherlands (inclusion period: 2004 to 2018). Patients were included if they sustained a Boileau-type fracture and underwent initial non-operative treatment. The first radiograph had to be obtained within 24 h after the initial injury and the follow-up radiograph(s) 1 week after trauma and before the start of radiographically visible callus. On each radiograph, the maximal medial gap (MMG), maximal lateral gap (MLG), and neck-shaft angle (NSA) were measured. Linear mixed modelling was performed to evaluate if these measurements would improve over time.ResultsSixty-seven patients were included: 25 type A, 11 type B, and 31 type C fractures.The mean age (range) was 68 years (24–93), and the mean number (range) of follow-up radiographs per patient was 1 (1–4). Linear mixed modelling on both MMG and MLG revealed no improvement during follow-up among the three groups. Mean NSA of type A fractures improved significantly from 161° at trauma to 152° at last follow-up (p-value = 0.004).ConclusionsApart from humeral head angulation improvement in type A, there is no increase nor reduction in displacement among the three fracture patterns. Therefore, it is advised that surgical decision-making should be performed immediately after trauma.Level of clinical evidenceLevel IV, retrospective case series.

Blocking screw augmentation in intramedullary nailing for displaced surgical neck fractures of the proximal humerus

A displaced surgical neck fracture can be a good indication for antegrade intramedullary nailing. However, nail insertion may result in malreduction and translational displacement of the humeral head fragment because of muscle traction and size discrepancies between the diameters of the medullary canal and the intramedullary nail. We used blocking screw augmentation in 20 fractures with residual medial displacement of the distal fragment after nail insertion to anatomically reduce displacement of the fracture and to maintain the reduced position before bone union. A blocking screw was placed percutaneously at the lateral side of the canal. Next, a straight intramedullary nail was reinserted medial to the blocking screw. Finally, the nail was locked both proximally and distally. All cases showed bone union without fixation failure at the time of the final follow-up. Blocking screw augmentation with intramedullary nailing is feasible for the treatment of humeral surgical neck fractures and is thought to be helpful for fracture reduction during surgery and stable fixation after surgery.

A STUDY ON FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME OF PROXIMAL HUMERUS FRACTURES TREATED WITH PHILOS PLATING

Background: Proximal humerus fractures are common and debilitating injuries. These fractures have a dual age distribution occurring either in young people following high energy trauma Usually high energy trauma associated with dislocation or in those older than 60 years with low-velocity injuries like simple fall, especially in elderly patients is due to osteoporosis and deforming forces of muscle attached. Wide range of treatment modalities ranging from conservative management to reverse shoulder arthroplasty. The non-operative method gives good results in stable and minimally displaced fractures. Displaced humeral neck fractures used to be managed conservatively in the past, but these were complicated by loss of reduction, malunion, non-union, stiffness and ultimately poor functional outcome. We took up this study to assess the efcacy and functional outcome of P.H.I.L.O.S. plating in proximal humerus. Our objectives are to study the fracture pattern with the Neer's criteria, to reconstruct the proximal humerus fracture anatomically with Philos plate, allow early shoulder mobilization and assessing the functional outcome using Constant Murley score. It is an Materials and methods: observational study of 30 patients (18 females and 12 males) with proximal humerus fractures that attended to the Department of Orthopaedics, Government General Hospital, Rangaraya medical college, Kakinada from December 2018 to December 2020. The mean follow-up Results: period was 12 months. Two patients lost follow-up. Of the remaining 28 patients, all fractures were united clinically and radiologically. At the nal follow-up the mean Constant-Murley score was 69.2 (range 50 -100). The results were excellent in 3, good in 12, fair in 10 patients, poor in 3 patients. During the follow-up 4 cases had varus mal-union, 5 had stiffness of the shoulder, 2 had supercial infection and1 had screw penetration. No cases of hardware failure, locking screw loosening or non-union were noted. T Conclusion: he divergent and convergent orientation of the locking screws of PHILOS plate provides stable biological xation with good radiological union. It minimises the soft tissue dissection and gives both axial and angular stability hence, reducing the risk of fracture displacement.

