Displaced humeral head after intramedullary nailing for proximal humeral fracture is associated with worse short-term outcomes—a multicenter TRON study

Abstract

Background: In recent years, complex and unstable proximal humeral fractures (PHFs) are treated with intramedullary nails (IMNs) in the elderly; however, the postoperative radiographic findings related to the clinical outcome are not clear. This study evaluated the association of clinical outcomes with the radiographic findings of PHFs treated with IMNs. Methods: We collected data of patients aged >60 years with PHFs treated with IMNs from 2015 to 2019 in 13 associated centers' database (named TRON). We excluded patients lost to follow-up of 10 mm) was extracted as a factor associated with a poor UCLA score at PO6M by logistic regression analysis (odds ratio: 5.78, 95% confidence interval = 1.2-27.7, P = .0287). In matched pair analysis, the UCLA score at PO6M was significantly lower in the poor HHH group (26 [range: 9-33] vs. 24 [range: 10-35], P = .0458). Conclusion: We revealed that the HHH was an independent risk factor for poor short-term outcomes. There was a significant difference in the UCLA score between groups divided by the HHH in cases treated with IMNs. The HHH can be used intraoperatively or postoperatively as a reliable parameter to predict clinical outcomes in PHFs treated with IMNs.

Keywords

• Proximal humerus fracture
• Intramedullary nail
• UCLA
• Humerus head height
• Head shaft angle
• Cranialization of greater tuberosity