Humeral Shaft Stress Fracture Completion in a Weight Lifter: A Case Report

A 34-year-old man, amateur weight lifter presented with acute worsening of right shoulder pain after 5 months of prodromal, progressive, atraumatic pain. Imaging showed a short oblique proximal third humeral shaft fracture without evidence of other osseous abnormalities. He was treated operatively with open reduction and internal fixation, healed uneventfully, and returned to weight lifting within 3 months.

Humeral shaft stress fractures most commonly occur in athletes or military personnel who engage in repetitive overhead activity. It is important to include stress fracture on the differential diagnosis for chronic pain in the upper extremity, especially in a physically active patient.