Objectives: To define the incidence of sacral U-type insufficiency fracture and describe management of a consecutive series of patients with this injury. Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting: Single Level II trauma center. Patients/Participants: Sixteen adult patients with sacral U-type insufficiency fractures treated over a 36-month period. Intervention: Patients were indicated for percutaneous screw fixation of the posterior pelvis if they had posterior pelvic pain that prohibited mobilization. Main Outcome Measurements: Visual analog scale for pain, distance ambulated on postoperative day 1, and change in sacral kyphosis. Results: The sacral U-type insufficiency fracture incidence was 16.7% (19/114); average patient age was 75 years. Delayed surgery was performed after primary nonoperative treatment had failed in 62.5% (10/16) at an average 83 days postinjury. Acute surgery was performed in 37.5% (6/16) at an average 5 days postinjury. Distance ambulated on postoperative day 1 was 114.4 feet [95% confidence interval (CI) (50.6, 178.2)] and 88.7 feet [95% CI (2.8, 174.6)] in the delayed and acute surgery groups, respectively, P = 0.18. Change in visual analog scale for pain was −3.2 [95% CI (−5.0, −1.4)] and −3.7 [95% CI (−7.0, −0.4)] in the delayed and acute surgery groups, respectively, P = 0.15. Change in sacral kyphosis from presentation to surgery was 12.3 degrees [95% CI (6.7, 17.9)] and 0.3 degrees [95% CI (−0.2, 0.9)] in the delayed and acute surgery groups, respectively, P < 0.01. Minimum follow-up was 12 months. Conclusions: Treatment of sacral U-type insufficiency fractures by percutaneous screw fixation permits early mobilization, provides rapid pain relief, and prevents progressive deformity. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Diagnostic study, level II.

The treatment of patients with prolonged denervation from a posterior cord brachial plexus injury is challenging and no management guidelines exist to follow. The authors describe the case of a 26-year-old man who presented to our clinic for treatment 11 months after suffering a high-energy injury to the posterior cord of the brachial plexus. A combined 9-cm proximal cable nerve graft procedure and a pronator branch to the posterior interosseous nerve transfer were performed. Satisfactory deltoid, triceps, wrist, and finger extensor recovery was noted 3 years after surgery. Patients with prolonged denervation from posterior cord injuries can be successfully treated with a combination of a proximal nerve graft and a distal nerve transfer.