Description:
<jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>We reviewed our experience with low transcondylar, extra-articular distal humerus fractures to determine the prevalence of extra-articular distal humerus fractures, the percentage that are low transcondylar fractures, and the results of treatment.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Material and methods</jats:title><jats:p>One hundred seventy-four fractures of the distal humerus in adult patients were identified. Patients with at least 1-year of follow-up were evaluated based on the medical record according to the system described by Broberg and Morrey.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Twenty-six fractures (15%) were extra-articular (AO Type A), 15 involved both the medial and lateral columns (8.6%), nine of which were low transcondylar fractures representing 5% of all fractures and 60% of the extra-articular bicolumnar fractures. Among the nine patients with low transcondylar fractures, two had non-union and three died within 3 months of injury. Among the eight patients with healed fractures after sufficient follow-up, patients with higher extra-articular distal humerus fractures had better motion and function than patients with low transcondylar fractures.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Transcondylar fractures are the most common type of extra-articular bicolumnar fracture and may be more common than previously recognized. Mortality within 3 months and non-union appear common with this fracture type.</jats:p></jats:sec>