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Updated: Dec 12, 2025
Treatment with Locking Intramedullary Nailing for Intertrochanteric Fracture of the Femur Utilizing a New Awl with a Distal Positioner
Published on: June 6, 2025
Intramedullary Cage Removal for a Consolidated Proximal Humerus Fracture: A Case Report
Suresh K Nayar1, Ankit Bansal, R Timothy Kreulen
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Case:
The expandable intramedullary cage (Conventus Orthopaedics) may treat 3- and 4-part proximal humerus fractures. Cage removal for symptomatic avascular necrosis with humeral head collapse requiring conversion to arthroplasty can be challenging because the cage's collapsing mechanism becomes inoperable after fracture consolidation. We present cage explantation followed by reverse total shoulder prosthesis placement in a 54-year-old man who underwent plate/cage fixation for a 3-part proximal humerus fracture 10 months earlier.
Conclusion:
The proximal humeral cage can be extracted safely while preserving adequate bone stock for subsequent arthroplasty. Additional time and exposure are necessary compared with removing a locking plate alone.
