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DISTAL HUMERUS FRACTURES MANAGED WITH OPEN REDUCTION AND INTERNAL FIXATION OR TOTAL ELBOW ARTHROPLASTY RESULT IN SIMILAR RANGE OF MOTION AND REOPERATION RATES

Introduction: The purpose of our study was to evaluate complications in intraarticular distal humerus fractures in patients above 50 years of age treated with either total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) or open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Methods: Between 1999 and 2018, 54 patients, underwent either TEA (27 patients) or ORIF (27 patients) for a distal humerus fracture at a Level 1 trauma center. Pre-operative variables, including mechanism of injury, open or closed fracture, AO/OTA fracture classification, and nerve palsy, were recorded. Main outcomes measurements included postoperative complications and reoperation. Results: Average follow up was 3.3 years for the TEA group and 1.0 year for the ORIF group. The TEA group had 28 complications in 23 total patients Fourteen complications were minor and did not require reoperations. Twelve patients had a major complication requiring reoperation. The ORIF group had 25 complications in 17 patients. Twelve complications were minor and did not require operation. Twelve patients sustained a major complication requiring reoperation. Conclusion: Patients above 50 years of age with intraarticular distal humerus fractures managed with TEA or ORIF have similar reoperation and complication rates.