[Effectiveness of medial-lateral double plate internal fixation in treating type C distal humeral fractures]

To evaluate the effectiveness of open reduction and medial-lateral double plate internal fixation for type C distal humeral fractures.

Between June 2002 and January 2009, 32 patients with distal humeral intra-articular fractures were treated. There were 19 males and 13 females, aged 19-70 years (mean, 43.3 years). The fracture was caused by falling in 7 cases, by traffic accident in 15 cases, by falling from height in 5 cases, by crush injury in 4 cases, and by machine injury in 1 case. The time from injury to operation was 8 hours-7 days (mean, 3.3 days). Of 32 patients, 1 had open fracture and 31 had closed fracture; 5 patients complicated by injury of ular nerve. According to AO/Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (AO/ASIF) classification, there were 9 cases of type C1, 16 of type C2, and 7 of type C3. Open reduction and medial-lateral double plate internal fixation were performed through posterior midline approach in 8 cases and through medial-lateral two-incision approaches in 24 cases.

All incisions healed by first intention. The 32 cases were followed up 11-24 months (mean, 14 months). The X-ray films showed that all fractures healed at 3-6 months (mean, 3.8 months). According to Aitken et al. scoring system, the results were excellent in 22 cases, good in 6 cases, fair in 3 cases, and poor in 1 case with an excellent and good rate of 87.5%. In 5 patients with injury of ular nerve, 4 cases completely recovered at 6 months and 1 case still showed some symptoms after 1 year.

Treatment of type C distal humeral fractures with open reduction and medial-lateral double plate internal fixation can get good clinical results.