Abstract
A small series of four patients with pseudarthrosis of the proximal humeral shaft is reported. These patients all had restricted movement of the shoulder joint prior to the trauma, three as a result of rheumatoid arthritis and one due a surgical fusion of the glenohumeral joint. It is suggested that pseudarthrosis is more likely under these circumstances and that pursuit of union of the fracture in such patients may not always be necessary.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Einarsson F (1958) Fracture of the upper end of the humerus. Discussion based on the follow-up of 302 cases. Acta Orthop Scand (Suppl) 32:1
Hartman JT (1978) Fracture management: A practical approach. Lea and Felinger, Philadelphia
Hooyman JR, Melton J, Nelson AM, O'Fallon WM, Riggs BL (1984) Fractures after rehumatoid arthritis, a population-based study. Arthritis Rheum 27:1353
Kessel L (1976) Injuries of the shoulder. In: Wilson JN (ed) Watson-Jones fractures and joint injuries, 5th edn. Churchill-Livingstone, Edinburgh, p 521
Mills KLG (1974) Severe injuries of the upper end of the humerus. Injury 6:13
McConkey B, Fraser GM, Bligh AS (1962) Osteoporosis and purpura in rheumatoid disease: Prevalence and relation to treatment with corticosteroids. Q J Med 31:419
Neer CS (1970) Displaced proximal humeral fractures. Part II, Treatment of three-part and four-part displacements. J Bone Joint Surg [Am] 52:1090
Neer CS (1984) Fractures and dislocations of the shoulder. In: Rockwood CA, Green DP (eds) Fractures, 2nd edn. JB Lippincott and Co, Philadelphia, p 675
Razemon JP, Baux S (1969) Les fractures et les fracturesluxation de l'estrémité superieure de l'humérus. Rev Chir Orthop 55:388
Resnick D, Cone R (1984) Pathological fractures in rheumatoid arthritis: Sites and mechanisms. Radiographics 4:549
Sorensen KH (1964) Pseudarthrosis of the surgical neck of the humerus: Two cases, one bilateral. Acta Orthop Scand 34:132
Taylor RT, Huskisson EC, Whitehouse GH, Hart FD (1971) Spontaneous fractures of pelvis in rheumatoid arthritis. Br Med J 4:663–664
Turek SL (1977) Orthopaedics; principles and their application, 3rd edn. Lippincott, Philadelphia
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rooney, P.J., Peter Cockshott, W. Pseudarthrosis following proximal humeral fractures: A possible mechanism. Skeletal Radiol 15, 21–24 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00355068
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00355068