A proximal humerus fracture is a usual injury to the shoulder. Particularly common in older people because of osteoporosis, proximal humerus fractures are among the foremost common broken bones in the shoulder that’s call Olecranon fracture. In fact, in patients older than sixty-five, proximal humerus fractures are the 3rd most common broken bone (after wrist fractures and hip fractures).
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Olecranon fracture: Symptoms & Treatment
A proximal humerus fracture happens when the ball, of the ball-and-socket shoulder joint is broken. The fracture is really at the top of the arm bone (the humerus). Most of the proximal humerus fractures are non-displaced (not out of place), but around 5 to 20% of these fractures are displaced, and these can need more invasive treatment for Olecranon fracture.
The most noteworthy problem with proximal humerus fractures is the treatment is very limiting, and the results are usually fair or poor. Several patients who sustain this injury don’t regain full strength or mobility of the shoulder, even with accurate treatment.
Displaced Proximal Humerus Fractures
When the bone isn’t in accurate alignment, the fracture is known as displaced. In proximal humerus fractures, the severity is usually described by how many of the major portions of the proximal humerus fracture are displaced. There are 4 parts of proximal humerus, thus a displaced fracture may either be 2-part, 3-part, or 4-part (a non-displaced fracture is, by meaning, I-part). In general, the more displaced parts, the inferior the prognosis.
The components of the proximal humerus are known as the tuberosities (the larger and lesser tuberosity), the humeral head (the ball of the shoulder), as well as the humeral shaft. The tuberosities are next to the ball and are attachments of the vital rotator cuff muscles. For a component to be considered displaced, it either should be separated from its usual place by more than forty-five degrees.
Treatment
Around 80 percent proximal humerus fractures are non-displaced (not out of place), and these may nearly always be treated in a sling. Typical treatment is to rest the shoulder in the sling for 2 to 3 weeks, and then start some light range of motion exercises. As healing progresses, more aggressive shoulder strengthening exercises may resume, as well as complete healing typically takes around three months.
In more serious injuries where the bone is displaced (out of place), it can be essential to realign or replace the damaged bone. Determining the best treatment relies on several factors including:
- Hand dominance
- Age of the patient
- Degree of displacement of the fracture
- Activity level of the patient
The choices for surgery include realigning the bone fragments as well as holding them in place with metal orthopedic implants, or a shoulder replacement procedure is performed. If the bone fragments can be fixed, either bone screws, pins, wires, large sutures or a bone plate. Plates and screws, as pictured above, have become much more common because the plating technology has improved. All above products are provided by Orthopedic Implants Manufacturers In India.
If there are issues about repairing the bone, it can be decided to perform some sort of shoulder replacement. If a replacement procedure is suggested, choices include a standard shoulder replacement, a hemiarthroplasty, or a reverse shoulder replacement.
The specific recommendation for which kind of surgery is best depends on several factors including the kind of break and the particular patient. For instance, reverse shoulder replacements may be excellent treatments but are reserved for older, less-active patients.
Siora Surgicals Pvt. Ltd. is a renowned Trauma Implants Manufacturer In India. It offers multiple Bone Plates – conventional as well as Locking Plates, Anatomical Plates for different types and locations of fracture in Ulna and Radius Bone as well as the elbow joint. The implant range is supplemented with special Orthopedic Instruments to assist the Orthopedic Surgeon to properly treat the fracture site.
