Bridging plate osteosynthesis of humeral shaft fractures

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medical Sciences and developed during November 2000 and July 2001 in the Orthopedic and Traumatology Department of UNICAMP. There were 15 patients, 11 males, age between 14 and 66 years. All fractures were unilateral. Of the 15 patients eight were polytraumatised, two of them had open fractures. The others had an isolated fracture of the humerus, of which one was open. None of the patients had previous lesions of the radial nerve, but in two patients there was a lesion of the brachial plexus. All of the patients underwent a bridging plate osteosynthesis of the humeral shaft fractures using only two small incisions proximal and distal to the fracture site. We used broad or narrow D.C.P. plates for large fragments mostly with 12 holes, fixed with two or three screws at each end. All cases united with an average time of 8-12 weeks, with the exception of one case with a grade III open fracture and a brachial plexus lesion on the same side. We had no major complications. All patients recovered good function of the limb without significant residual deformity.