A Case of an Ulnar Nerve Laceration With Distal Humerus Fracture From Machete Trauma

Abstract

Ulnar nerve dysfunction following distal humerus fractures is a recognized phenomenon. There is no dominating consensus regarding the optimal management of the ulnar nerve during surgical intervention for these fractures between leaving the nerve in situ versus nerve transposition for better healing. Additional complexities arise in the case we present, in which there was an open fracture compounded with an ulnar nerve laceration from a traumatic injury with a machete knife. We review and discuss the management of ulnar nerve injuries associated with complex open fractures of the humerus for optimizing patient outcomes following these injuries.