Background  Humerus is the long bone of the arm, radial nerve which is branch from the posterior cord of the brachial plexus commonly injured by fracture shaft of humerus because of close relation to the bone during it’s course in the arm, and the average incidence of radial nerve palsy with fracture of humerus in the literature is 12%. Objective To study incidence, types and nature of radial nerve injury associated with humeral shaft fracture. Subjects and Methods This is prospective study conducted at the Sulaimani Teaching Hospital and Causality Hospital during the period of June 2009 – June 2010. The study included sixty-eight patients with fracture shaft of hummers (21 females, 47 males), with an age ranging from 6 to 75 years (mean ±SE = 40± 0.67 years). Among the 68 patients 14 of them presented with neurological deficit of radial nerve dysfunction with an age ranging from 6 to 44 years (mean ±SE = 25 ± 0.67 years) (6 female and 8 male). The entire subjects met certain inclusion and exclusion criteria. Nerve Conduction Study and needle electromyography examinations were performed for those patients with radial nerve Dysfunction. The following biochemical parameter were measured complete blood count, serum calcium, serum alkaline phosphatase also X ray examination were performed in more than one view (anterior-posterior and lateral view). Results Among 68 patients with fractured humeral shaft 14 of them presented with feature of radial nerve palsy, nerve conduction study and electromyographic result showed that 10 patients (72%) have only focal demyelinating lesion (neuropraxia), (21%) 3 patients with severe radial nerve injury (neurotmesis) and 1 patient (7%) with partial radial nerve injury (axonotmesis) with the over all prevalence of about 20.6%. Among those patients with radial nerve palsy 3 of them was presented with compound fracture and associated severe radial nerve injury (neurotmesis), the remaining 11 patients presented with closed fracture.. Conclusions The incidence of radial nerve palsy with fractureed shaft humerus was 20.6%, transection of radial nerve is associated with open fractures of the humerus, nerve palsies that are part of closed fracture nearly always recovered.

Background  Overt hypothyroidism affects the cardiovascular system and blood pressure regulation. There is controversy on the relation of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) with the cardiovascular system, and this relation is not assessed yet in mild SCH (SCH with TSH < 10 mIU/L). Objectives  To find differences in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure, and pulse rate between mild SCH and Euthyroidism, furthermore to evaluate the relationship of these cardiovascular characteristics. Methods This prospective case-control study involved 186 participants; 43 mild SCH and 142 Euthyroid. The studied subjects were further subdivided into two groups according to age. Pulse rate and blood pressure (SDP and DBP) were measured, and mean and pulse pressure were calculated. The following biochemical parameters were measured; fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and thyroid function test (TFT; TSH, FT4, FT3, and anti-TPO antibody). The parameters were compared between SCH and Euthyroid groups using Student T-test and the correlation between variables was assessed using Pearson’s correlation, with a P-value ≤ of 0.05 is regarded as significant. Results The mean TSH level in the mild SCH group is 5.47 (0.89) mIU/L. Mild SCH has higher DBP compared to Euthyroid subjects (81.93 vs 77.64 mmHg), and in the age group of <35 years, each of the DBP, SBP, and mean pressure were higher in SCH compared to control individual, in this group, there is a significant inverse correlation between FT4 and DBP. And in subjects with >35 years significant inverse correlation exists between FT4 and mean pressure, P < 0.05. No significant association is present between TSH level and pulse rate, blood pressure, and pulse pressure.  Conclusion Data of the present study revealed that even mild SCH, is associated with higher DBP compared to Euthyroid subjects and the FT4 level in the SCH has a negative correlation with DBP, while there was no significant correlation between pulse pressure, pulse rate with thyroid function test in subject with mild SCH. Follow-up of mild SCH subjects is recommended for blood pressure assessment.