Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25958203›Full record

ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2015

A scoping review of the proximal humerus fracture literature.

Gerard P Slobogean, Herman Johal, Kelly A Lefaivre, Norma J MacIntyre, Sheila Sprague, Taryn Scott, Pierre Guy, Peter A Cripton, Michael McKee, Mohit Bhandari

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. The effects of augmentation choices for locking plate fixation in proximal humerus fracture osteosynthesis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of orthopaedics and traumatology : official journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Interventions for treating proximal humeral fractures in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Review
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  7. Nonoperative treatment of proximal humerus fractures in the elderly.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
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  17. We need less (but better) research.Acta orthopaedica · 2022
    Article
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  19. Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Gerard P SlobogeanDivision of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Master University, 293 Wellington Street North, Suite 110, Hamilton, ON, Canada. gslobogean@umoa.umm.edu.
Herman JohalDivision of Orthopaedic Trauma, Department of Orthopaedics, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland, 22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD, USA. hermanjohal@gmail.com.
Kelly A LefaivreDepartment of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, 3114-910 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada. kelly.lefaivre@vch.ca.
Norma J MacIntyreSchool of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, 1400 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada. macint@mcmaster.ca.
Sheila SpragueDivision of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Master University, 293 Wellington Street North, Suite 110, Hamilton, ON, Canada. sprags@mcmaster.ca.
Taryn ScottDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, 293 Wellington Street North, Suite 110, Hamilton, ON, Canada. scottta@mcmaster.ca.
Pierre GuyDepartment of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, 3114-910 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada. pierre.guy@ubc.ca.
Peter A CriptonDepartment of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, 3114-910 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada. cripton@mech.ubc.ca.
Michael McKeeDivision of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 149 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada. mckeem@smh.ca.
Mohit BhandariDivision of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Master University, 293 Wellington Street North, Suite 110, Hamilton, ON, Canada. bhandam@mcmaster.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundProximal humerus fractures are a common fragility fracture that significantly affects the independence of older adults. The outcomes of these fractures are frequently disappointing and previous systematic reviews are unable to guide clinical practice. Through an integrated knowledge user collaboration, we sought to map the breadth of literature available to guide the management of proximal humerus fractures.

methodsWe utilized a scoping review technique because of its novel ability to map research activity and identify knowledge gaps in fields with diverse treatments. Through multiple electronic database searches, we identified a comprehensive body of proximal humerus fracture literature that was classified into eight research themes. Meta-data from each study were abstracted and descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results.

results1,051 studies met our inclusion criteria with the majority of research being performed in Europe (64%). The included literature consists primarily of surgical treatment studies (67%) and biomechanical fracture models (10%). Nearly half of all clinical studies are uncontrolled case series of a single treatment (48%). Non-randomized comparative studies represented 12% of the literature and only 3% of the studies were randomized controlled trials. Finally, studies with a primary outcome examining the effectiveness of non-operative treatment or using a prognostic study design were also uncommon (4% and 6%, respectively).

conclusionsThe current study provides a comprehensive summary of the existing proximal humerus fracture literature using a thematic framework developed by a multi-disciplinary collaboration. Several knowledge gaps have been identified and have generated a roadmap for future research priorities.

Indexed as

Biomedical ResearchHumerusOrthopedicsShoulder FracturesAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsBibliometricsBiomechanical PhenomenaFracture HealingFrail ElderlyHumansKnowledge BasesMiddle AgedRisk FactorsTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID25958203
PMCPMC4464621

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.