• L Doursounian, J Grimberg, C Cazeau, and R C Touzard.
• Unité d'Orthopédie-Traumatologie, Hôpital de l'Hôtel-Dieu, Paris.
• Rev Chir Orthop Reparatrice Appar Mot. 1996 Jan 1; 82 (8): 743-52.

Purpose Of The StudyThe authors describe a new internal fixation device, and report on 17 proximal humeral fractures managed with this technique.Material And MethodsThe fracture patterns, using Neer's classification were: 9 displaced three-part fractures, 4 displaced four-part fractures and 4 interior fracture dislocations (mean age of the patients: 70 years). The device is a two-part titanium device. The humeral component has a long vertical stem cemented in the humeral shaft; and a short proximal portion set at an angle of 135 degrees on the stem, with a neck and a Morse taper cone. The other part is a crown-shaped stapple, whose base is a perforated disk with a central Morse taper socket. The rim of the crown has five prongs which, together with the central socket, are impacted in the cancellous bone of the humeral head. The taper of the humeral component is inserted into the central socket of the stapple to provide fracture fixation. Tuberosities are reattached to the shaft with non absorbable sutures.ResultsMean follow-up was 29 months. The global ratings were as follows: 4 excellent results, 6 good results, 4 fair results, 3 poor results. Mean active forward flexion: 100 degrees, and mean active external rotation 22 degrees. After exclusion of the 4 fracture-dislocations, the global rating became: 4 excellent results, 5 good results, 3 fair results, 1 poor result. Mean active forward flexion: 110 degrees and mean active external rotation: 31.5 degrees. There were no case of avascular necrosis in 13 patients. Complications requiring surgery occurred in one case: an upper protrusion of the stapple which required replacement of the stapple by a prosthetic humeral head. Other complications included: 2 asymptomatic partial protrusions of the stapple, 2 complete and two partial avascular necrosis in fracture-dislocations.DiscussionExcept for the fracture-dislocations our device confers several major benefits. The humeral head is preserved. Typical problems associated with joint replacement (dislocations, loosening, glenoid degeneration) are avoided. Humeral head conservation enhances healing of the tuberosities. Fixation could always be obtained, regardless of the complexity of the fracture pattern. An hemiarthroplasty (e.g. in case of avascular necrosis) is possible by the modular design of the device.

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