~ Guest Article
THE CASE
An 80-year-old male was admitted with a complex fracture of the right
shoulder joint (proximal humerus). He had osteoporosis with severe
intractable pain. He was advised Shoulder Replacement Surgery
elsewhere for which he did not agree. He wanted a fully mobile, pain-free
shoulder joint but not at the cost of replacing his normal shoulder with
an artificial joint.
THE PROCEDURE
Dr. Prakash Doshi, Director of Trauma & Orthopaedics in Nanavati
Super Speciality Hospital, along with his able trauma team, performed a
surgery where the head of humerus was preserved. A minimal invasive
approach was used and the fractured head of humerus was stabilised
with a specialised titanium MultiLoc nail.
THE RESULT
Post-operation, the patient had no plaster cast – just a cuff and collar
sling to support his operated shoulder. His pain was minimal and the
rehabilitation programme was started on the 3rd day. He was already
performing simple pendular movements in the first week itself. At the
end of 10-12 weeks, he had a fully functional, pain-free shoulder joint.