Philosophy of osteosynthesis in shoulder fractures.

A wide range of workable instrumentation is available for the treatment of proximal humeral fractures, whereas osteosynthesis of scapular fractures is commonly achieved by plate/screw fixation. Older persons are confronted with a steadily rising incidence of osteoporotic fractures. Especially for this group of patients, minimally invasive and minimally instrumented surgical procedures, such as K-wiring and bone sutures, seem to have superseded plate fixation. For the treatment of scapular fractures, an important question remains: Which fracture types provide better functional results with open reduction and internal fixation, and which with conservative treatment? Our indications for an operative procedure are limited to the floating shoulder, dislocated scapular neck fracture, and dislocated glenoid fracture.