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Case Reports
. 2023 Mar;36(1):65-69.
doi: 10.20408/jti.2022.0002. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Humeral intramedullary nail bending following trauma: a case report

Siem A Willems  1 , Alexander P A Greeven  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Humeral intramedullary nail bending following trauma: a case report

Siem A Willems et al. J Trauma Inj. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

The surgical approach for humeral implant failure can be challenging due to neurovascular anatomy and the possible necessity of osteosynthesis removal. We present a rare case of humeral nail bending after secondary trauma in a patient with preexistent nonunion of the humerus after intramedullary nailing. During revision surgery, the nail was sawed in half and the distal part was removed, followed by plate osteosynthesis with cable fixation to achieve absolute stability. The patient regained a full range of motion 1 year after surgery, and complete healing of the fracture was seen on imaging.

Keywords: Case reports; Humeral fractures; Intramedullary nail; Nail bending; Nonunion.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethical statements Written informed consent for publication of the research details and clinical images was obtained from the patient. Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
X-ray showing an oblique fracture of the humeral diaphysis with a butterfly fragment on the medial side.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Postoperative radiographs (A) after MultiLoc fixation (2 months), showing (B) delayed union (6 months).
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
X-ray showing humeral nail bending with preexisting nonunion.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
X-ray showing postoperative consolidation of the humeral diaphysis with the dorsal shaft plate and proximal half of the nail in place. Postoperative (A) 6 weeks, (B) 4 months, and (C) 1 year.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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