简介：Objective:Toretrospectivelyanalyzetheeffectofunilateralexternalfixatorsinthetreatmentoflowerthirdhumeralshaftfractures.Methods:FromOctober1997toOctober2003,33patientsaged15-70years(average31years)withlowerthirdhumeralshaftfracturesweretreatedwithunilateralexternalfixators.Therewere9spiralfractures(typeA1),1obliquefracture(typeA2),3transversesfractures(typeA3)and20comminutedfractures(11typeB1,9typeB2)accordingtoAOclassification.Fifteencasesweretreatedwithopenreductionandlimitedinternalfixationandfixationwithexternalfixators,10casestreatedwithopenreductionandfixationwithexternalfixators,and8casestreatedwithclosedreductionandfixationwithexternalfixators.Nerveexplorationwasundertakenin9caseswithpreoperativeradialnerveinjury.Externalfixatorswereremovedafterbonehealing.Theaveragefollow-upwas18monthswitharangefrom8to24months.Results:Thetimeofbonehealingranged11-22weeks(average14weeks).Thelatestfollow-upshowedthefunctionsof9casesofpreoperativeradialnerveinjuryandof2casespostoperativeradialnerveinjuryandthefunctionofelbowwererecoveredtonormal.Therewereonly7casesofsuperficialinfectionatpinhole,whichwassubsidedbyusingoralantibioticsandpin-holecarewithmilddisinfectants.Conclusions:Fixationwithunilateralexternalfixatorscombinedwithopenreductionandlimitedinternalfixationhasagoodeffectinthetreatmentoflowerthirdhumeralshaftfractures.