Outcomes of nails versus plates for humeral shaft fractures: a Medicare cohort study.

Objectives This study was performed to determine 1) the incidence of humeral shaft fractures within the Medicare non-cancer population, 2) the trends in utilization of humeral shaft fixation techniques by plate-and-screw devices and intramedullary nails, 3) differences in procedure times, and 4) the outcomes of individuals as measured by rate of secondary operations and one-year mortality.