Article by Gretchen S Lent, MD 2007
Isolated radial head dislocations are rare. Radial head dislocations are usually complicated by complete elbow dislocations or fractures, as in the Monteggia complex.
Synonyms and related keywords: radial head dislocation, dislocation of the radial head, chronic radial dislocation, Monteggia fracture, Monteggia fracture dislocation, Monteggia injury,...

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...

Dislocation of the radial head occurs most frequently in men who are subject to high-force injury.1 In children, the radial head is much more commonly subluxed than dislocated.
Isolated radial head dislocations are rare. Radial head dislocations are usually complicated by complete elbow dislocations or fractures, as in the Monteggia complex.
Gretchen...

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...

Radial head subluxation, also known as nursemaid's elbow, is the most common upper extremity injury in infants and young children who present to the emergency department (ED). Reduction of the radial head is easily performed in the ED with few complications.
Subluxation of the radial head is a minor injury in...

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...

Isolated dislocation of the distal radio-ulnar joint and isolated dislocation of the radial head in adults are not common injuries. A simultaneous dislocation of the radial head and distal radio-ulnar joint with no other injury seems to be extremely rare since only one report was found in the English literature....

The Essex-Lopresti syndrome may develop after a proximal radial fracture such as a radial head fracture, excision of the radial head for fracture, or a displaced proximal radial shaft fracture. The Essex-Lopresti syndrome results when such a fracture, associated with disruption of the forearm interosseous membrane, allows proximal migration...

The coronoid is the anterior lip of the trough which cradles the distal humerus. Elbow fracture dislocations often disrupt both the coronoid and the radial head, leading to instability and recurrent subluxation, particularly if over half of the height of the coronoid is lost. Radial head implants may help inthis...

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.

- radial head fracture plus dislocation of distal RU joint (& interosseous membrane disruption);
- mechanism: fall from height;
- in this type of frx, radius will also migrate proximally if radial head is excised;
- if injury is not found when it is acute, pt may develop severe wrist pain ...

Indications:
* All surgeries to the radial head, including excision of the radial head and prosthetic replacement.
Disadvantage:
* The incision cannot be extended to the upper part of the radial shaft (below the annular ligament) risking damage to the posterior interosseous nerve.

Lack of full extension of the elbow is a common abnormality in patients with achondroplasia. We studied 23 patients (41 elbows) clinically and radiologically. Extension of the elbow was assessed clinically and the angle of posterior bowing of the distal humerus was measured from lateral radiographs. There was limited extension...

From 1990 to 2005 our department treated nine patients with chronic radial head dislocation by an ulnar osteotomy and indirect reduction by interosseous membrane. The patients varied in age from 2 years and 8 months to 10 years, and the time from the injury to operation ranged from 40 days...

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....

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

Radial Head fractures

Fractures of the coronoid rarely occur in isolation. They usually occur in combination with a radial head fracture, a dislocation of the elbow, or both (terrible triad of the elbow). Large coronoid fractures often are associated with persistent elbow instability even after reduction of the dislocation; recently the increasing trend...

AAOS Online Service Fact SheetRadial Head Fractures Highly Reputable

Giovanni Monteggia (1814) first described fracture of proximal 1/3 of ulna in association with anterior dislocation of radial head;
- hence dislocation of radial head with fracture of proximal 1/3 of ulna is known as Monteggia's deformity.
- Mechanism:
- proposed mechanisms include...

Article by Mark E Halstead, MD 2007
Elbow dislocation is the most common dislocation in children, and in adults, it is the second most common dislocation after that of the shoulder. The elbow is amazingly stable, relying more on bony anatomy configuration for stability rather than ligaments. Considerable force is necessary...

7 y.o. boy with ulnar clubhand II type (Swanson)-right.
Radial head dislocation.
Radial bowing.
Elbow movements - flexion 150 , extension -10 , rotation 70
Wrist movements - flexion 80 , extension 85 , ulnar deviation 40 , radial deviation 10.
Hand function - can grasp large and small objects , can write.
Hypoplasia of the...

Article by Putigna, Strohmeyer & Ursone 2007
The eponym Monteggia fracture is most precisely used to refer to a dislocation of the proximal radioulnar joint in association with a forearm fracture. These injuries are relatively uncommon, accounting for less than 5% of all forearm fractures. The ulna fracture is usually clinically...

Elbow fracture dislocations present a variety of problems. Instability with recurrent anterior subluxation can arise when the injury destroys both the radial head and the coronoid buttress. In this case, the patient sustained an elbow fracture-dislocation with a comminuted radial head fracture and 50% coronoid fracture.

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...