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Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics
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Three Part Fracture Dislocation





- See: three part Fracture:

- Discussion:
    - includes large proximal fragment created by frx of surgical neck of humerus;
    - some capsular tissue is almost always retained on large head fragment
          ensuring its viability;
    - if head fragment is displaced anteriorly, greater tuberosity is usually
          frxed, whereas lesser tuberosity is retained;
    - frxed tuberosity segment is always displaced in a direction opposite
          to the dislocation;
    - in posterior fracture dislocation, greater tuberosity is usually retained,
          whereas the lesser tuberosity is avulsed;
- Treatment:
    - closed reduction w/ GEA to restore prox frag to anatomic position;
    - if gross instability of frx remains after closed reduction of dislocation, then
          ORIF is required;
    - if reduction of the proximal fragment is blocked by soft tissue interposition, then
          open reduction is manditory;



Original Text by Clifford R. Wheeless, III, MD.