Brachial artery rupture following supracondylar fracture of the humerus.

Rupture of the brachial artery following a supracondylar fracture of the humerus is rare. The case histories of two children with this injury are reported. Both were treated by open reduction of the fracture, fixation with two Kirschner wires and decompression of the forearm muscles. In one (who also had a rupture of the median nerve) the brachial artery ends were ligated and in the second they were anastomosed by interposition of a reversed vein graft. The postoperative course was uneventful in both cases. On re-examination, more than a year after the injury, the child with the ligated brachial artery had minor cold intolerance and a decreased systolic arterial forearm blood pressure. The indications for brachial artery repair are briefly discussed.