Adult distal humerus trauma with surgical intervention: CT analysis of fracture pattern, causes, and distribution

This multicenter cross-sectional study aimed to determine the differences in distribution and fracture pattern between low-energy and high-energy groups in distal humeral fractures in Japan. Retrospectively, 133 patients (48 males, 85 females) with distal humeral fractures were enrolled in this study. The age, sex, fracture classification, injury mechanism, preoperative therapy for osteoporosis, and nature of soft-tissue injury were recorded for all patients. The Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test were used for non-normally distributed variables and categorical variables, respectively, to compare differences between the two groups. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 66 years (range 21–99 years). Marked differences were observed between the two groups in terms of age, sex, and fracture pattern. The mean age of patients with AO classification type A2 fractures was significantly higher than that of the patients with other fracture types. In contrast, the mean age of patients with AO classification type C2 fractures was slightly lower than that of the remainder of the population. In the low-energy trauma group, females accounted for 72.2% of fractures and their mean age at the time of surgery was 76 years. Low-energy trauma among elderly individuals was prominent.