The incidence of proximal humerus fractures is increasing with the aging of the population worldwide and the associated rise in prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis. Anecdotally, the incidence of high-energy proximal humerus fractures in the nonelderly also seems to be on the rise. In cases of complex, comminuted fractures, interest in surgical management has increased due to favorable reported outcomes with locking-plate fixation and reverse shoulder arthroplasty.
Still, many questions remain about how best to manage these fractures in individual patients and by surgeons with varying levels of experience. Beyond the dilemma of operative versus nonoperative management lie many decisions about technical details if surgical treatment is selected.
On Thursday, May 24, 2018 at 8:00 pm EDT, the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (JSES) and The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS) will host a complimentary one-hour webinar—co-moderated by JSES Editor-in-Chief Bill Mallon, MD and JBJS Deputy Editor Andy Green, MD—that will address some of these questions.
JSES co-author Mark Frankle, MD will discuss findings from a recently published decision analysis that found experienced shoulder surgeons agreeing on optimal treatment for these fractures only 64% of the time. Patients may have poorer range-of-motion outcomes in scenarios where uncertainty exists.
Brent Ponce, MD, co-author of a cadaveric study published in JBJS, explains how his research team concluded that medial comminution is a predictor of poor stability in proximal humerus fractures treated with locking plates, but that stability may be improved in such cases (and in non-comminuted fractures) when fixation includes the calcar.
After each author’s presentation, an additional shoulder-fracture expert will add clinical perspective to these important findings. Xavier Duralde, MD will shed additional light on Dr. Frankle’s paper, and Joaquin Sanchez-Sotelo, MD will comment on Dr. Ponce’s paper. During the last 15 minutes of the webinar, a live Q&A session will provide the audience with the opportunity to question the panelists about the concepts and data presented.
Seats are limited, so Register Now.
