• PURPOSE
    • Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) as an alternative to hemiarthroplasty (HA) as treatment for proximal humerus fractures has prompted a re-evaluation of utilization trends.
  • METHODS
    • Operative treatment for proximal humeral fractures were analyzed using a New York State database.
  • RESULTS
    • After introduction as an ICD-9 code, RSA increased to 39.3% (m = +5.2%/year, r = 0.984). When stratifying by age ≥65, HA decreased to 7.7% (m = -2.8%/year, r = 0.962) while RSA increased to 50.6% (m = +6.4%/year, r = 0.985).
  • CONCLUSION
    • RSA overtook HA as the arthroplasty procedure of choice for proximal humerus fractures. In patients ≥65, RSA passed ORIF as the most prevalent procedure in 2017.
  • LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
    • III, Descriptive Epidemiology Study, Large Database Analysis.