Glenoid fracture: conservative treatment versus surgical treatment

Glenoid fossa fractures are rare. The indication for conservative or surgical treatment is controversial, especially because of limited reports in the literature. Many authors prefer conservative treatment for most types of glenoid fractures to the alternate surgical treatment, but long-term follow-up is rarely reported. We report on four patients with displaced, intra-articular glenoid fossa, who were treated either surgically or conservatively. After an average 7-year follow-up, clinical and radiographic results were satisfactory in all patients. Based on the literature and our limited experience, we recommend that conservative treatment be considered as a good option for displaced intra-articular glenoid fossa fracture.