Humerus fracture (while squatting)

[Wrong_Acanthaceae599]

Male
43 yo
76 kg
Squat 67.5 kg
Press: 20 kg
Bench: 37.5 kg
Deadlift: 85 kg

I had an injury 3 weeks ago: spiral fracture of the let humerus. It was displaced so surgery was necessary, it is fixed with an intramedullary nail. I stayed one week hospitalized. I will be non weight bearing for 3-4 more weeks at least. I can move my arm although with limitation.

Before the incident, I was at 79 kg with 18% bodyfat (I have a balance that measure BF). I had progressed from 75 kg/17.5% BF before I started lifting weight (4 months of work, I know this was slow gains, I started very de-conditioned due to suffering from Ankylosing Spondylitis).

Now I weight 76 kg and 18%BF I lost nearly all gains in 3 weeks (hospital food sucks!). Nutrition now I am at home so higher in protein but I guess the surplus goes into bone and incisions repair. I know my left arm has atrophied due to the surgery (they needed to access behind the triceps so it was cut in part). But my entire upper body seems to have lost (I think my legs did not lose anything). How should I approach regaining the loss ? I would like to focus on an approach with lots of upper body, including exercises that might work only for partial ROM.
I assume I will need significant work to recover some ROM in arm and basic strength before lifting. Also there might be a mental bloc: my arm broke while squatting (67.5 kg work set, second set).

[Mark Rippetoe]

Bones don't just break for no reason. The squat does not apply dynamic force to the humerus. Do you have bone cancer?

[Wrong_Acanthaceae599]

Bones don't just break for no reason. The squat does not apply dynamic force to the humerus. Do you have bone cancer?

Not to my knowledge. Osteoporosis is a more likely possibility and I will try to get a Dexa scan once I am healed.

[Alexander Dargatz]

That reminds me of a friend of mine. He broke his arm squatting (I wasn't there to see it) in a powerlifting competition when he was younger. He still finished the squat and set up some sort of national record, 300kg in a lower weight class. I have seen him squatting, it's horrible. Worst form on squats and bench I've ever seen. Dive bombs down and somehow comes up again. But he's strong, very talented (explosive AF) and trained very hard. I'm still in awe that his body is still holding up after that decades long abuse.

Anyway, sorry for the blabbering. You don't break your arm with 67.5kg on a normal work set. Form must be way off in any case. Osteoporosis at 43 years?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Osteoporosis at 43 years?

Female?

[Alexander Dargatz]

Female?

Well, the very first word from the OP was "Male", so I'm taking that at face value.

[Wrong_Acanthaceae599]

That reminds me of a friend of mine. He broke his arm squatting (I wasn't there to see it) in a powerlifting competition when he was younger. He still finished the squat and set up some sort of national record, 300kg in a lower weight class. I have seen him squatting, it's horrible. Worst form on squats and bench I've ever seen. Dive bombs down and somehow comes up again. But he's strong, very talented (explosive AF) and trained very hard. I'm still in awe that his body is still holding up after that decades long abuse.

Anyway, sorry for the blabbering. You don't break your arm with 67.5kg on a normal work set. Form must be way off in any case. Osteoporosis at 43 years?

I was very sweaty (warm day, a bit tired) it might be the bar slips out of my grip on the left hand and felt, leading to the injury, this is the most likely hypotheses. It happened very fast. I was working on my form because I know it had room for improvements (grip, hip drive, knee placement), I was filming those sets (video got deleted after in the commotion).
Osteoporosis is a valid hypotheses at my age because I have Ankylosing Spondylitis. According to my rheumatologist it is a risk factor.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Well, the very first word from the OP was "Male", so I'm taking that at face value.

One can never be sure in 2024. Were you not using chalk?

[Maybach]

I was very sweaty (warm day, a bit tired) it might be the bar slips out of my grip on the left hand and felt, leading to the injury, this is the most likely hypotheses

This makes a bit more sense. But those do sound like some awfully weak bones: 67.5 kg is not particularly heavy.

Just do everything as you were before but be careful this time. It'll all come back.

[AndrewLewis]

I was very sweaty (warm day, a bit tired) it might be the bar slips out of my grip on the left hand and felt, leading to the injury, this is the most likely hypotheses. It happened very fast. I was working on my form because I know it had room for improvements (grip, hip drive, knee placement), I was filming those sets (video got deleted after in the commotion).
Osteoporosis is a valid hypotheses at my age because I have Ankylosing Spondylitis. According to my rheumatologist it is a risk factor.

This is all very odd. Spiral fractures typically happen because of torque or compression. It sounds like the bar was just sitting on the arm so it would cause bending, I would think.

Are you taking any medications? Some medications can cause bones to get weaker.