A 29-year-old male patient presented with upper arm pain after falling with his arm twisted. He had been diagnosed with a fracture at another hospital and was told that surgical treatment was necessary. He visited several hospitals for surgery, but was told that surgery could not be performed at those facilities, which led him to visit Platinum Clinic.
The fracture was observed to consist of 3 fragments. During surgery, fragments 2 and 3 were first reduced and fixed using the lag screw technique, then fragment 1 was reduced and fixed using a 10-hole locking plate and screws. Post-operative imaging confirmed perfectly anatomical reduction with the fracture lines barely visible.
Fractures of the humeral shaft are quite challenging surgically. The radial nerve wraps around the humeral shaft as it courses distally, requiring meticulous dissection during reduction. Additionally, because muscles attach along the humeral shaft, the dissection process to reach the fracture site is very demanding. For these reasons, surgeons without experience in this area may avoid performing these procedures. Could it be that this patient came to Platinum Clinic because other hospitals were unable to treat him for these very reasons?
