Even with the conservative treatment, the humeral shaft fractures can be easily united with about 95% of union rate. According to Boyd( 1961, 1965), the humeral shaft is the third of all the non-union of the shaft of long bones in the order of femur and tibia.
From June 1978 to May 1985, 14 cases of non-union of humeral shaft were treated at Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Ewha University Hospital and the following results were obtained.
1) Of 14 cases, 8 were traffic accident and 4 were industrial injury. All were 20-40 age group and 13 cases were male.
2) The site was 9 cases of mid. 1/3, 3 cases of lower 1/3 and 2 of upper 1/3. The comminuted fracture was 12 cases and 2 cases were transverse.
3) The initial treatment after injury was 13 cases of operative methods; 9 cases were plate fixation; 3 cases, screw fixation;1 case, intramedullary nailing. The other 1 case was conservative method.
4) The probable causes of non-union were complex. The most frequent one was inadequate internal fixation of 9 cases, 3 cases of inappropriate external immobilization and the other 2 cases were unknown.
5) 8 cases were treated with plate fixation,´ 2 cases with autogenous bone graft, 1 with EST(electric stimulation therapy) and 1 with intramedullary nailing.
6), Postoperative immobilization was done with long arm cast or shoulder Spica cast;
7), All cases were united and the average union time was 9.1 weeks. Limitation of motion of shoulder and elbow was ` recovered with physiotherapy.
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