title: Minimally Invasive Anterior Plate Osteosynthesis in Humeral Shaft Fractures.
abstract: Twelve patients with shaft fractures of the humerus were treated with percutaneous anterior plate osteosynthesis using a deltoid-pectoral respectively brachialis splitting approach without exposure of the radial nerve. The implants used were PHILOS plates, locking compression plates 3.5 and 4.5, and a tibial metaphyseal plate (all by Synthes). There were no intraoperative complications, no infections and no iatrogenic injuries of the radial or axillary nerve. Nine fractures healed entirely. There was one pseudarthrosis caused by a plate that was too short; another fracture probably healed but the distal screws broke; and one patient was lost to follow-up. Minimally invasive anterior plate osteosynthesis in humeral shaft fractures is an operative alternative which may be indicated not only in delayed healing or complex shaft fractures.
authors.affiliation: Trauma Hospital, Waidmannsdorferstraße 35, 9021, Klagenfurt, Austria. nikolaus.schwarz@auva.at.
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Windisch
authors.affiliation: Trauma Hospital, Klagenfurt, Austria.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mayr
keywords: Fracture of the humerus; Minimally invasive osteosynthesis; Plate fixation
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