Management of Radial Nerve Palsy Associated with Humeral Shaft Fractures by Closed Interlocking Intrameduallary Nail

Radial nerve palsy, either axonotmesis or neurapraxia, associated with fractures of the shaft humerus occurred in about 10 percent of the patients with humeral shaft fractures [1,2,3]. Its close relation to the humerus, especially fractures of the middle and the distal thirds of the humerus makes the radial nerve vulnerable to such injuries [4,5,6]. There are many debate about the management of radial nerve palsy associated with humeral shaft fractures especially the need for operative exploration [1]. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of eighteen patients suffered from immediate radial nerve palsy (occurring at the time of injury), associated with humeral shaft fractures treated by closed interlocking intramedullary nail. All the patients gave the informed consent prior to being included into this study; the study was authorized by the local ethical committee and was performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki as revised in 2000.