A radial head fracture is a break to the radius bone in the forearm just below the elbow joint. It usually occurs as a result of a fall onto an outstretched hand, causing instant pain in the joint. There are different grades of injury, which affects how it is treated.
Symptoms
- Symptoms include instant pain at the time of injury. Pain is located on the inside of the elbow joint.
- Your elbow will swell up immediately and you will have difficulty moving your arm.
- Most injuries are not displaced. This means that fragments of bone do not usually move away from the site of the fracture. Therefore, this means they are easier to treat and do not usually require surgery.
- Early X-rays do not always reveal radial head fractures. However, after 2-3 weeks of rest, the healing bone should be clearly visible on X-rays.
- This injury also associates with elbow dislocations, with 10% of dislocated elbows involving a radial head fracture.
What is a radial head fracture?
It is a fracture or a break at the end of the radius (forearm) bone at the elbow. The elbow joint comprises the humerus or upper arm bone and the radius and ulna bones in the forearm. The ulna bone is on the little finger side, and the radius radiates around it.
Causes
Typically, a fall onto an outstretched hand causes a radial head fracture, resulting in instant pain in the elbow joint. This injury often accompanies elbow dislocations, with approximately 10% of dislocated elbows involving a radial head fracture.
Treatment
The treatment of a radial head fracture depends on the extent and nature of the displacement of the bones.
For a Grade 1 injury with no displacement, the initial treatment involves immobilizing the arm with a removable splint, followed by early mobility exercises to promote healing and restore function.
When there is displacement, surgery may be necessary. If the fracture consists of one large piece, the surgeon typically uses pins or wires to fix the bone fragment back to the bone. However, if the fragment breaks into several smaller pieces, the surgeon might decide to remove the fragments altogether.
