Treatment of severely displaced proximal humeral fractures in children with retrograde elastic stable intramedullary nailing

SummaryWe report our experience of elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) of severely displaced proximal humeral fracture Type III and IV according to Neer in children. Thirty-five children (mean age 12.7 years) with 19 Salter–Harris Type II epiphyseal fractures and 16 children with metaphyseal fractures of the proximal humerus were treated with ESIN by one-nail or two-nail-technique. There were the following complications: two perforations of the nail at the head of the humerus with loss of position, one loss of position without nail perforation, one misplacement of a nail, one revision due to haematoma and two difficult removals of metal. For follow-up examinations after 26 months the children were classified by use of the Constant–Murley score. On average they gained 99 points. All children were able to resume their sporting activities as before. For the treatment of displaced proximal humeral fractures in children more than 10 years old the retrograde ESIN represents a safe minimal invasive surgical procedure.