Staged versus acute definitive management of open distal humerus fractures

Open distal humerus fractures are associated with soft tissue and bony injury. This study compares the results of a staged protocol using initial joint spanning external fixation and delayed definitive fixation to acute definitive fixation.

Treated open distal humerus fractures were retrospectively reviewed, with patients examined at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 26 weeks, and 52 weeks after definitive surgery. Outcomes were determined radiographically by union rate and clinically by range of motion, Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment, Short Form-36, and Mayo Elbow Performance Index.

Fourteen treated patients with open AO/OTA type 13-C3 distal humerus fractures, with average patient age 52.7 years and average follow-up 98.6 weeks, were identified. All fractures were treated with initial irrigation and debridement emergently and either spanning external fixation in eight patients or primary definitive internal fixation in six patients. All fractures healed, with average time to osseous healing, in 25.7 weeks versus 23.4 weeks (p=0.7) in staged versus primary definitive treatment, respectively. Elbow range of motion on final follow-up was 73.75° versus 94.17° (p=0.22). Complications included nonunions, heterotopic ossification, infection, and persistent ulnar nerve deficit. Average functional outcomes scores for staged management versus primary internal fixation were Short Form-36, 50.2 versus 68.2 (p=0.065); Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment, 33.5 versus 12.5 (p=0.078); and Mayo Elbow Performance Index, 55.6 versus 84.2 (p=0.011), respectively.

Open distal humerus fractures had poor outcomes relative to normative functional scores; however, this is possibly due to more severe soft tissue injuries that were felt better managed with staged management at the time of presentation.