[Aseptic non-union of humeral shaft fractures treated by plating and bone grafting].

Abstract

Plate fixation is widely described in the literature for the treatment of humeral non-union. The main complications of this treatment are radial palsy and infection, reported in 5% of the series. Several recent reports have therefore advocated locked nailing or external fixation with an Ilizarov device but these techniques are difficult to use and have their own risks of complications. It is difficult to block rotation and the nail may injure the rotator cuff. Pin tract infection, nerve injury, and prolonged external fixation are other disadvantages. We therefore recommend screw plate fixation with a cancellous bone graft. Our good results combined with the very low rate of complications argue in favor of this therapeutic option.