Early Operative Treatment of Radial Nerve Palsy Complicating Fracture of the Shaft of the Humerus

Abstract

A series of eighty patients with radial nerve palsy complicating fracture of the shaft of the humerus were studied from January, 1985 to December, 1987. These patients were studied in two groups, conservative versus operative. In the operative group every case was explored for radial nerve and the fracture was rigidly fixed. In conservative group, every case was managed by closed reduction and cast. In this group of 19 cases (47.5%), the nerve was explored later on. The results of both groups were evaluated. Aveage time of recovery was 12.6 weeks in the operative group and 29.6 weeks in the conservative group. We found in this series that the functional recovery of the limb in the operative group was better than in the conservative group in our circumstances.