comparison of surgical and non-surgical treatments for proximal humerus fractures: a cross-sectional study

Background: the proximal humerus fracture (phf) is one of the most common fractures of the upper limbs. phf is more common in older people, usually following a fall, whereas in younger people this form of fracture is typically caused by high-energy trauma. there are several treatment options for phfs, including surgical and non-surgical procedures. our aim was to compare the outcomes of surgical and non-surgical treatment methods in iranian patients with phfs.methods: sixty patients with phfs participated in this single-center cross-sectional study. medical records were reviewed and evaluated according to demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, type of treatment, complications, need for reintervention, and constant score.results: the mean age of the patients was 45.65 years. among those older than 50 years, women significantly outnumbered men (66.7%, p = 0.009). thirty-one patients received surgical treatment, while 29 patients received non-surgical care. the constant scores of patients who underwent surgery were considerably higher than those of non-surgical patients [mean ± standard deviation (sd): 80.41 ± 1.89 versus 69.82 ± 1.82, p = 0.009]. this significant relationship was observed only in the age group of 18 to 49 years. conclusion: overall, the complications arising from both surgical and nonsurgical treatments were not statistically significant; however, patients under the age of 50 and men had higher constant scores, indicating better clinical outcomes.