Risk factors for failure of reduction of anterior glenohumeral dislocation without sedation

Although anterior glenohumeral dislocations are common, the reduction procedure is often difficult, requiring sedation or anesthesia. To date, the risk factors for reduction failure without sedation have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to clarify the predictive factors that render the reduction of anterior glenohumeral dislocation without sedation difficult by use of multivariate analyses. We retrospectively reviewed 156 patients who underwent attempted reduction of anterior glenohumeral dislocation between 2006 and 2019. Patients were included based on the following criteria: traumatic dislocation, undergoing attempted reduction using the traction-countertraction method, and acute dislocation in which reduction was attempted within 2 days of the injury. The dependent variable was set as an irreducible glenohumeral dislocation without sedation, which was defined as a reduction failure in this study. Explanatory variables included age, sex, side of injury, recurrent dislocation, axillary nerve injury, time from dislocation to attempted reduction, greater tuberosity fracture, humeral neck fracture, glenoid rim fracture, and glenohumeral osteoarthritis. We evaluated these outcomes from radiographs and clinical notes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Baseline variables, which were observed to be significant in the univariate analysis, were included in multivariate models, which used logistic regression to identify independent predictors of reduction failure. Of the 156 patients, 25 (16.0%) experienced reduction failure. Multivariate analyses showed that older age (≥55 years) (odds ratio [OR], 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-10.4; P = .036), greater tuberosity fractures (OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.1-12.2; P = .033), and glenoid rim fractures (OR, 11.5; 95% CI, 1.5-87.7; P = .018) were risk factors for reduction failure. Our results demonstrated that multiple factors were associated with unsuccessful reduction of anterior glenohumeral dislocation without sedation. In elderly patients or patients with concurrent greater tuberosity fractures and glenoid rim fractures, reduction failure could occur in the absence of sedation; thus, the administration of sedatives or anesthesia should be considered.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of vitamin D and calcium in preventing osteoporotic fractures.

To assess and update the effect of the combination of vitamin D and calcium in the reduction of osteoporotic fractures, a systematic review across Cochrane Database, NIHRHTAdatabase, PubMed and Google Scholar was performed using mesh terms :Cohortstudies OR ProspectiveStudies OR LongitudinalStudies OR Follow-UpStudies OR Incidence OR Risk OR Rate and Osteoporotic Fractures OR Fractures, Bone OR Fractures, Spontaneous OR Spinal Fractures OR Humeral Fractures OR Hip Fractures ORFemoral Neck Fractures AND Vitamin D AND Calciumand key words: vitamin D, fractures, osteoporosis,calcium, dietary supplements. Statistical analysis was performed with Review Manager (RevMan 5.3) using relative risk and confidence interval 95%. The combination reduced total fractures and hip fractures while no effect was observed in wrist fractures. The combination was also well tolerated. Only minor side effects were reported. This systematic review suggests that the combination of vitamin D and calcium can exert a beneficial effect towards osteoporotic fracture reduction.

Iatrogenic humeral anatomic neck fracture after intraosseous vascular access

Intraosseous infusion has become a key tool in the resuscitation of critically ill or injured patients, both in pre-hospital settings and in emergency departments. Intraosseous access is obtained through the percutaneous placement of a needle into the medullary space of a bone, thereby allowing access into the systemic venous circulation via the medullary space, which is essential to treat patients in shock, cardiac arrest, airway compromise, or major trauma. This becomes critically important when obtaining conventional intravenous access is difficult or impossible. Few cases of iatrogenic fracture have been reported for intraosseous access in the tibia and no case to-date has been reported of iatrogenic fracture secondary to humeral access. We report a case of a 55-year-old patient being resuscitated emergently with proximal humeral intraosseous infusion for cardiac and respiratory arrest secondary to status epilepticus. After successful resuscitation and removal of the intraosseous cannula, the patient noted new-onset shoulder pain. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with an iatrogenic fracture of the anatomic neck of the humerus through the intraosseous needle tract when the appropriate history was obtained in conjunction with cross-sectional imaging. As the use of intraosseous access expands, such fractures may well be seen more frequently. Intraosseous access is limited to the period of resuscitation and the cannula is often not present at the time of imaging. It is important for radiologists to recognize the findings related to intraosseous access as well as this complication with its characteristic locations and morphology.

