A Rare Encounter: Unravelling the Enigma of a Bilateral Humerus Shaft Fracture With a Unique Mode of Injury

Humerus bone fractures make up 4-6% of all adult fractures, of which proximal humerus shaft fracture is only six percent. Simultaneous occurrences of bilateral humerus shaft fractures are infrequently encountered in clinical practice. Precise statistics regarding these injuries are lacking, with scant documentation in the existing literature concerning the subject matter. These fractures may arise due to convulsions triggered by incidents like an electric shock, epilepsy, alcohol withdrawal, and hypoglycemia, which typically give rise to sudden and excessive muscular contractions. Such fractures usually coincide with dislocations of the shoulder joint. However, in our case, the bilateral humerus shaft fractures were caused by physical injuries despite the individual remaining conscious throughout the ordeal. We present a clinical scenario wherein a 28-year-old male sustained fractures in both humerus shafts as a consequence of a road traffic collision with a unique mode of injury, i.e., both the arms of the patient hitting the trolley of a stationary truck. Radiographic investigation revealed a mid-arm shaft fracture on the right side and a fracture of the proximal one-third of the humerus shaft on the left side. He was managed with closed reduction and internal fixation with intramedullary (CRIF) nailing on the right side, and open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with plate osteosynthesis for the left side were done. So this is a compelling rare case of bilateral humerus shaft fracture following high-velocity trauma with a unique mode of injury, treated operatively with satisfactory results on follow-up.