Surgical therapy of dislocation fractures of the head of the humerus in adults. Personal procedure and results
Meissner, A.
Aktuelle Traumatologie 17(5): 204-208
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-6173 PMID: 2891248 Document Number: 297595
Surgical intervention is indicated in the vast majority of humerus head fracture dislocations. In the present paper, we report on the results of 24 such interventions performed between 1975 and 1984. Implantation of a T-plate is considered the standard procedure to obtain osteosynthetic stability during exercise. However, in elderly patients or in cases of multiple fragment fracture, this procedure is inadequate to achieve the required stability. In such cases, development of a humerus head necrosis would rather be promoted. If a sufficiently stable osteosynthesis without the risk of necrosis cannot be achieved, we prefer replacement of the humerus head by a shoulder prosthesis to humerus head resection, resection-interposition-arthroplasty or shoulder arthrodesis. However, not only optimal surgical management of humerus head fracture dislocations has a decisive influence on the later function of the most flexible human joint with the important rotator cuff, but also properly performed active and systematic postoperative physiotherapy.