A method for reducing and fixing fractures, for example, a proximal humeral fracture. A jacking device is releasably attached to a locking plate that presses against an inferior aspect of the head to rotate the head into anatomic alignment. Suture material is stitched into the soft tissue superior to the head and pulls the superior end of the head and guides and steers the head. The suture material is passed through suture holes in the superior end of the plate. The jacking device is positioned to hold the head in an anatomic neck/shaft angle, thereby allowing the head to be fixed to the locking plate. In one such embodiment, a swivel bushing in the plate receives the jacking device and allows the angle of the device to be adjusted as desired. To aid in the fluoroscopic visualization during surgery, a radiolucent retractor is used to avoid blocking the surgeons view.
