Humeral shaft split fracture around proximal humeral locking plates: a report of two cases.

Locking plates increasingly are being used in the treatment of osteoporotic fractures. Such devices provide multiple fixed- angle anchorage points and improve fracture fixation stability in weak bone. We report two cases of early proximal humeral fracture fixation failure in osteoporotic bone by humeral shaft "fissure" or split fracture after open reduction and internal fixation with locking proximal humeral plates and screws. Each patient failed early in the postoperative period and was revised to fixation with compression plating techniques, with uneventful union.