Humeral head fracture symptoms and treatment

Humeral head fracture is a type of intra-articular fracture. Single humeral fracture is relatively rare and usually occurs in young adults. Most cases are caused by strong direct violence. What are the specific symptoms and treatment methods of humeral head fracture?

1. Clinical symptoms of humeral head fracture

1. Swelling: Diffuse swelling of the shoulder joint, covering a larger area. In the case of embedded type, there is less bleeding, so the local swelling is also mild.

2. Pain and conductive percussion pain: In addition to local pain and tenderness, tapping the elbow may cause conductive pain in the shoulder.

3. Limited range of motion: The range of motion is significantly limited, especially in patients with comminuted fractures. The limitation is less in patients with more embedded fractures and relatively stable fracture ends.

2. Treatment Methods

1. Embedded

For those without displacement, only use a triangular bandage to suspend and fix for about 4 weeks. For those with angular displacement, they should be repositioned first, and it is better for young and strong people to be fixed on an extension frame.

2. Crushing type

After manual reduction, the abduction frame is fixed for 4 to 5 weeks. If manual reduction fails, the affected limb can be placed in the abduction position for 3 to 4 weeks and functional activities can be started as soon as possible. Open reduction and internal fixation can also be performed. For those who still cannot maintain alignment after open reduction or have severe joint surface defects (defective area exceeds 50%), artificial humeral head replacement can be performed, especially for elderly patients over 60 years old.

3. Those with loose bone fragments

If manual reduction is generally difficult, open reduction may be feasible; if it is difficult to reduce, the graft can be removed.

4. Advanced cases

The main types of surgery are remedial surgeries, including facet repair, biceps tendon groove repair, removal of loose bodies in the joint, shoulder arthroplasty and artificial joint replacement.