Epidemiological characteristics and surgical outcomes of traumatic humeral shaft fractures in Korean soldiers

Abstract

Purpose: We investigated the epidemiological characteristics and surgical results of traumatic humeral shaft fractures in young adults in the Korean military and explored whether there were differences depending on the cause of fracture.Methods: Patients with traumatic humeral shaft fractures who visited the emergency room or outpatient department of Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital (AFDH) after enlistment between May 2019 and October 2021 were included. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed, and demographic data, fracture patterns, injury mechanisms, and complications were investigated. The time to union, follow-up period, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire (DASH) scores were additionally analyzed in patients who underwent surgical treatment at AFDH.Results: In total, 31 patients with traumatic humeral shaft fractures were included. Arm wrestling (17 patients, 54.8%) was the most common cause of fractures. The patients were divided into arm-wrestling patients (n=17) and other patients (n=14) for comparison. No significant differences in fracture patterns and complications were found between these groups. The mean time to bone union was 12.08±1.32 weeks and the final DASH score was 11.01±13.51.Conclusion: Arm wrestling was identified as the most common cause of humeral shaft fractures among soldiers in South Korea. We found no significant differences in the patterns of humeral shaft fractures caused by arm wrestling and those with other causes.