Treatment of humeral nonunions with the Ilizarov technique.

Abstract

Eighteen patients with nonunions of the humerus were treated by the Ilizarov method at the General Hospital in Lecco, Italy, between 1982-1989. This report is based upon 16 of those patients. The results are encouraging. Union was achieved in 14 patients. There were two failures: one patient had been irradiated 14 years earlier for what was thought to be plasmocytoma of the proximal humerus; the other had a humeral nonunion of the proximal third with advanced disuse osteopenia of the surrounding bone. Complications were few, and none compromised the achievement of union.