Retrograde intramedullary nailing in proximal fracture of the humerus in the elderly patient. Results of a minimally invasive management concept

: Retrograde intramedullary fixation of proximal humerus fractures with flexible wires was evaluated in a prospectively documented study. Seventy-four fractures in 73 patients with unstable proximal humerus shaft or neck fractures were fixed with 3-11 flexible intramedullary wires. The age of the patients averaged 72 years (42 females, 31 males). In nine fractures additional implants (screws, cerclages) were used to fix dislocated fragments through an anterior approach to the shoulder. Complications associated with the procedure especially in osteoporotic bone were secondary loss of reduction (16%) and wire migration (21%) which lead to revision surgery in 14% of patients within 6 weeks. A minimum follow-up of 12 months (average 16.5 months) could be obtained in 61 patients (84%). According to the Neer- and Constant-scores 60% showed good or excellent results, 30% had a satisfactory and 10% had an unsatisfactory or poor result.--Retrograde intramedullary, flexible wire fixation can provide an overall satisfactory outcome in unstable proximal humerus fractures of the elderly. However, the high incidence of secondary wire dislocations especially in marked osteoporosis appears to be an unsolved problem of this treatment modality.