Proximal humerus fracture Proximal humerus fracture A proximal humerus fracture is a break of the upper part of the bone of the arm (humerus). Symptoms include pain, swelling, and a decreased ability to move the shoulder. Complications may include axillary nerve or axillary artery injury. The cause is generally a fall onto the arm or direct trauma to the arm. Risk factors include osteoporosis and diabetes. Diagnosis is generally based on X-rays or CT scan. It is a type of humerus fracture. A number of classification systems exist. Treatment is generally with an arm sling for a brief period of time followed by
Bone vessels and cartilage. In the human body at birth, there are over 270 bones, but many of these fuse together during development, leaving a total of 206 separate bones in the adult, not counting numerous small sesamoid bones. The largest bone in the body is the femur or thigh-bone, and the smallest is the stapes in the middle ear. The Greek word for bone is ὀστέον ("osteon"), hence the many terms that use it as a prefix – such as osteopathy. Bone is not uniformly solid, but consists of a flexible matrix (about 30%) and bound minerals (about 70%) which