• Benedikt Schliemann, Rene Hartensuer, Thorben Koch, Christina Theisen, Michael J Raschke, Clemens Kösters, and Andre Weimann.
• Department of Trauma, Hand, and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany. Electronic address: benedikt.schliemann@gmail.com.
• J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2015 Aug 1; 24 (8): 1282-8.

BackgroundA radiolucent carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) plate was recently introduced for fixation of proximal humerus fractures. Prospective clinical and radiographic results of patients treated with a CFR-PEEK plate are compared with those of patients treated with a conventional locking plate.MethodsTwenty-nine patients (mean age, 66 years) were treated with a CFR-PEEK plate for a 3- or 4-part proximal humerus fracture. Patients were clinically and radiographically re-examined at 6 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months with the Simple Shoulder Test, Constant-Murley score (CMS), and Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) as well as with simple radiographs. In addition, results were compared with a matched group of patients treated with a conventional locking plate.ResultsAt the final follow-up examination at 24 months, patients achieved a mean Simple Shoulder Test score of 58%, a mean CMS of 71.3 points (range, 44-97), and a mean OSS of 27.4 points (range, 8-45). Bone union was confirmed in all patients. Compared with patients treated with the conventional locking plate, patients treated with the CFR-PEEK plate achieved significantly better results with regard to the CMS and the OSS (P = .038 and .029, respectively). Furthermore, loss of reduction with subsequent varus deformity was less frequently observed in the CFR-PEEK plate group.ConclusionFixation of proximal humerus fractures with a CFR-PEEK plate provides satisfying clinical and radiographic results after 2 years of follow-up. The results are comparable to those achieved with conventional locking plates.Copyright © 2015 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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