TITLE:
Factors Affecting Time to Healing in Humeral Shaft Fractures Treated with SIGN Intramedullary Nailing
AUTHORS:
Ndubuisi Ebere Duru, Emmanuel Chino Iyidobi, Chukwuka Ozumba Udemezue, Gerald Oguzie, Obiora Muoghalu
KEYWORDS:
Humerus, Shaft, SIGN, Interlocking Nail, Fracture Healing
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.10 No.12,
December
16,
2022
ABSTRACT: There is a tendency to treat humeral fractures with the use of splintage in resource poor countries due to a perceived high rate of complications with operative fixation. The Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) intra medullary nail has provided an alternative in the management of humeral shaft fractures. Due to the paucity of research work in this area, our study evaluated factors that influence the time to fracture union in humeral shaft fractures. Fifty-eight humeral Diaphysial fractures were treated over six years. It is a retrospective study. Case notes and the database were analysed. The statistical analysis was done using the SPSS 24 software. The time to fracture healing was the primary outcome variable and how it was influenced by patient and implant variables was studied. The mean time to fracture healing was 17.38 weeks. All 58 fractures united. The mean time to fracture healing in the 20 - 29 years was 16.00 weeks which was lower than in older age groups. Fractures in males healed at 16.33 weeks and in females at 18.76 weeks. Patients with Diabetes Mellitus had a mean healing time of 29.00 weeks, while third proximal fractures healed in a mean time of 15.25 weeks. Age and sex had no significant influence on the time to fracture healing while Diabetes Mellitus, longer duration of antibiotic use, open fractures, and presence of fracture gap post fixation and third middle fractures had increased time to fracture healing.