[Results of reconstructive surgery in fractures of the proximal humerus]

In treatment of comminuted dislocation fractures of the proximal humerus the most serious therapeutic problem still remains the 6th group of Neer's classification, in particular fractures with four fragments and with a completely dislocated and devitalized head. The authors present in a retrospective study an overall comparison of results assembled in 30 patients (and 19 checked patients resp.) who were operated by the technique of anatomical reconstruction (13 and 8 patients resp.) or by the authors own technique of non-anatomical reconstruction (17 and 11 patients resp.), all operated on account of comminuted dislocation fractures of the proximal humerus at the orthopaedic clinics of the First and Third Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague in 1976-1988. Analysis of the results of the checked patients made the authors draw the following conclusions: 1. Fractures of the proximal end of the humerus is a relative frequent injury, in particular in the elderly. About 20% of these injuries call for surgical treatment. 2. In all non-anatomical reconstructions the mobility is very restricted in particular exorotation, in anatomical reconstructions the restriction is much smaller. 3. In all patients operated by the technique of non-anatomical reconstruction within three years necrobiotic reconstruction of the fragment of the head occurred which is the greater, the larger the fragment of the head which was preserved. 4. The result of the reconstruction depends on the preservation of nurture of the fragment of the head and on selection of an adequate technique of osteosynthesis. 5. In anatomical reconstructions the most frequent complication was loosening of the osteosynthetic material, a varus position of the head and pseudoarthrosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)