Abstract
We report the case of established hypertrophic nonunion of the humeral shaft in a 49-year-old lady in whom the fracture united later spontaneously. Nonunions of any type were thought in the past not to unite spontaneously without surgical intervention and/or electrical stimulation. As a result of this case it is suggested that an established hypertrophic nonunion of a long bone can unite spontaneously without any surgical procedure and/or external electromagnetic stimulation. The hypertrophic nonunion can heal if it is guarded by some means. Therefore surgery is not mandatorily indicated. Also it is suggested that hypertrophic nonunion is a type of delayed union, and that it should not be included in the category of nonunion.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 59-61 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - 1999 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Definition
- Humerus
- Hypertrophic
- Nonunion
- Post-plating
- Spontaneous healing