title: Locked intramedullary nailing of humeral fractures.
abstract: Of 46 patients, 30 with fresh fractures of the humerus, nine with non-unions and seven with pathological fractures were treated with a new locked intramedullary nail. Of 30 patients with a fresh humeral fracture, three were lost to follow-up. All fresh fractures healed within 4 months. Functional results of the fresh fracture group were excellent in eighteen patients and satisfactory in three patients. Two patients with Neer type 6 fractures had unsatisfactory shoulder function; in the four other patients poor shoulder function resulted from a pre-existing condition. Out of nine non-unions, six united within 6 months. The three other patients with atrophic non-union required bone-grafting later, after which consolidation was obtained. The long functional recovery period of the non-union group was related to the pre-existing limited shoulder function. The seven patients with a pathological fracture died within 8 months of operation. While alive they were free from pain and could be nursed well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Crolla
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Clevers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001858:Bone Nails; D005260:Female; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000601:surgery; D005599:Fractures, Ununited / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006810:Humeral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors