Morphological Aspects of Proximal Humerus Fractures in Different Age Groups

Introduction. Fracture of the proximal humerus is a common injury that accounts for up to 12 % of all bone fractures and up to 65 % of humeral fractures. 13 % to 16 % of fractures in this segment are multi-fragment with bone impression. This significantly complicates the task of internal fixation. This study aims to analyze the gender and age group distribution of patients with proximal humerus fractures, and morphological aspects of these injuries.Materials and methods. This paper presents a retrospective analysis of the epidemiological and morphological parameters of patients treated surgically for proximal humerus injuries at the Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics of the State Regional Clinical Hospital of the Republic of Bashkortostan № 1 in the city of Oktyabrsky in 2010–2016. The total of 191 patients were included in the study, 121 (63.35 %) females and 70 (36.65 %) males.Results and discussions. A signifi cant increase (more than three times) in the number of proximal humerus fractures was recorded in women in the 50–65 age group and in men in the 55–60 age group. The increase in the incidence of this type of injury does not exceed 22.4 % in comparison to the younger age groups. The increase in the number of injuries in question is undoubtedly due to changes in the bone metabolism in women. The analysis of character and morphology of fractures in women of older age groups indicates a greater prevalence of unstable injury of type 1.1.B and 1.1.C according to AO/ASIF classifi cation, which, again, is due to the demineralization of the segment determined by systemic metabolic abnormalities. The fi ndings indicate the need for perioperative monitoring of the bone metabolism parameters.Conclusion.The morphology and types of fractures depend on a patient’s age and bone quality. A signifi cant increase in this pathology in women of perimenopausal age refl ects changes in bone metabolism