This woman fell and sustained this proximal humerus fracture. This x-ray in her right shoulder shows this significant displacement of the fracture. This fracture would not heal properly if treated without surgery. After discussing this with the patient she agreed to undergo an open fracture repair.
Notice the severe deformity of the fracture in this x-ray.
Surgery was performed to align the fracture in its anatomic position. These screws lock into the plate and the bone holding the fracture in proper position while it heals. Healing will take at least 6 – 8 weeks.
Therapy can begin in the first 1-3 weeks but will depend on the strength of the repair which depends on the strength of the bone.
JTM