Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. May 18, 2025; 16(5): 102916
Published online May 18, 2025. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i5.102916
Parallax-free panoramic X-ray imaging combined with minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis for treating proximal humeral shaft fractures
Wen-Jing Cheng, Jing-Shun Lu, Zhou-Shan Tao, Jia-Bing Xie, Min Yang
Wen-Jing Cheng, Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Yijishan Hospital Affiliated to Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241000, Anhui Province, China
Jing-Shun Lu, Zhou-Shan Tao, Jia-Bing Xie, Min Yang, Department of Trauma Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241000, Anhui Province, China
Co-first authors: Wen-Jing Cheng and Jing-Shun Lu.
Co-corresponding authors: Zhou-Shan Tao and Jia-Bing Xie.
Author contributions: Cheng WJ wrote the manuscript; Xie JB and Tao ZS prepared all figures; all authors reviewed the manuscript.
Supported by Wuhu Municipal Science and Technology Bureau of Anhui Province, No. 2022cg43.
Institutional review board statement: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College.
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from the patients in this study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Data sharing statement: Please contact the author by email.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jia-Bing Xie, Department of Trauma Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, No. 2 Zheshan Street, Wuhu 241000, Anhui Province, China. yjsyyxjb@126.com
Received: November 7, 2024
Revised: March 3, 2025
Accepted: April 17, 2025
Published online: May 18, 2025
Processing time: 195 Days and 18.6 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of combined parallax-free panoramic X-ray imaging during surgery by enabling the mobile C-arm with minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) in the management of proximal humeral shaft fractures.

AIM

To evaluate parallax-free panoramic X-ray images during surgery.

METHODS

A retrospective series of 17 proximal humeral shaft fractures were treated using combined parallax-free panoramic X-ray imaging during surgery by enabling the mobile C-arm with MIPO. The operating time and radiation exposure time were recorded, and early postoperative physical therapy and partial weight bearing were encouraged. Patients were followed at regular intervals and evaluated radiographically and clinically.

RESULTS

The mean operating time and radiation time were 73 (range, 49-95) minutes and 57 (range: 36-98) seconds, respectively. No complications occurred during the operation. All fractures healed at an average of 16.9 (range: 15-23) weeks. The average Constant-Murley score for all the patients was 89.5 (range: 75-100) points. None of the patients showed symptoms of vascular or nerve damage or wound infection. Three months after the operation, none of the patients developed subacromial impingement syndrome. No loosening or fracture of the implants occurred. The frontal and lateral radiographs showed good alignment.

CONCLUSION

We consider that MIPO with combined parallax-free panoramic X-ray imaging during surgery is an efficient method for treating proximal humeral shaft fractures, and could significantly reduce operative morbidity as well as lower the rate of intra- and postoperative complications.

Keywords: Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis; Proximal humeral shaft fractures; Panoramic X-ray images; Complications

Core Tip: We describe parallax-free panoramic X-ray imaging during surgery combined with minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis using the locking compression plate as a novel method for treating proximal humeral shaft fractures. In all cases, we made two small incisions away from the fracture to prevent damage to the periosteal blood supply and poor soft tissue healing.