Treatment of isolated ulnar shaft fractures with functional bracing.

A prospective study was initiated using functional bracing to treat isolated ulnar shaft fractures. Forty-seven consecutive patients with 48 fractures were treated from July 1987 to January 1989. Twenty-eight patients with 29 fractures were available for follow up. Three of these fractures were subsequently excluded, as they had open reduction and internal fixation, leaving a group of 26 fractures. The mean time to union was 45 days (6.4 weeks). Fractures of the middle third of the ulnar diaphysis had the highest mean time to union, as did those with an oblique fracture pattern of 26% to 50% initial displacement. For union time, there was no significant difference for fracture location (P > .05 via t-test) or for fracture pattern (P > .05 via analysis of variance).