Anterior humeral approach with nerve stimulator

The prevalence of radial nerve injury during surgery is as high as the prevalence of radial nerve injury due to trauma. The aim of this study is to minimize the risk of iatrogenic injury of radial nerve.

Fifty patients with middle or distal diaphysis fractures of humerus and 18 patients with pseudoarthrosis at the same localizations were treated with surgery. Plate-screw fixation was performed with anterior approach in 43 patients. Eleven patients had minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis, and 14 patients had intramedullary nailing. The localization of the radial nerve was determined with nerve stimulator at the area of dissection.

Iatrogenic radial nerve injury did not occur in patients treated with open reduction or minimally invasive approach.

Nerve stimulator may be a method that decreases radial nerve injury, an iatrogenic complication. This method may be used in anterior approach and minimally invasive procedures.