Abstract
Although greater tuberosity fracture of the humerus is treated conservatively in many cases, surgery is chosen when the fragment displacement is large and non-union or subacromial impingement is expected. There have been few reports of treatment for obsolete greater tuberosity fracture. Here we report a case of arthroscopic fixation for obsolete greater tuberosity fracture using a suture bridging technique.
A 66-year-old man who had been injured in a fall was diagnosed as having dislocation of the left shoulder and greater tuberosity fracture. He was recommended to undergo surgery, but rejected this option, and was referred to our hospital 5 months after the injury. At the time of consultation, the patient had difficulty elevating his left arm, and had severe pain on motion. We diagnosed obsolete left greater tuberosity fracture on the basis of CT scans and MR images. At 6 months after injury, arthroscopic fixation surgery was performed using a suture bridging technique.
At 1 year after the operation, the patient was free of motion pain and was able to elevate his left arm. X-ray and CT images showed good bone union.
We conclude that an arthroscopic suture bridging technique is useful for obsolete and displaced greater tuberosity fracture of the humerus.
