Using a prefabricated brace, we treated 233 patients who had a fracture
of the humeral shaft. One hundred and seventy patients were available for
follow-up, which ranged from five weeks to forty-eight months. In these
patients (forty-three open and 127 closed fractures), the average time to
union was 10.6 weeks; the average varus-valgus angulation, 5 degrees; the
average anterior-posterior angulation, 3 degrees; and the average
shortening, as measured radiographically, four millimeters. All but three
of the patients had an excellent or a good functional result with a nearly
full range of motion of the extremity. There were a minimum of
complications, including three non-unions. Because of the low morbidity and
high rate of success, we concluded that the treatment of choice for
diaphyseal fractures of the humerus is the prefabricated brace.