• S Gumina, P Baudi, V Candela, and G Campochiaro.
• Section of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Shoulder and Elbow Unit, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: s.gumina@tiscali.it.
• Injury. 2016 Oct 1; 47 Suppl 4: S59-S63.

ObjectiveTo compare clinical outcomes and complication rates in the medium-to-long-term follow-up of Hertel 7 humeral head fractures treated with two different locking plates.Materials And MethodsA total of 52 patients with type 7 humeral head fracture (in accordance with Hertel classification) were enrolled retrospectively: 24 patients [4 male, 20 female; mean age (standard deviation [SD]): 68.9 (5.8) years] were treated with Diphos H plate (Group A) and 28 patients [6 male, 22 female; mean age (SD): 61.0 (7.5) years] with Proximal Humeral Plate (PHP; Group B). The mean follow-up periods were 25.6 and 18.9 months, respectively. Functional outcomes were assessed using the Constant score and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score; X-ray evaluation was also performed and complications were recorded.ResultsThe mean Constant score in the Diphos and PHP groups at follow-up were 75.6 (SD 13.4) and 78.9 (SD 12.8), respectively (p>0.05). The DASH score was similar in both groups (Diphos: 18.6, range 0-51.5; PHP: 16.8, range 0-47.8) (p>0.05). In our series, 9.6% of patients had complications; these included a case of aseptic non-union and a case of avascular necrosis of the humeral head in each group, and a secondary screw perforation in a patient treated with Diphos.ConclusionsIn patients with Hertel 7 proximal humeral fractures, Diphos and PHP lead to similar satisfactory functional outcomes and are associated with low complication rates; this confirms that both are useful implants for the treatment of this pattern of fracture.Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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