Clinical comparative study of metaphyseal locking intramedullary nail and locking plate in the treatment of humeral surgical neck fracture

Objective To investigate the difference of clinical efficacy between metaphyseal locking intramedullary nail and locking plate in the treatment of humeral surgical neck fracture. Methods 64 patients with Neer II humeral surgical neck fracture who were treated in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2015 were selected. According to the operation plan, the patients were divided into epiphyseal locking intramedullary nail fixation group (observation group, n=42) and locking plate fixation group (control group, n=22). The differences of clinical data (sex, age, time from injury to operation, number of injured cases, follow-up time), clinical indicators (neck-trunk angle, last neck-trunk angle, number of complications, amount of operative bleeding, amount of operative blood transfusion, operation time, fracture healing time): Neer shoulder function score and Constant shoulder score were compared between the two groups. Results There was no significant difference in gender, age, time from injury to operation, number of cases of injury and follow-up time between the two groups, and the subjects were comparable (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the neck-trunk angle, the last neck-trunk angle and the number of complications between the two groups (P>0.05); the observation group had longer operation time, less operation bleeding volume and blood transfusion volume, shorter fracture healing time (P 0.05). The Constant score, external rotation, abduction and flexion in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusions The use of metaphyseal locking intramedullary nail in the treatment of humeral surgical neck fracture has a definite clinical effect and a low incidence of complications, which is worthy of clinical application. Key words: Humeral fractures; Shoulder fractures; Fracture fixation, intramedullary; Bone nails; Bone plates

The incidence of occult and missed surgical neck fractures in patients with isolated greater tuberosity fracture of the proximal humerus

BackgroundOccult and missed surgical neck fractures can be found in patients diagnosed with isolated greater tuberosity (GT) fracture during the follow up period. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess the incidence rate of occult and missed surgical neck fractures in those initially diagnosed with isolated GT fracture.MethodsRecords of patients diagnosed as having an isolated GT fracture were retrieved from a database in a medical center. Two senior orthopedic surgeons blindly reviewed all images of these patients three times to classify GT fracture types (split, avulsion and depression types), and recorded any surgical neck fractures found. Then a meeting was help to confirm the fracture types and presence of surgical neck fracture.ResultsOccult surgical neck fractures were found in 5 out of 68 (7.4%) patients, whereas missed surgical neck fractures were found in 3 out of 68 (4.4%) patients. In total, 32 patients had split type GT fracture, 32 had avulsion type and 4 had depression type. For those with occult surgical neck fractures, 7 had the split type GT fracture, while the remaining one had the avulsion type. Although the proportion of occult surgical neck fracture was higher in the split-type GT fracture (21.9%) than in the avulsion-type GT fracture (3.1%), the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.056).ConclusionOccult humeral surgical neck fractures occurred in 7.4% of isolated greater tuberosity fractures after re-evaluation, while missed humeral surgical neck fractures occurred in 4.4%.

Incidence of upper extremity deep venous thrombosis after traumatic fracture in China: a Meta-analysis

