Journal international de médecine physique et de réadaptation
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Radial Nerve Palsy after Humeral Fracture: To Explore or Not to Explore? - A Case Report

Ana Costa Pinheiro

The incidence of radial nerve injuries varies from 2-17% and humeral fracture is the most common cause in young adults. The treatment of radial nerve damage, especially in cases of fracture, remains a challenge. The authors report a case of radial nerve palsy related to humeral shaft fracture and shall revise the literature about their treatment. Whether fracture or associated radial nerve injury, were treated conservatively, and the patient referred, of course, to Physiatry, to start intensive functional recovery of the affected upper limb. At 5-6 months after fracture, patient maintains radial sensory and motor deficits, and it was proposed surgical exploration of the radial nerve, which was scheduled, because a week before the alleged scheduled surgery, he demonstrated a recovery, and has fully function of the radial nerve after 2 weeks. Humeral shaft fractures are treated mostly conservatively, the radial nerve usually suffers neuropraxia and their function returns spontaneously after fracture healing, as happened in this case. The nerve exploration is reserved for cases in which there is no recovery of nerve function 3-4 months or a little more, after the fracture consolidation. Thus, nerve routine operation would subject many patients to unnecessary complications of surgery.