Understanding individuals’ perspectives and experiences of recovery following a proximal humerus fracture: an interpretive description

Abstract

Purpose

Proximal humerus fractures are common in older adults and optimizing their outcomes following this injury can be challenging. This study explored recovery from the perspective of individuals who experience proximal humerus fracture.

Materials and methods

We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 14) with participants (aged 45 and over) recruited from a hand clinic in London, Ontario using a purposive sampling technique. The exploratory interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using interpretive description approach.

Results

Four themes emerged from the narratives of individuals: challenges of day-to-day activities, coping as you go, recapturing valued life roles, and support matters.

Conclusions

Recovery after PHF seems relative to contexts and manifests within numerous scenarios. Based on individuals’ narratives, the context produces a mosaic that contributes to unique recovery perception and experience. Awareness of the context emphasizes the complexity inherent in recovery and may guide healthcare professionals’ efforts toward care for their patients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Individuals with proximal humerus fracture experience recovery as a personal and dynamic process occurring in their diverse contexts.

• Healthcare professionals need to recognize the significant impact of context on individuals’ physical, emotional, and social life following proximal humerus fracture (PHF).

• A multidisciplinary treatment plan might be desirable where people with PHF and health care professionals collaborate as a whole.

• Building a multidisciplinary health team including healthcare professionals, peer support, and case management may remove some barriers and facilitate the transition to recovery.

Keywords:

• Recovery
• perspective
• proximal humerus fracture
• interpretive description
• qualitative

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank the participants who volunteered their time to assist us and shared their valuable experiences of recovery. We also thank Steve Lu, Katrina Munro, orthopaedic surgeons, and nurses at HULC, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Centre who assisted us in recruiting patients.

Author contributions

AV contributed to research idea conception, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation. JMD supervised the interview guide questions and methods developed. JMD, MS, KF, and DW contributed to manuscript review, appraisal, and editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).