Proximal humeral fractures are the third most common fracture in older individuals. Our center has collaborated with multiple shoulder specialty centers in the United States and Europe to design and evaluate a new fixation device for fracture treatment. This device, a rod that lies completely within the bone, can be inserted in a minimally invasive fashion. It is designed to hold together critical bone fragments to facilitate complete healing of the fracture and maximum recuperation of shoulder function. Click on this link to see an animation that shows how it works. To see a full demonstration of the rod, please click here.

At each follow-up visit after treatment with this device, we perform a full evaluation to track the overall outcome of fracture fixation. This evaluation includes obtaining two X-rays as well as strength and range of motion measurements. We also ask our patients to rate their level of satisfaction with their shoulder function performing various activities. Satisfaction is rated on a 100 point scale, with 100% indicating completely satisfied.

Below is a graph that shows the average rating for each question asked in our outcome questionnaire:

This graph includes the satisfaction levels of 38 patients treated with the nail between April 2009 and June 2013. We included the scores from the latest follow-up visit, which ranged from six months to five years after surgery. With an average satisfaction rating of 78% to 93%, this graph shows that on average, patients are very satisfied with their shoulders after treatment.