[Proximal humeral fractures-Where do we stand today? : Comments on the "Proximal fracture of the humerus evaluation...

The PROFHER study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial of 250 out of 1250 patients assessed for eligibility with dislocated proximal humeral fractures with involvement of the surgical neck. These patients were randomized either for surgery or conservative treatment. Patients with comorbidities that precluded surgery, lack of mental capacity, luxation fractures or clear indications for surgery from the authors' perspective were excluded. To evaluate the outcome, standardized self-assessment methods were used (patient reported outcome [PRO]), including the Oxford shoulder score (OSS). The results showed no differences in the primary and secondary self-assessment outcome scores after both 2 and 5 years. Although no significant differences could be detected between both groups, no clear statement could be deduced from the PROFHER study with respect to which patients would benefit from an operative treatment. Nevertheless, the PROFHER study provides a valuable and important addition to the literature on this heavily debated topic. The purpose of this review is to critically evaluate the PROFHER study within the existing literature regarding inclusion of patients, fracture treatment and evaluation of the results.