Content area
Full Text
The authors are from the Department of Orthopedics (SX, XW, ZW, XM, ST) and the Department of Radiology (YZ, WW), Shanghai Pudong New Area Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai, China.
The authors have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
This research was supported by the Special Scientific Research Fund of Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau (20114244), the Health Science and Technology Development Fund of the Health Bureau of Shanghai Pudong New Area (PW2010A-25), and the Training Planned Fund of Academic Leaders, Shanghai Pudong New Area Health System (PWRD2011-07).
Proximal humeral fractures at the upper end of the humerus are common fractures in people of all ages. In younger individuals, they often result from high-energy trauma and a fall from a height. However, in older people with osteoporosis, a simple fall can result in a fracture of this region.1 It is reported that proximal humeral fractures account for approximately 5% of all fractures and 45% of all humeral fractures,2 and their incidence is increasing.
Great advances have been made in the treatment of proximal humeral fractures; however, the treatment of complex fractures remains controversial. Recently, there is a trend toward treating complex fractures with stable systems, including plates and intramedullary nails, especially in older individuals.3â[euro]"5 Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with a locking plate has been widely used in the treatment of proximal humeral fractures and is associated with a loss of reduction, screw loosening, and osteonecrosis.6â[euro]"8 Three-dimensional (3-D) technology has been developed to provide a virtual locking system for improved outcomes of ORIF.
The authors of the current study prospectively analyzed the use of 3-D reconstruction technology to treat patients with proximal humeral fractures. A total of 46 patients with proximal humeral fractures underwent ORIF between June 2011 and July 2013. Preoperatively, a 3-D model of each fracture was obtained using Superimage version 1.0 software (Cybermed, Shanghai, China). The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of computerized virtual surgery planning on ORIF for proximal humeral fractures.
<bold>Materials and Methods</bold>
<bold>Patients</bold>
Patients diagnosed with proximal humeral fractures and treated with ORIF between June 2011 and July 2013 at the authorsâ[euro](TM) institution were included in this study. Fractures were confirmed to be traumatic multipart fractures according to the Neer classification system.9 Patients with pathologic and old...