Cochrane in CORR ^®: Interventions for Treating Proximal Humeral Fractures in Adults (Review)

Excerpt

Proximal humeral fractures are common fractures that account for 6% of all adult fractures [4] with an overall incidence of 19 per 100,000 [8]. Neer estimated that approximately 85% of all proximal humeral fractures were undisplaced, [10] but others have found proportions to be much lower [12]. Proximal humeral fractures are typical osteoporotic fractures, with women about three to four times more often affected than men, and older patients some 16 times more likely to experience this injury than younger patients [8]. They are the third most common fracture in elderly patients after hip and wrist fractures [4]. There is a rise in the incidence of proximal humeral fractures during the last 40 years [8, 11]. The introduction of locking-plate technology in 2002 and reverse shoulder arthroplasty in 2006 for proximal humeral fractures led to a relative increase of surgical treatment of up to 40% [1, 8], but this trend in practice was not supported by high quality evidence. …