Thrower's fracture of the humerus with radial nerve palsy: an unfamiliar softball injury.
A fracture of the normal humerus in a healthy young adult most commonly results from significant direct trauma. Throwing sports have become increasingly popular outside of North America and bring with them a novel injury mechanism for clinicians. A 21 year old woman sustained a "thrower's fracture" of the distal humerus and radial nerve palsy while throwing a softball. She was treated by internal fixation. Her fracture united, and radial nerve neurapraxia resolved after 8 weeks. Clinicians should be aware of this entity so that prodromal symptoms can be recognised early and thrower's fractures are not investigated unnecessarily.
Curtin
P
P
Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Dublin, Ireland. pauldcurtin@hotmail.com
Taylor
C
C
Rice
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001484:Baseball / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006810:Humeral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D011826:Radial Nerve / Q000293:injuries; D020425:Radial Neuropathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography