Objective: 

To evaluate early outcomes (within 1 year) for geriatric proximal humerus fractures managed nonoperatively or with reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA).

Design: 

Retrospective cohort.

Setting: 

Academic level 1 trauma center, level 2 trauma/geriatric fracture center.

Patients/Intervention: 

Seventy-one patients with proximal humerus fractures that underwent nonoperative management or RSA, matched by age, comorbidity burden, and fracture morphology.

Main Outcome Measurements: 

Patient-reported outcomes, range of motion, and complications rates within 1 year of treatment.

Results: 

RSA patients demonstrated greater active forward flexion (aFF) and external rotation compared with nonoperative patients throughout the first 6 months after treatment (P < 0.05 for all). RSA patients achieved satisfactory ROM (>90 degrees aFF) at higher rates than nonoperative patients (96.2% vs. 62.2%, P < 0.01). RSA led to significantly lower shoulder pain and PROMIS pain interference scores throughout the first year post-treatment (P < 0.05). PROMIS physical function scores were also higher in the RSA group at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year compared with the nonoperative group (P < 0.05 for all). Similar complication rates were experienced in both groups (nonoperative = 8.9%, RSA = 7.7%; P = 0.36).

Conclusions: 

In an age, comorbidity and fracture morphology matched analysis, treatment of proximal humerus fractures with RSA is associated with greater shoulder ROM throughout the first 6 months of treatment, decreased pain, and improved physical function compared with nonoperative management, without significant differences in short-term complications. These results suggest that RSA may be superior to nonoperative management during the early recovery period for proximal humerus fractures.

Level of Evidence: 

Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.