Reverse shoulder arthroplasty for proximal humerus fractures: a comparison of the deltoid split and deltopectoral approaches

Introduction Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is a common treatment for three-and four-part proximal humerus fractures. RSA is commonly performed through a deltopectoral (DP) surgical approach; however, a deltoid split (DS) approach has been described. The purpose of this study was to compare the intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing RSA for proximal humerus fractures through a DP and DS approach.Materials and methods A retrospective study of patients who underwent RSA for proximal humerus fractures at our level 1 trauma center was performed. Patients were evaluated at a minimum 1-year follow-up. Intraoperative outcomes as well as patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were analyzed. Postoperative complications, reoperation rates, and radiographic outcomes were evaluated.Results Sixteen patients were included in the DP group and 13 patients in the DS group. The average follow-up was 28.6 months in the DP group and 21.1 months in the DS group. There were no significant differences in patient demographics or injury characteristics. Operative time was significantly shorter in the DS group (103 min) compared to the DP group (123 min). Tuberosity repair was performed in 81.3% of patients in the DP group and 92.3% of patients in the DS group. No significant differences were found in PROMs at final follow-up. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications. Three patients in the DP group and one patient in the DS group required reoperation. Lastly, 81.8% of patients achieved tuberosity union in the DS group and 66.7% in the DP group; however, this did not reach statistical significance.Conclusion This study demonstrates that RSA for proximal humerus fractures performed through a DS or DP approach may result in similar intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, with no difference in reoperation or complication rates.

Automated summary

This study compared the outcomes of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) for proximal humerus fractures through deltopectoral (DP) and deltoid split (DS) surgical approaches. The results showed that there were no significant differences in intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, reoperation rates, or complication rates between the two approaches.