Radial Head Fractures (Subscribe)  

"21-Radius/Ulna Proximal,fracture classification and diagnosis, AO North America -Comprehensive Classification of Fractures of Long Bones"

incomplete fracture of radial head (intra-articular) d/t fall on outstretched hand

Radiology case 424-411 18 year old woman with pain and swelling of the right elbow, following a fall.
There is displacement of the anterior fat-pad to the right elbow. The posterior fat-pad is not only visible, but displaced and convex. The head of the radius is tilted and it is crossed...

3 min. technique video. ORIF Radial Neck Fracture By: William Geiss

Online reference includes classification, diagnosis, indications, approaches, reduction and fixation & aftercare.

Fractures of the radial head are common, constituting approximately one-third of all elbow fractures. These fractures typically occur when an axial load is applied to the forearm, causing the radial head to hit the capitellum of the humerus. The severity of these injuries runs the gamut from minimally displaced fractures...

Article by Steven I Rabin, MD 2005
Radial head fractures and dislocations are traumatic injuries that require adequate treatment to prevent disability from stiffness, deformity, posttraumatic arthritis, nerve damage, or other serious complications. Radial head fractures and dislocations may be isolated just to the radial head (and neck) and the lateral...

Several factors must be taken into consideration when treating radial head fractures. In addition to the fracture pattern itself, associated ulnohumeral dislocation, ligament disruption and other associated elbow fractures must be considered. Patient characteristics such as handedness, functional status and expectations must also be weighed in determining a specific treatment.

Trying to break a fall by putting your hand out in front of you seems almost instinctive. But the force of the fall could travel up the lower forearm bones and dislocate the elbow. It also could break the smaller bone (radius) in the forearm. A break can occur near... Highly Reputable

Tardy posterior interosseous nerve palsy associated with radial head fracture: a case report Jas Daurka , Alvin Chen , Kashif Akhtar and Srinath Kamineni Cases Journal 2009, 2:22 (full text available)
Background A 55 year old gentleman presented with tardy posterior interosseous nerve palsy associated with radial head fracture.
Case presentation The patient developed...

Radial head fractures are common injuries, and there is little information on the reliability of classification systems for such injuries. The purpose of our study was to report the interobserver reliability of 2 commonly used classification systems: the Hotchkiss modification of the Mason classification and the AO classification systems.
David M. Sheps, MD Krystina R.L....