Clinical importance of comorbidity in patients with a proximal humerus fracture

The aim of this prospective study of 100 consecutive patients with a proximal humerus fractures primarily was to investigate the prevalence and importance of poor health and comorbidity. Seventeen men and 83 women with a mean age of 73 years were involved together with 138 age and gender-matched controls. Twenty patients with a mean age of 81 years, were severely ill with a physical and/or mental disorder when they got their proximal humerus fracture. The I-year mortality of this subgroup was 40% compared with 8% in the control group. Fifty-seven patients with a mean age of 74 years reported concomitant disorders compared with 54 of 78 (69%) controls. Twenty-three patients with a mean age of 67 years, reported no comorbidity compared with 25 of 34 (74%) in the control group. Sixty-seven patients were followed up on for I year and were evaluated clinically and radiographically. The Constant-Murley shoulder assessment was used. The 12 surviving severely ill patients were not able to attend the followup evaluation. In the remaining patients there was no significant difference after 1 year in pain, function, Constant-Murley score or radiographic healing of the injured shoulder between individuals with or without comorbidity. Patients with symptomatic shoulders at followup initially had significantly more frequently displaced fractures.