title: The advantages of humeral anteromedial plate osteosynthesis in the middle third shaft fractures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Humeral shaft fractures account for 1.2% of all fractures and occur in a slightly younger population. Their causes include a fall from standing or from height, motor vehicle accident, but can be also pathological. In order to clarify which of both surgeries we performed in our Department for treating humeral shaft fractures had more advantages (anterolateral or anteromedial plating through anterolateral approach) we analyzed incidence of postoperative iatrogenic radial palsies and mean operation time required to complete each surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  During January 1992 to December 2009 on Department of Surgery, Division for Traumatology of Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, 420 patients (340 males and 80 females with mean age of 38.11 ± 9.29 years) were treated for middle third humeral shaft fracture by anterolateral approach and internal fixation using AO/DCP or LCP plates that was positioned on anteromedial humeral surface in 141 patients (33.57%) and on anterolateral humeral surface in 279 patients (66.43%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the patients who had osteosynthesis by using plate on anteromedial humeral sufrace had lesions of the radial nerve. Therefore, χ(2) test revealed significantly higher frequency of postsurgical radial nerve injuries in patients who were treated by anterolateral plating than in patients where anteromedial plating was performed (χ(2) = 17.51; p< 0.05). Anterolateral plating required longer mean operation time than anteromedial plating and the difference in its duration determined by t-test for independent samples showed statistically significant difference (t= 14.57; p< 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An anteromedial plating of humeral shaft fractures through anterolateral approach was determinated to be a simple, safe, effective and also fast surgical treatment and we highly recommend it as operative technique for treating humeral shaft fractures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology, Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Center Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kirin
authors.forename: Davor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jurišić
authors.forename: Damir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grebić
authors.forename: Sergej
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nadalin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001860:Bone Plates / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006810:Humeral Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020425:Radial Neuropathy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome