Dr. Clay Spitler, associate professor, Dr. Joseph Johnson, assistant professor, and Dr. David Patch, resident, in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, are authors of a recently published article titled “How do surgeons decide when to treat proximal humerus fractures with operative versus nonoperative management?”

The study, published in the European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, aimed to “determine the underlying factors that drive the decision for surgeons to pursue operative versus nonoperative management for proximal humerus fractures (PHF) and if fellowship training had an impact on these decisions.”

An online survey for the study received responses from 250 fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons. Responses led to the conclusion that surgeons decide when to operate primarily on a patient’s comorbidities, age, and the amount of fracture displacement when treating younger patients. Results also showed that, compared to shoulder surgeons, more trauma surgeons chose to proceed with nonoperative management in patients over 70 years old.

Former department fellow, Dr. Logan Reed, was also a co-author on this study.