Elastic stable intramedullary nailing as a treatment option for comminuted proximal humeral shaft fractures in adults: A report of two cases and a review of the literature

Abstract

Despite the success of nonoperative treatment in the majority of adult-comminuted proximal third humeral shaft fractures, surgical intervention is preferable in selected cases in order to avoid specific potential disadvantages associated with nonoperative treatment, including shoulder and elbow stiffness, poor compliance, and nonunion. Elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) is commonly used in the treatment of children's long-bone fractures and is known to achieve a high union rate with minimal complications. The literature review of the use of percutaneous ESIN treatment of comminuted proximal third humeral shaft fractures reveals that while it is not a common procedure, it can still produce favorable results with limited complications. This paper evaluates the use of ESIN in two patients with comminuted proximal third humeral shaft fractures. The patients were aged 56 and 72 and both had experienced comminuted proximal third humeral shaft fractures. In this report, the management of these cases is presented, along with a review of other studies, which used ESIN in the treatment of humeral shaft fractures in adults.