Does age affect patient outcomes after humeral head replacement (HHR) in the treatment of acute proximal humeral fractures? A comparative cohort study with a minimum 10 years long-term follow-up.

Unlike the increased risk for revision and functional deterioration over time after RSA for PHFs in younger patients, a high implant survival rate with lasting pain relief and stable functional outcomes could be observed in younger patients after HHR during long-term follow-up. Patients aged ≥70 years had worse clinical outcomes, lower patient satisfaction, more GT complications, and more glenoid erosion and humeral head superior migration than those aged <70 years. HHR should not be recommended for the treatment of unreconstructable complex acute PHFs in older patient populations.