Comparison of the Outcomes With Suture Anchors Versus Anatomical Locking Plates for Humeral Greater Tuberosity Fractures: a Case Control Study.

Abstract

\n Background: Humeral greater tuberosity fractures account for approximately one-fifth of the fractures of the proximal humerus. There are a variety of internal fixation devices used in the treatment of fractures. Suture anchors and anatomical locking plates are the two commonly used internal fixation devices. However, there are no systematic studies on which device is more advantageous for the treatment of greater tuberosity fractures.Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records and radiological results of patients with humeral greater tuberosity fractures who underwent surgical treatment and were followed up for at least one year from June 2017 to March 2020. A total of 31 patients were included in the study, including 13 males and 18 females, with an average age of 51.4 years old (18 to 75 years old). According to the different fixation methods, the patients were divided into the suture anchor treatment group (13 cases) and the anatomical plate treatment group (18 cases). The clinical and radiological results of these two internal fixation devices were evaluated by various criteria.Results: All 31 patients were followed up successfully, with a mean follow-up time of 27.74\u2009months. There were no differences in patient demographic and characteristic information between the two groups. The blood loss in the suture anchor treatment group was less than that in the anatomical plate treatment group. In contrast, the average operation time of the anatomical plate treatment group was shorter than that of the suture anchor treatment group, but the results were not significantly different. The postoperative Visual analog scale score, Constant-Murley shoulder joint function score and range of motion of the two groups were not significantly different. In addition, there was no significant difference in the postoperative complication rate between the two groups.Conclusion: Both suture anchors and anatomical plates can achieve satisfactory clinical results in the treatment of humeral greater tuberosity fractures, and there is no significant difference in the long-term functional results between the two groups. These two fixation devices can be flexibly selected according to the surgeon s experience and fracture characteristics.