ReviewShoulder & elbow2024
A systematic review of the treatment of distal humerus fractures in older adults: A comparison of surgical and non-surgical options.
Review in Shoulder & elbow, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical outcomes following Triceps-Reflecting Anconeus pedicle (TRAP) approach for treating intercondylar distal humerus fractures: A systematic review.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2025Pooled it
- Operative versus conservative management of distal humerus fractures in patients aged 65 years and older: a target-trial-informed retrospective cohort study of five-year mortality.Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery · 2026Article
- Pain score distribution: an expert elicitation study for distal humerus hemiarthroplasty and total elbow arthroplasty using a validated numerical patient rated outcome-measure in trauma.JSES international · 2026Article
- Medial single-window approach to the elbow: a triceps-on technique that does not violate the olecranon bursa.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2026Article
- Current outcomes of triceps-sparing elbow arthroplasties: a systematic review.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2026Review
- Total elbow arthroplasty for distal humeral fractures in the elderly population: good functional outcomes and a high implant survival rate can be expected after surgery.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Article
- Revision total elbow arthroplasty for periprosthetic fracture with adjunct unicortical plating and cerclage wires: a case report.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2025Article
- 'Low-Plane' Fractures of the Distal Humerus in Elderly Patients with Osteoporosis Show High Postoperative Complication Rates.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- A systematic review of the treatment of distal humerus fractures in older adults: A comparison of surgical and non-surgical options.Shoulder & elbow · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Fractures of the distal humerus are a common fragility fracture in older adults. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature to produce pooled estimates of the outcomes of treatment using total elbow arthroplasty (TEA), open reduction and locking plate fixation (ORIF), hemiarthroplasty or with conservative management. Methods: A systematic review of PUBMED and EMBASE databases was conducted for studies reporting outcomes of intra-articular fractures in older adults. Data extracted included patient-reported outcome measures as well as clinical outcomes including ROM, adverse events and all-cause reoperation rates. Results: Forty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria and included 1838 acute, intra-articular distal humeral fractures. There was no clinically important difference in patient-reported pain and function measured on the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (TEA = 89.3 (SD 20.0), Hemi = 88.4 (SD 10.6), internal fixation = 85.0 (SD 14.7), non-operative = 85.1 (SD 11.0)). Discussion: Each of the treatment modalities studies resulted in a reasonable level of elbow function. The included studies were largely non-comparative and at considerable risk of bias. As elbow replacement surgery becomes centralised in the UK, there is a real need for high-quality comparative research studies to inform practice.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.