Arm Bone Fractures (Distal Humerus Fractures): Repair With a Plate and Screws Animation

Arm Bone Fractures (Distal Humerus Fractures): Repair With a Plate and Screws Animation

This animation demonstrates the repair of an arm bone fracture, or distal humerus fracture, with a metal plate and screws. Here we see a left elbow. First, an incision is made along the outer side of the elbow to access the end of the humerus, or upper arm bone, that forms part of the elbow joint. Depending on the location of the fracture, the incision can also be made along the back or inner side of the elbow.

The appropriate sized plate is selected. While no fracture is seen here, the plate is placed over the bone at the fracture site and temporarily held in place with a ball-headed pin. A drill guide is aligned with the middle hole in the plate, and a drill is inserted through the guide to drill a hole into the bone. An instrument called a depth gauge is then inserted to measure the drilled hole to determine the length of the screw that is needed. The appropriate size screw is selected and inserted into the drilled hole with a screwdriver. The same steps are repeated for additional screws to fill in the remaining holes in the plate, and the ball-headed pin is removed. The skin incision will be closed with sutures, and the fracture repair is complete. Depending on the size and location of the arm bone fracture, a variety of different plates can be used to repair the fracture.