Functional outcome of humerus shaft fractures in adults treated by flexible nails using retrograde technique

Abstract

The fractures of the shaft of humerus are one of the commonest fractures found and can be treated by different methods. The present study is undertaken to know the functional outcome following the use of flexible nails for humeral shaft fractures in adults. It is a prospective study which was carried out from November 2013 to September 2016 in Saptagiri Institute of Medical science and Research, Bangalore. In this study period 20 cases of fracture shaft of the humerus were treated by closed reduction and internal fixation using flexible nails. In our series, majority of the patients were males, middle aged, with road traffic accidents being the commonest mode of injury, involving middle third. Flexible intramedullary nailing done by retrograde technique produces equally good results comparable to any plate osteosyntehsis or interlocking intramedullary nailing. Another added advantage of flexible nail fixation is it requires very minimal operative instrumentation.