Open Access, Peer-reviewed, Quarterly
pISSN 1225-1682
eISSN 2287-9293
    J Korean Fract Soc. 2014 Jan;27(1):72-76. Korean.
    Published online Jan 17, 2014.
    https://doi.org/10.12671/jkfs.2014.27.1.72
    Copyright © 2014 The Korean Fracture Society. All rights reserved.
    Case Report

    Isolated Avulsion Fracture of the Lesser Tuberosity of the Humerus - A Case Report -

    Tae-Ho Kim, M.D., Ki-Do Hong, M.D., Sung-Sik Ha, M.D., Jae-Chun Sim, M.D. and Min-Chul Sung, M.D.
      • Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sahmyook Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
    • Address reprint requests to: Ki-Do Hong, M.D. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sahmyook Medical Center, 82 Mangu-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-711, Korea. Tel: 82-2-2210-3580, Fax: 82-2-2217-1897, Email: oskimth@naver.com
    Received September 13, 2013; Revised October 17, 2013; Accepted November 05, 2013.

    This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

    Abstract

    Isolated avulsion of the lesser tuberosity of the humerus is a rare injury. The mechanism of injury is the avulsion of the lesser tuberosity from forced contractions of the subscapularis muscle when the arm is forced into an externally rotated position on shoulder abduction. Authors report a case for isolated avulsion of the lesser tuberosity of the humerus which was treated with open reduction and transosseous suture fixation, as well as a view of the literature.

    Keywords
    Humerus; Lesser tuberosity; Avulsion fracture

    Figures

    Fig. 1
    Preoperative radiographs. (A) Anteroposterior view shows blunting of the inferior glenoid in right shoulder with an area of increased opacity. (B) Axillary lateral view shows a bony avulsion of the lesser tuberosity in right shoulder.

    Fig. 2
    Preoperative computed tomography shows an avulsion of the lesser tuberosity in right shoulder. (A) Axial view. (B) Coronal view. (C) Three-dimensional view.

    Fig. 3
    Arthroscopic view showing avulsion of the lesser tuberosity in right shoulder with intact biceps tendon. Arrow: lesser tuberosity bony fragments. HH: Humeral head, B: Biceps long head.

    Fig. 4
    Photograph of the operation field. (A) Avulsion of the lesser tuberosity at exploration. (B) Reattachment of the lesser tuberosity with transosseous sutures. Arrow: lesser tuberosity bony fragment. HH: Humeral head, B: Biceps brachii.

    Fig. 5
    Computed tomography 4 days postoperatively shows the reduced bony fragments. (A) Axial view. (B) Coronal view.

    References

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    MeSH Terms
    Arm
    Humerus*
    Muscles
    Shoulder
    Sutures
    Metrics
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