Dr med. Fabian Pretz, Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery

A biomechanical comparison of cemented plating versus conventional plating in minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) for proximal humerus fractures in osteoporotic cadaveric bones

Duration : 4 months. Funding : CHF 14’945

 

Osteoporotic fractures of the proximal humerus are common traumatic injuries in older patients.

One way to stabilize the fracture is to use a proximal humerus internal locking system (PHILOS) plate. This plate can be implanted using either a traditional open approach or a minimally invasive (MIPO) approach. Due to the osteoporotic nature of the bone, screw fixation is essential to prevent secondary displacement.

With the MIPO PHILOS plate, only the four proximal screws can be used to fix the head fragment. This is enhanced through better anchoring with cement augmentation.

This biomechanical study aims to compare the extended four-screw approach with stable open fixation. Eight paired cadaveric humeral bones with simulated proximal humerus fractures will be examined. Cement-augmented screw fixation of the proximal screw rows (MIPO-PHILOS) will be compared with the PHILOS seven-screw plating configuration without cement augmentation, under multidirectional loading until failure.

 

If both techniques prove equally stable, this will allow more proximal humerus fractures to be treated using minimally invasive techniques.

Project FP-2024-01-a

 

Published in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (JSES) – one of the leading journals in shoulder and elbow surgery.