[Considerations concerning the treatment of pseudarthrosis of the humerus]

A humeral shaft fracture results in a nonunion in less than 10% of cases, regardless of the technique used. The treatment of such cases must be different from the initial treatment. In a pseudarthrosis of the medial shaft of the humerus with a transverse or short oblique line, a suitable procedure is medullary filling with Hackethal nails or a Küntscher nail. If the fracture line is long and oblique, spiral, fragmented or distant from the narrow part of the humeral shaft, a modified interlocking intramedullary nail is recommended.