Humeral Shaft Fracture

Humeral shaft fractures (diaphyseal humerus fractures) occur from direct blows, falls, or rotational forces. They are notable for their proximity to the radial nerve, which wraps around the humeral shaft in the spiral groove — radial nerve palsy (wrist and finger drop) occurs in 10–15% of humeral shaft fractures and is usually a neurapraxia that recovers spontaneously in 3–4 months. Most humeral shaft fractures heal successfully with functional bracing.

Upper arm pain, swelling, deformity, and crepitus. Thorough neurological examination of radial, median, and ulnar nerve function is mandatory. AP and lateral humerus X-rays. CT may be used for periprosthetic or pathologic fractures.

osteomyelitis and septic…">Open fractures, vascular injury, floating elbow (concurrent forearm fracture), failure to maintain alignment in a brace, and periprosthetic fractures are surgical indications.

External patient-education references and related OSI pages for additional background:

• Britannica — Bone disease (fractures)
• Britannica — Shoulder (anatomy)
• AAOS OrthoInfo — patient education library
• OSI glossary — orthopedic terminology in plain language