Association Between the Direction of Proximal Humerus Fracture Dislocation and Risk of Avascular Necrosis Following Open Reduction Internal Fixation - An Observational, Cohort Study

The incidence of proximal humerus fractures continues to increase and is among one of the more common fractures seen in the adult population. Proximal humerus fracture dislocations, however, are less common. Despite the decreased prevalence, fracture dislocations have unique challenges with respect to obtaining an anatomical reduction and more frequently involve an open surgical reduction. In addition, depending on other fracture characteristics, there are various treatment options for the fracture itself. While fracture dislocations ultimately lead to increased AVN and revision surgery, further discussion surrounding the direction of dislocation and how it may influence overall outcomes has not been addressed in the previous literature. The study design utilizes a retrospective cohort from the last ten years, by asking patients who have had a previously surgically treated proximal humerus fracture dislocations to come back to the surgeon's private clinic to complete a single visit assessment. During this assessment the consenting participant will receive x-rays and complete patient reported outcome measures. In conjunction, these will be utilized to assess overall function and the existence of avascular necrosis.