Introduction External fixation can be performed in poor
bone and soft tissue conditions, and can be used in patients
with poor general conditions or multiple injuries as a rapid,
mini-invasive procedure. The purpose of the current study
was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the Ilizarov
external fixator in the management of proximal humeral
fractures.
Materials and methods Between May 2011 and December
2013, 14 patients with displaced proximal humeral fractures
were enrolled in the current study. Nine patients were
males and five were females, with mean age 42.9 years
(range 21–55). All fractures were acute. The mode of
injury was road traffic accident in eight patients and fall in
six patients. There were six patients with two-part fracture,
one of them with fracture dislocation, and eight patients
presented with three-part fracture, two of them with fracture
dislocation. All fractures were fixed using the Ilizarov
external fixation.
Results The average operative time was about 67 min
(range 50–90). The mean follow-up period was (18) months
(range 12–28). Healing was obtained in all 14 patients in a
mean of 10.4 weeks (range 8–14). At the final follow-up, the
mean constant score was 73.1 points (range 60–97 points),
the mean visual analog score (VAS) for pain 3.2 (range
1–5), the mean DASH score 31.8 points (range 10–55
points), and the mean satisfaction VAS 7.6 (range 4–10). Conclusion The Ilizarov external fixation is an effective
technique in managing proximal humeral fractures with
good outcome and low complication rates.
Level of evidence Level IV, case series. |
