Figure 1: Flowchart of in- and exclusion criteria
Initially, 276 patients were screened for having their proximal humeral fracture treated with ORIF and locking plate in a prospective 36-months period. 124 patients (45%) had to be excluded for various reasons that made participation inappropriate or posed a risk of bias due to accompanying injuries or diseases. Another 80 patients were lost to follow-up, leaving 72 study participants.