Comparative Efficacy of Anterior MIPO With PHILOS Versus Posterior ORIF With EA-LCP in Distal-Third Humerus Fractures: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
J Orthop TraumaSep 1, 2026
Clinical ResearchOrthopedic Surgery
Siva S Garika, Pashupati Yadav, Nitish J Jyoti et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial compared anterior minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) with posterior open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) in adults with extra-articular distal-third humeral shaft fractures. The study found that MIPO resulted in a shorter mean time to radiological union (16.3 weeks vs. 18.1 weeks, P = 0.001) and lower intraoperative morbidity compared to ORIF.
Key findings
- Mean time to radiological union was shorter in the MIPO group at 16.3 weeks compared to 18.1 weeks in the ORIF group (P = 0.001).
- Operative time was significantly shorter for MIPO at 78.9 minutes versus 112.6 minutes for ORIF (P = 0.013).
- Intraoperative blood loss was lower in the MIPO group, averaging 182.1 mL compared to 328.1 mL in the ORIF group (P = 0.002).
- Postoperative pain on day 2 was less in the MIPO group, with a visual analog scale score of 7 compared to 8 in the ORIF group (P < 0.001).
Why it matters
The findings suggest that anterior MIPO may offer advantages in terms of surgical efficiency and recovery for patients with distal-third humeral shaft fractures, potentially influencing treatment choices in orthopedic practice.