Functional bracing of recent fractures of the shaft of humerus

ABSTRACT

We treated forty-one cases of fracture of the shaft of the humerus with a functional brace consisting of a plaster of- Paris sleeve, that followed an initial peroid of immobilisation in a hanging cast [Average two weeks]. The average time to union was 10 weeks for closed fractures and 13 weeks for open fractures. 90% [37 patients] healed their fractures with less than 8° of varus or valgus angulation and [35% patients] healed with less than 8° of anterior or posterior angulations. Shortening, as-evaluated radiologically, was a mean of 1/2 centimeter. There were very minimal complications; one patient had a non- union, one had skin maceration and two elderly patients had transient inferior subluxalion of the shoulder. All patients had good functional results at follow- up with near normal ranges of elbow and shoulder motion. Because of the low morbidity and high rate of success, we concluded that functional bracing is the treatment of choice for diaphyseal fractures of the humerus