Initial Surgical Treatment of Humeral Shaft Fracture Predicts Difficulty Healing when Humeral Shaft Nonunion Occurs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although most humeral nonunions are successfully treated with a single procedure, some humeral nonunions are more difficult to heal and require multiple procedures. Current literature does not provide evidence describing how the prognosis for surgical repair in patients who develop humeral diaphyseal nonunions may be affected by initial operative versus nonoperative treatment.

Questions/purposes

The purpose of this study was to assess whether operative versus nonoperative treatment of acute humeral shaft fractures impacts outcome of subsequent repairs of humeral nonunions (NU) including the need for additional surgery and a comparison of pain relief (Visual Analogue Scale for pain) and functional outcome (Short Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment).

Methods

SUBMITTER: Konda SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4733700 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature