The angle of the crotch makes it very prone to splitting because the weight of the limbs and the canopy tends to pull it down. That happened to me once with a young apple tree. I used a piece of garden hose, thread a rope through to hold the split together. To lessen the load, you may need to trim the canopy.
Anyway, I hope you can get some idea from the info below that could be of some help to you in repairing your tree.
from:
http://agnic.msu.edu/hgpubs/modus/morefile/hg83_83.pdf.Preventing and Repairing Split
Trunks and Crotches
To prevent damage by wind, ice,
or snow, the limbs of some trees
may be braced with cables. The
lives of such weak-wooded treesas
ash, willow, yellow poplar, and
linden can be prolonged by cabling,
because this will prevent splits and
keep decay-causing fungi from
entering.
Cabling is important for safety
when branches extend over build-
ings, play areas, or sidewalks. Also,
consider cabling trees that have
heavy foliage, tight V-crotches, or
valuable old trees that are beginning
to have decay problems.
If a trunk or crotch has already
split, it is often possible to mend it
by restoring the damaged part to its
original position and holding it
there permanently with cables and
bracing rods.
Whether a tree needs only one
cable for support, or several cables
and bracing rods for repair, the pro-
cedure requires expert judgment in
choosing the right materials and
locating them properly in the tree.
The job may also be dangerous,
and is best done by a crew of two
or three people. It is recommended
that a professional tree service be
called in to cable valuable trees or
to repair a split trunk or crotch.
The general procedure for cabling
and bracing a tree is as follows:
1. A rope is used to pull two
limbs together, and a lag screw
hook is screwed into each limb at a
point about two-thirds the distance
from the crotch to the limb's end.
2. A cable is then slipped onto
the hooks to connect and support
the two limbs, and the rope is
removed.
3. If a split trunk or crotch is be-
ing repaired, the limbs are drawn
together by rope first, and then
parallel bolts (side by side) are in-
stalled above the crotch. The bolts
and the rope are used to draw the
parts together, and then a cable is
installed for support as previously
described.
4. The mended split may be fur-
ther braced with additional sets of
parallel bolts.
5. A safety bolt may be added
above the parallel bolts. When us-
ing a safety bolt, notches (counter-
sinks) must be cut in the outer bark
of the tree, and the ends of the bolt
are fastened with washers and nuts.
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