BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Essex-Lopresti lesion is thought to be rare, with a varying degree of disruption to forearm stability probable. We describe the range of radial shortening that occurs following a fracture of the proximal radius, as well as the short-term outcome in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Over an 18-month period, we prospectively assessed all patients with a radiographi...

We describe a patient with a Mason type-III fracture of the head of the radius associated with traumatic dislocation of the elbow. The radial head was intact throughout its circumference despite being completely detached from the shaft and devoid of any soft-tissue attachments. Severe comminution of the radial neck prevented reconstruction by internal fixation and precluded prosthetic replaceme...

BACKGROUND Radial head arthroplasty is considered the treatment of choice for unreconstructable radial head fractures in the acute fracture situation. Although short-term results in the current literature are promising, replacement of the radial head remains controversial as long-term results are still missing. We report our 8.8-year results after treatment with a bipolar radial head prosthesis...

The authors propose a novel surgical technique for complex fractures of the elbow necessitating a radial head arthroplasty (RHA) that spares additional soft tissue morbidity and allows for accurate sizing of the radial head. A 56-year-old woman presented with a transolecranon fracture-dislocation of the left elbow. Through a posterior transolecranon approach, there was excellent access to the i...

BACKGROUND Surgical excision of the radial head is frequently required after a comminuted fracture of the radial head. The outcome of this procedure is often unpredictable, with some patients experiencing ulna-sided pain in the wrist secondary to proximal migration of the radius. Insertion of a radial head prosthesis could prevent proximal radial migration and restore normal load-sharing at the...

In patients with an elbow fracture dislocation the incidence of radial head fracture is 36%, where as coronoid process fractures occur in 13%, and olecranon fractures in 4% of patients. Combination of all these fractures with a 'terrible triad' is rarely reported in the literature. We describe a 40 year old lady involved in a polytrauma who had head injury, pnuemothorax and an open fracture dis...

There are three main patterns of complex elbow instability: posterolateral (terrible triad), varus posteromedial (anteromedial coronoid fracture with lateral collateral ligament complex disruption), and trans-olecranon fracture dislocations.Radial head fractures, in the setting of complex elbow instability, often require internal fixation or arthroplasty; the outcome of radial head replacement ...

Terrible triad elbow injuries, consisting of fractures of the radial head and coronoid with ulnohumeral dislocation, are challenging to treat. They require a comprehensive understanding of the complex anatomy of the elbow to effectively treat all of the pathology and create a stable, congruent joint. The authors present a case of a terrible triad injury with avulsion of the triceps and flexor-p...

Fractures of the radial head constitute about 30% of all fractures around the elbow joint [1, 2]. Five to ten percent of all elbow dislocations are associated with peri-articular fractures, most commonly the radial head [3, 4, 5] In comminuted fractures of the radial head anatomic reduction and stable fixation are not always possible. In such cases the treatment is controversial – resection ver...