Management
Three elderly female patients underwent combined shoulder and elbow arthroplasty following ipsilateral fractures involving both the humeral head and distal humerus, demonstrating sufficient functional capacity for daily activities post-surgery [PMID:31893295].
A 77-year-old woman underwent successful one-stage shoulder and elbow arthroplasty following comminuted fractures, demonstrating prompt functional improvement and a good clinical result [PMID:18404039].
Complications
One patient experienced a wound infection necessitating debridement, highlighting the risk of postoperative infections in this patient population [PMID:31893295].
The study acknowledges the higher risk of periprosthetic humeral fracture despite the uneventful postoperative course and positive outcome [PMID:18404039].
Prognosis & Follow-up
Despite complications, all patients showed good or excellent results in evaluated scores with a mean follow-up of 36.6 months, indicating satisfactory long-term outcomes [PMID:31893295].
The patient exhibited prompt functional improvement post-surgery, suggesting a favorable prognosis for similar elderly patients [PMID:18404039].
References
1 Nuñez JH, Garcia-Portabella M, Batalla L, Massons J. Shoulder and elbow arthroplasty after ipsilateral fractures of the proximal and distal humerus in the elderly. European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie 2020. link 2 Chalidis B, Papadopoulos P, Sachinis N, Dimitriou C. One-stage shoulder and elbow arthroplasty after ipsilateral fractures of the proximal and distal humerus. Journal of orthopaedic trauma 2008. link
2 papers cited of 3 indexed.