Treatment of difficult fractures and nonunions of the humerus and elbow with a modified Küntscher nail.

A series of fourteen difficult fractures and nonunions of the humerus and elbow have been treated over a period of twenty-eight years with a modified Kuntscher Nail. A total of twenty-six operative attempts had been previously made in this group of fourteen patients. One patient had eight failed surgeries prior to treatment. Slots were placed along the spine of the nail for transfixion with screws. In two instances additional modification of the Kuntscher nail was made by attaching a plate to the end of the nail for fixation to the ulna after retrograde insertion into the humerus. One such device was used to fuse the elbow. The other was used to stabilize a low nonunion in which the elbow was already fused. Union was obtained in nine cases with failure in five. Four of the failures united with one additional surgery. The one failed case had a surgical neck fracture which was eventually treated with a Neer prosthesis. The method described may not be superior to other methods; however, it can be successful in obtaining union in difficult elbow and humerus fractures or nonunions resulting from multiple failed prior procedures.