Functional outcome of middle third humeral shaft fractures treated with anteromedial plate osteosynthesis through an anterolateral approach

Abstract

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The main aim of treatment of the humeral shaft fractures is to establish union with an acceptable humeral alignment and to restore the patient to pre-injury level of function. Plate osteosynthesis remains the standard of surgical treatment displaced middle third humeral fractures. The most commonly used approaches for treating these fractures are posterior and anterolateral, but these approaches can have iatrogenic radial nerve injury. Our aim is to study the incidence of radial nerve palsy and functional outcome of anterolateral approach with anteromedial plating.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> A total of 26 patients in the age group of 21 to 62 years were included in this prospective study, who were treated by anteromedial plating through anterolateral approach for humerus shaft. Functional assessment was done using Rodriguez-Merchan criteria.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> 26 patients with shaft humerus fracture were included in the study with 19 (73%) patients were less than 40 years age. Most common type of fracture pattern is A3 type and the mean duration of surgical time was 60±10 min for anteromedial plating. The time taken for the fracture union was less than 4 months in the most patients (88%). There was no evidence of iatrogenic radial nerve injury. Functional assessment done using Rodriguez-Merchan criteria showed 84.6% of the patients had good to excellent functional outcome.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> For treatment of displaced middle third humeral fractures open reduction with anteromedial plating through anterolateral approach is surgically safer and gives better functional outcome.</p><p class="abstract"> </p>