Infected humeral shaft nonunion treatment with the induced membrane technique and a novel fixation construct: a case report.

Abstract

A 51-year-old woman with an infected left humeral shaft recalcitrant nonunion presented 3 years after initial injury. This case report focuses on the staged treatment of a 17-centimeter (cm) humeral shaft nonunion with the induced membrane technique (IMT) using a unique fixation construct of dual locked plating around a humeral nail to provide long-lasting fixation and allow for bone graft consolidation. Large segmental bone loss of the humerus can be treated with the IMT using nail-plate fixation constructs that allow for early mobilization, increased time for bone graft consolidation before hardware failure, and less frequent follow-up.