Treatment of supra- and intra-articular fractures of the distal humerus with the LCP Distal Humerus Plate: a 2-year follow-up Timm Kaiser, MD a , Alexander Brunner, MD a, *, Bernd Hohendorff, MD a , Benjamin Ulmar, MD b , Reto Babst, MD a a Department of Trauma Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland b Department of Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Tu¨bingen (BG-Unfallklinik), Tu¨bingen, Germany Background: The LCP Distal Humerus Plate (DHP) system represents an angular stable fixation system consisting of 2 anatomically pre-shaped orthogonal plates intended for the treatment of fractures of the distal humerus. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical and radiologic outcome after a minimum follow-up of 2 years after open reduction and fixation of distal humeral fractures with this device. Methods: Twenty-two consecutive patients with distal humeral fractures were treated with the DHP system between January 2004 and June 2006. Of these, 16 could be clinically and radiologically evaluated after a mean follow-up of 30.5 months. Follow-up included anteroposterior and lateral radiographs; assess- ment of range of motion; pain according to a VAS; Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score; and Mayo Elbow Performance Score. Results: All fractures showed satisfactory articular reduction. One patient showed preoperative sensory ulnar neuropathy, which recovered incompletely, and two patients showed sensory ulnar neuropathy post- operatively, requiring revision surgery in one patient. Mean range of motion was as follows: flexion, 129  ; extension, 16  ; pronation, 82  ; and supination, 71  . The mean visual analog scale score was 1 point; the mean Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score, 23.3 points; and the mean Mayo Elbow Perfor- mance Score, 84.7 points. Conclusion: The DHP system represents a valuable tool to perform internal fixation of complex fractures of the distal humerus. In contrast to conventional plating, we did not observe any case of secondary fracture displacement, even in elderly patients with potentially reduced bone mass. The multiple angular stable point fixation also of small distal fragments seems to be effective in the application of this system. Level of evidence: Level IV, Case Series, Treatment Study. Ó 2011 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Keywords: Distal Humerus Plate; DHP; distal humeral fractures; angular stable Fractures of the distal part of the humerus are complex injuries that may be associated with a significant number of intraoperative and postoperative complications including acute and chronic ulnar neuropathy, nonunion, and soft-tissue *Reprint requests: Alexander Brunner, MD, Department of Trauma Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Lucerne, 6000 Lucerne, Switzerland. E-mail address: a-r.brunner@web.de (A. Brunner). J Shoulder Elbow Surg (2011) 20, 206-212 www.elsevier.com/locate/ymse 1058-2746/$ - see front matter Ó 2011 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. doi:10.1016/j.jse.2010.06.010