Thrower's fracture of the humerus

Andrew Miller; Christopher C Dodson; Asif M Ilyas

doi:10.1016/j.ocl.2014.06.011

Thrower's fracture of the humerus

Orthop Clin North Am. 2014 Oct;45(4):565-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ocl.2014.06.011. Epub 2014 Aug 3.

Authors

Andrew Miller¹, Christopher C Dodson², Asif M Ilyas²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, 1015 Walnut Street, Suite 801, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. Electronic address: andrewmiller28@gmail.com.
² Rothman Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, 925 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.

PMID: 25199425
DOI: 10.1016/j.ocl.2014.06.011

Abstract

Thrower's fractures are spiral fractures of the humerus caused by forceful throwing of a ball. Although these fractures have been cited in the literature, little research exists regarding the significance of stress fractures and fatigue injuries that may precede these injuries. This article presents 3 cases of middle-aged recreational baseball pitchers who sustained mid to distal third spiral humerus fractures, reviews the biomechanics of a thrower's fracture, and provides a detailed review of the literature to help better understand this condition and guide treatment.

Keywords: Humeral fracture; Humerus fracture; Pitching; Stress fracture; Thrower; Throwing pitcher.

Publication types

Case Reports
Review

MeSH terms

Adult
Baseball / injuries*
Fractures, Stress / diagnostic imaging*
Fractures, Stress / physiopathology
Fractures, Stress / surgery*
Humans
Humeral Fractures / diagnostic imaging*
Humeral Fractures / physiopathology
Humeral Fractures / surgery*
Male
Radiography