Periprosthetic humeral fractures after shoulder and elbow arthroplasty

Due to rapidly increasing numbers of arthroplasty surgeries of the upper extremity, periprosthetic humeral fractures after shoulder and elbow arthroplasty, formerly described as rare, may hence increase in the near future. Therefore the aim of the present work was to give an overview of the existing literature including possible classifications as well as an update on treatment concepts and experiences with own cases. After a literature research have been done, existing prevalence, classifications and treatment options, mostly described in case series, were processed to create an overview of the existing state of knowledge. Additionally 7 own cases are described in detail to show the different treatment options used at the authors department. The currently used classification systems take fracture location, angulation and rotation and fixation of the implant into account. Possible solutions for periposthetic fractures of the humerus include conservative management, open reduction and internal fixation for stable prosthesis and long stemmed implants for lose implants as well as the use of additional allo- or autogeneous bone grafting and reverse shoulder arthroplasty in revision cases with rotator cuff dysfunction. After all treatment of periprosthetic humeral fractures after shoulder and elbow arthroplasty remain a challenging problem.