ArticleJournal of orthopaedic trauma2013
Outcomes of nails versus plates for humeral shaft fractures: a Medicare cohort study.
Article in Journal of orthopaedic trauma, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Return to play and outcomes of surgically treated upper limb nerve entrapment in athletes: a systematic review.International orthopaedics · 2025Pooled it
- Humeral shaft fracture: systematic review of non-operative and operative treatment.Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery · 2023Pooled it
- Open plate fixation versus nailing for humeral shaft fractures: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomised clinical trials and observational studies.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Trial
- A standardized fluoroscopic method for profiling humeral rotational alignment during intramedullary nailing.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2026Article
- Nonunion and Postoperative Complications Associated With Intramedullary Nailing Versus Plate Fixation of Humeral Shaft Fractures.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews · 2025Article
- Review
- Article
- Treatment of humeral shaft fractures with different treatment methods: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2023Article
- Radial nerve contrast fluoroscopy combined with ultrasound imaging for humeral shaft fracture.Trauma case reports · 2023Article
- Percutaneous Intramedullary Nailing of Complex Humeral Shaft Fractures: A Retrospective Case Series.Cureus · 2022Article
- Ultrasound-guided preoperative localization of radial nerve in the treatment of extra-articular distal humeral shaft fractures.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Article
- Early outcomes of magnetic intramedullary compression nailing for humeral fractures.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2021Article
- Plate fixation versus intramedullary nailing of proximal humerus fractures: an ACS NSQIP-based comparative analysis over 8 years.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2021Article
- Risk factors for nonunion after traumatic humeral shaft fractures in adults.JSES international · 2020Article
- Variation in management of humeral and clavicular shaft fractures amongst fellowship trained orthopedic traumatologists.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2020Article
- TREATMENT OF HUMERAL SHAFT FRACTURES: ANTEGRADE INTERLOCKING INTRAMEDULLARY NAILING WITH ADDITIONAL INTERLOCKING NEUTRALIZATION SCREWS THROUGH FRACTURE SITE.Acta clinica Croatica · 2019Article
- Do Cerclage Cables Delay the Time to Bone Union in Patients with an Unstable Humeral Shaft Fracture Treated with Intramedullary Nails?Yonsei medical journal · 2017Article
- Surgical interventions to treat humerus shaft fractures: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.PloS one · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesThis study was performed to determine (1) the incidence of humeral shaft fractures within the Medicare noncancer population, (2) the trends in utilization of humeral shaft fixation techniques by plate-and-screw devices and intramedullary nails, (3) differences in procedure times, and (4) the outcomes of individuals as measured by rate of secondary operations and 1-year mortality. DESIGN/
settingRetrospective comparative cohort analysis. A cancer-free Medicare part B claims sample derived from a 5% sample from the years 1993 to 2007 was analyzed. PATIENTS/
interventionOur cohorts were generated by diagnostic and procedural codes for humeral shaft fractures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: The incidence of humeral shaft fracture and trend in operative fixation were evaluated for all years of data. Surgical times were assessed by anesthesia Current Procedural Terminology codes. Outcomes and complications were assessed by Current Procedural Terminology codes. The proportion of individuals experiencing complications and 1-year mortality were compared by proportion hazards.
resultsWe identified 1385 claims for humeral shaft fractures over 15 years, with an adjusted rate of between 12.0 and 23.4 fractures per 100,000 beneficiaries. We identified 511 individuals who received surgical treatment for humeral shaft fractures, 451 of whom had complete 1-year follow-up data. Nail fixation was more prevalent than plate fixation most years and had shorter anesthesia time by 27.1 minutes (P < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in the complication rates between the 2 groups as measured by incidence of secondary operations and 1-year mortality.
conclusionsIntramedullary nails are used for the majority of operative humeral shaft fractures among Medicare beneficiaries. Nailing has a shorter mean operative time. The 2 surgical techniques had no significant differences in terms of risk of secondary procedures and 1-year mortality. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: : Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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