Abstract
After a proximal humeral fracture in older patients, locked plate fixation and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty are two competing surgical procedures. Even if recent clinical studies indicate a functional superiority of reverse shoulder arthroplasty over locked plate fixation, health-economic comparative data are lacking in the literature. Health claims data of 55,070 patients aged 65 years or older who were treated with reverse total shoulder arthroplasty or locked plate fixation after proximal humeral fractures, were analyzed regarding length of hospital stay and costs. Multivariable linear regression models were used to analyze the influence of comorbidities and complications on the length of hospital stay and costs. The length of hospital stay after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty with 20.0 days (±13.5 days) was statistically noticeable longer compared to locked plate fixation with 14.6 days (±11.4 days, p < 0.001). The costs per case showed a clear difference with 11,165.70€ (±5884.36€) for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty and 7030.11€ (±5532.02€) for locked plate fixation (p < 0.001). Statistically noticeable cost increases due to comorbidities and complications underline the urgent need for specialized geriatric trauma centers.