Abstract
Aim: The aim of the study is to present our experience in the treatment of radial nerve palsy due to humeral fracture.
Material and methods: During the last 4 years, we treated 10 patients with humeral fractures associated with radial nerve palsy. Seven patients were men and 3 were women (mean age 47.8 yrs, range 29–68 yrs). All fractures were closed. Three fractures were transverse, 4 were oblique and 3 were comminuted.
Nerve palsy was present at admission in 8 cases while in 2 cases it appeared after closed reduction manipulations. The latter was considered as an indication for early surgical exploration. Three out of the rest 8 patients were explored because the fracture was comminuted. The remaining five patients were treated initially conservatively. In 3 of them closed reduction failed and the patients were also operated. In total, 2 of the patients were treated with closed reduction.
Results: All fractures were united. During exploration no serious injury was found. All patients had complete return of nerve function within 8 months.
Conclusions: Because no serious injury of the nerve was found during exploration and recovery was complete, surgical treatment could have been avoided. Conservative treatment should be the initial treatment of choice.
The abstracts were prepared by Eleni Koutsoukou. Correspondence should be addressed to him at the Hellenic Association of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (HAOST), 20, A. Fleming str, 15123 Marousi, Athens, Greece.
