[Is surgical treatment of fresh, closed humeral fractures justifiable as a routine procedure?].

Excellent results were found to be achievable from conservative functional treatment of upper arm fractures. A critical appraisal is made in this paper of the authors' own cases and of literature published over the past 25 years for comparison of the above results with surgical therapy. The conservative functional approach was found to be the optional method to cope with closed upper arm fractures, since it provides all the advantages of surgical therapy, yet, without the risk implied in surgery. Publications on improved results from surgical therapy cannot be accepted as reasons for a general expansion of indications.