Diagnosis

The diagnosis of an upper arm fracture must be adapted individually to the situation. In serious accidents, for example, the fracture of the upper arm plays only a minor role and life-threatening injuries should first be diagnosed and treated. Fractures of the upper arm, which are accompanied by a considerable displacement of the bone fragments, usually represent a gaze diagnosis, since the malposition of the upper arm inevitably indicates an upper arm fracture.

The same applies to open fractures where individual bone fragments protrude from the skin. In the case of less obvious humerus fractures, the anamnesis at the beginning of the diagnosis is of primary importance. In this case, the perceived symptoms and the course of the accident are particularly important for diagnosis.

The course of the accident can be used to estimate the extent and direction of the force and provide an indication of the stress to which the bone and surrounding soft tissue were subjected. The medical history is typically followed by a physical examination of the affected person, with a special focus on the symptoms of the injured upper arm. Imaging methods are used to determine the presence of an upper arm fracture and to assess the type of fracture. Depending on the type of injury, the availability of equipment and individual factors of the patient, x-ray machines, computer tomographs and magnetic resonance tomographs are used. Bleeding under the skin can also be easily visualized with an ultrasound machine.

Prognosis

The individual prognosis after an upper arm fracture depends crucially on the severity of the injury, the type of fracture and individual factors of the person affected. Bones are tissues that heal only very slowly. For this reason, although the prognosis is generally good, the healing process takes a relatively long time.

The goal of any therapy after an upper arm fracture is the unrestricted, pain-free movement of the upper arm in the elbow and shoulder joint. Especially if it is a simple fracture without displacement of the fragments, the prognosis can be considered very good even with conservative therapy. If the injury is treated surgically, there are additional risk factors associated with the operation, which can worsen the prognosis overall.

These include injuries to the structures of the upper arm during surgery and the risk of the required anesthesia.Open humeral fractures also have a worse prognosis. In particular, the risk of infection is considerably higher in the case of an open fracture than in the case of a closed humerus fracture. If the individual bone fragments are heavily displaced, there is also a risk of injury to the surrounding soft tissue such as vessels or nerves. Damage to these structures can significantly limit the success of treatment and thus worsen the prognosis of the fracture.