Objective To evaluate the incidence of upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (UEDVT) after traumatic fracture using Meta-analysis. Methods Chinese Biomedical Science Articles Database (CBMdisc) , CNKI, Wanfang Medical Network Database were searched to collect studies about UEDVT after traumatic fracture from January 1st, 1990 to December 31st, 2018. After inclusion of exclusion criteria, literature was screened according to PICO principle, and literature quality was evaluated according to STROBE declaration. Qualified literature was used to extract data on the incidence of upper limb thrombosis, and data fusion was carried out using Meta-analysis method of single-arm study. Results Finally, 9 articles of high quality were included in the study, including 14 425 patients. Data fusion result showed that the incidence of UEDVT after upper limb fracture was 0.83% (95%CI: 0.69% - 0.98%) . Axillary vein thrombosis accounted for 19.99%, brachial vein thrombosis 46.66%, subclavian vein thrombosis 6.58%, subclavian vein-brachial vein thrombosis 14.84%, axillary vein-brachial vein thrombosis 11.93% in UEDVT after upper limb fracture. The incidence of UEDVT was 1.83% after humeral surgical neck fracture and 1.76% after humeral shaft fracture. Conclusions The overall incidence of UEDVT after upper limb fracture was 0.83%. Brachial vein and axillary vein are the main sites, which should be paid attention to in postoperative nursing. The incidence of UEDVT in patients with proximal humeral fracture and peri-shoulder fracture is higher than that in patients with other upper limb fractures, which should be paid more attention. Key words: Meta-analysis; Fractures; Deep vein thrombosis; Complications; Upper limb; Traumatic fracture

Inferior displacement of greater tuberosity fracture suggestsan occult humeral neck fracture: a retrospective single-centre study.

To radiographically characterize the relationship between inferior displacement of great tuberosity (GT) fracture and associated occult or minor displaced humeral neck fracture. Thirty patients with inferior displacement of the GT on the initial anterior-posterior (AP) view X-ray were included in this study. Twenty-four patients received further computed tomography (CT) scans. One patient with negative CT scans underwent MRI. Radiographic indexes included the cervico-diaphyseal angle, the distance of the inferior displacement of the GT fracture, the apex-tuberosity distance, and the direction of the GT shift on the 3D-CT scan. The measurement reliabilitywas analyzed by calculatingintra-class correlation (ICC) coefficients. The relationships between the parameters were revealedusing Pearson correlation analysis. In the 30 cases, humeral neck fractures were detected by AP view X-ray (6 cases), CT (23 cases), and MRI (1 case). The mean cervico-diaphyseal angle was 146.7° ± 8.9°. The mean inferior displacement of the GT fracture was 13.4 ± 5.9mm. The mean apex-tuberosity distance was 11.8 ± 2.8mm. Posterior/inferior displacement of the GT fractures was observed in 24 patients via CT scan. All the evaluated parameters presented correlations among methods, indicating intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed that inferior displacement of GT fracture was correlated with the cervico-diaphyseal angle (P < 0.05). The inferior displacement of GT fracture on AP view X-ray is a useful diagnostic clue for the early recognition of occult humeral neck fracture and may indicate the need for further CT/MRI examination.

Conversion of Failed Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty to Hemiarthroplasty: Three Cases of Instability and Three Cases of Glenoid Loosening.

BackgroundGlenoid loosening and postoperative instability are common causes of failed reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). When soft-tissue problems or large glenoid bone defect interferes with reimplantation in revision RTSA, conversion to hemiarthroplasty can be considered. We present a case series of patients who underwent conversion to hemiarthroplasty due to glenoid loosening and early instability after RTSAs, along with clinical results.MethodsA total of 72 primary RTSAs using the Aequalis prosthesis were performed at our institution from May 2009 to December 2016. Of these, five patients, including one with humeral neck fracture and absent rotator cuff and four with cuff tear arthropathy, underwent conversion to hemiarthroplasty. Another patient who had RTSA at a local clinic underwent hemiarthroplasty at our institution for unresolved postoperative anterior dislocation. The mean age of the six patients was 71.7 years (range, 62 to 76 years), and the mean follow-up period was 24.4 months (range, 18 to 30 months). Clinical assessments were conducted by using the visual analog scale (VAS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ASES) score, and University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score at the last follow-up.ResultsThe conversion to hemiarthroplasty in the six patients dramatically improved the mean VAS score (preoperative, 8.1; postoperative, 2.5), ASES score (preoperative, 22.1; postoperative, 56.5), and UCLA score (preoperative, 12; postoperative, 18.1). However, the range of motion was almost unchanged after surgery.ConclusionsConversion to hemiarthroplasty can be a good alternative to revision RTSA in patients with serious complications (such as unresolved instability and glenoid loosening) difficult to treat with revision RTSA.