RCT - Hemi vs Reverse shoulder arthroplasty for fracture

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Randomised Controlled Trial comparing Hemi Arthroplasty and Reverse Polarity Shoulder Replacment for the treatment of proximal humerus fractures in the elderly.

  • IRAS ID

    122700

  • Contact name

    Matthew Smith

  • Contact email

    matthew.smith@rlbuht.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospitals NHS Trust

  • Research summary

    Fractures of the proximal aspect of the humerus bone are common especially in the people with poor bone strength. The ideal treatment for these fractures when they are too displaced to allow normal healing would be to surgically put the pieces back in place and hold it with metal devices. However when this is not suitable for a variety of factors including fracture pattern or patient charecteristcs, the broken part would have to be replaced with a prosthetic joint. This situation is encountered commonly in the older age group due to their weaker bone and comparatively poor bone helaing potential. The prosthetic replacement surgery is performed using either a shoulder hemi arthroplasty device or a reverse polarity shoulder arthroplasty device. Though both these devices are commonly used, we know very little as to which of these two devices produce better patient satisfaction and outcomes. This can only be elucidated through a direct head to head comparative study using a randomised controlled study method. Various cohort studies looking at the two devices have so far failed to produce a convincing answer.

  • REC name

    North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    13/NW/0173

  • Date of REC Opinion

    1 Jul 2013

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion