title: Antegrade locked nailing of open humeral shaft fractures.
abstract: This retrospective study of 21 patients evaluates the effectiveness of primary antegrade locked intramedullary nailing for open humeral shaft fractures. Study participants were culled from the patient database of Harborview Medical Center, an urban level-1 trauma center in Seattle, Wash. Patients were evaluated for infection, nerve injury, shoulder function, range of motion, union, and healing. All 21 fractures united. Nineteen united in an average of 9.5 weeks. Two complications united in an average of 42 weeks. Seven patients had preoperative nerve palsies with complete recovery in 4 and incomplete recovery in 2 weeks. At final follow-up, 4 patients had clinically significant shoulder pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ivo G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Schoots
authors.forename: Maarten P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: Sean E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Nork
authors.forename: Jens R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: M Bradford
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Henley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001858:Bone Nails; D005260:Female; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000379:methods*; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D006810:Humeral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies