[Complex fractures of the humeral head: which long-term results can be expected?]

Although improved techniques of internal fixation and prosthetic replacement were introduced successfully in the field of operative fracture care, treatment of complex fractures of the proximal humerus also involving the humeral head remains to be a challenge to the trauma surgeon. We therefore investigated clinical and radiological long-term results after humeral head preserving procedures.

41 patients with a three or four part fracture of the humeral head were evaluated on average 6.6 years (min. 4.4 y; max. 9.0 y) after the trauma. The evaluation was based on the Constant- and HSS score clinically and on the Neer score radiologically. Nine patients were treated conservatively (group A), 13 patients had primarily an operative treatment (group B) and another 19 were operated upon after failure of conservative means. 24 of the patients were female and 17 male, with an average age of 52 years (min. 14.4 y; max. 71.2 y). According to Neers 's fracture classification of humeral head fractures we saw 14 type IV, 25 times a combination of type IV and V and in another 2 cases a type VI fracture.

In group A (conservative) the Constant score showed on average 82.0 points for the injured and 95.3 points for the contralateral shoulder, the HSS score revealed 73.6 points and Neer's x-ray score 5.6 points. Group B (operated) showed also good results on average according to a Constant score of 72.1 points (fractured humerus) compared with 98.1 points of the contralateral shoulder. HSS score was 64.7 points. The radiological results reached 4.0 points. Group C (conservatively failed, secondary operation) achieved 68.2 points for the injured side and 95.8 points for the contralateral side according to Constant and 59.5 points according to HSS score. The x-ray evaluation showed 5.3 points. Fracture type did not influence the outcome in any of the groups. There was no humeral head necrosis in group A, one in group B (2.4 %) and four in group C (9.8 %).

These data show that regarding to clinical and radiological long-term results also complex fractures of the humeral head should be treated by head preserving procedures.