Saitoh S, Nakatsuchi Y
Department of Orthopaedics, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto City, Japan.
J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1993 Mar;2(2):78-84. doi: 10.1016/1058-2746(93)90004-Z. Epub 2009 Feb 25.
The hypothesis that the proximal humerus is more osteoporotic than the proximal femur has been examined by the indention test and bone-mineral density measurement on dissected proximal humeri and femora. The bone section at the base of the humeral head had about 65% of the bone-mineral density of the base of the femoral head. The energy required for 50% strain in the indention test on the humeral bone section was about 50% of that on the femoral head. The fact that the cancellous bone in the humeral head is more osteoporotic than in the femur may complicate surgical treatment of displaced humeral neck fractures.
