science

Holstein–Lewis fracture

Holstein–Lewis fracture is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Holstein–Lewis fracture rather than just read about it. In short: A Holstein–Lewis fracture is a fracture of the distal third of the humerus resulting in entrapment of the radial nerve. Anatomy and pathology The radial nerve is one of the major nerves of the upper limb.

Key takeaways

Holstein–Lewis fracture belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Holstein–Lewis fracture to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Holstein–Lewis fracture from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A Holstein–Lewis fracture is a fracture of the distal third of the humerus resulting in entrapment of the radial nerve.

Anatomy and pathology The radial nerve is one of the major nerves of the upper limb. It innervates all of the muscles in the extensor compartments of the arm. Injury to the nerve can therefore result in significant functional deficit for the individual. It is vulnerable to injury with fractures of the humeral shaft as it lies in very close proximity to the bone (it descends within the spiral groove on the posterior aspect of the humerus). Characteristic findings following injury will be as a result of radial nerve palsy (e.g. weakness of wrist/finger extension and sensory loss over the dorsum of the hand). The vast majority of radial nerve palsies occurring as a result of humeral shaft fractures are neurapraxias (nerve conduction block as a result of traction or compression of the nerve), these nerve palsies can be expected to recover over a period of months. A minority of palsies occur as a result of more significant axonotmeses (division of the axon but preservation of the nerve sheath) or the even more severe neurotmeses (division of the entire nerve structure). As a result, it is important for individuals sustaining a Holstein–Lewis injury to be carefully followed up if there is no evidence of return of function to the arm after approximately three months, further investigations and possibly, nerve exploration or repair may be required. The exception to this rule is if the fracture to the humerus requires fixing in the first instance. In that case, the nerve should be explored at the same time that fixation is performed.

Eponym It is named for Arthur Holstein (1913–2000) and Gwilym Lewis (1914–2009), American orthopedic surgeons who described it in 1963.

References Saladin, Kenneth S. Anatomy & physiology the unity of form and function. Dubuque: McGraw-Hill, 2009. http://www.orthopaedicweblinks.com/Orthopedic_Topics/Trauma/Humerus/index.html Ekholm, Radford; Ponzer, Sari; Törnkvist, Hans; Adami, Johanna; Tidermark, Jan (November 2008). "The Holstein-Lewis Humeral Shaft Fracture: Aspects of Radial Nerve Injury, Primary Treatment, and Outcome". Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. 22 (10): 693–697. doi:10.1097/BOT.0b013e31818915bf. PMID 18978544. S2CID 29382253. Singh, Vivek; Hayes, Hannah V.; Kazemi, Namdar; Dey, Sukalyan; Parikh, Shital N. (May 2022). "The Holstein–Lewis humerus shaft fracture in children: are they different from adults?". Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics B. 31 (3): 274–280. doi:10.1097/BPB.0000000000000863. PMID 34028376. S2CID 235169713. Lee, Ho Min; Kim, Young Sung; Kang, Suk; Lee, Min Young; Kim, Jong Pil (January 2018). "Modified anterolateral approach for internal fixation of Holstein–Lewis humeral shaft fractures". Journal of Orthopaedic Science. 23 (1): 137–143. doi:10.1016/j.jos.2017.10.005. PMID 29103824. Warner, Rachel; Volberding, Jennifer; Middlemist, Kevin; Chalkin, Brian (7 December 2020). "Double-Flexor Tendon Transfer for Radial Nerve Laceration Secondary to Holstein-Lewis Fracture: A Case Report". Oklahoma State Medical Proceedings. 4 (3).

External links Holstein-Lewis fracture at Wheeless Orthopaedics online

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Holstein–Lewis fracture

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Holstein–Lewis fracture claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Holstein–Lewis fracture before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Holstein–Lewis fracture ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Holstein–Lewis fracture

In research: Holstein–Lewis fracture appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Holstein–Lewis fracture in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Holstein–Lewis fracture is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bone fractures, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Holstein–Lewis fracture outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Holstein–Lewis fracture in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Holstein–Lewis fracture means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Holstein–Lewis fracture out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Holstein–Lewis fracture in simple terms?

A Holstein–Lewis fracture is a fracture of the distal third of the humerus resulting in entrapment of the radial nerve. Anatomy and pathology The radial nerve is one of the major nerves of the upper limb.

Why does Holstein–Lewis fracture matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Holstein–Lewis fracture?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Holstein–Lewis fracture.