title: Delayed union of humeral shaft fractures treated by closed flexible intramedullary nailing.
abstract: Ten patients with humeral shaft fractures and no clinical or radiographic signs of healing after at least six weeks' immobilisation were treated by flexible intramedullary nailing using a closed retrograde technique. Bone grafting was not performed, and active movement was encouraged after operation. Nine fractures healed; the mean time to union was 10.5 weeks (range 6 to 22 weeks). One patient needed compression plating and bone grafting at 22 weeks, and another required re-operation for distal migration of the rods. There were no infections, nerve palsies or other complications. Stiffness of the shoulder which had developed during early treatment improved after operation.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001858:Bone Nails; D001860:Bone Plates; D005260:Female; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006810:Humeral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D011859:Radiography; D012086:Reoperation; D014945:Wound Healing