Internal fixation of fractures of the proximal humerus with a humeral fixator plate (PlantTan Plate): a two year follow-up.

Fractures of the proximal humerus are common. Most can be treated conservatively with good results. However, there is no uniform treatment of displaced fractures. One option was the PlantTan Plate (PTP). We present a study of 65 patients with displaced proximal humeral fractures treated with the PTP. Patients were followed-up for 24 months assessing fracture healing, functional outcome, pain and postoperative complications. The mean patient age was 61 years (range: 17 to 86). Forty-six percent of the patients were aged over 65 years. The Constant-Murley shoulder score (CMS) to assess function and a visual analogue scale (VAS) assessing pain were used. At 24 months, the mean CMS was 76 (range: 34 to 100) for the fractured side and 85 (range: 66 to 100) for the uninjured side, the mean VAS was 22 (range: 0 to 78). We believe that this study shows that operative intervention is a viable option for displaced proximal humeral fractures.