Radial Head Fracture
Radial head fractures have a misleading name — it’s a common elbow injury, not a head injury. The elbow isn’t something people think about all the time, but its function allows you to bend and straighten your arms and is also involved in the motion of turning the hand over so the palm faces up or down. A radial head fracture is not just a bone injury. There often are associated injuries, which must be taken into account during the initial diagnosis and further treatment. Delayed treatment or less-than-ideal treatment of a radial head fracture bears the risk of late complications, which will greatly impact the patient’s daily living and quality of life. That’s why you need to see the best orthopedic specialists like those at Colorado Center of Orthopaedic Excellence in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
OVERVIEW
Radial head fractures are common injuries occurring in about 20% of acute elbow injuries and also in many elbow dislocations. They are most common in women and people between the ages of 30 and 40. About every third patient with a radial head fracture will also have injuries to the ligaments, especially to the lateral collateral ligament which supports the joint capsule. Other ligaments and the joint capsule itself may be injured. The solid fibrous capsule connecting the ulna (the longer of the two bones in the forearm) and radius along the entire length of the bone can be torn. Even the carpal bones may break.
ABOUT THE ELBOW
The elbow is the joint between the upper arm and the forearm. The radial head is shaped like a disc and allows one to move the forearms in a palms-up to a palms-down position and straighten the arm and elbow out in space wherever needed. The elbow joint is surrounded by a thick capsule. There are lots of ligaments (tissues that connect bone to bone) that make the elbow stable and not “floppy.” Many muscles are attached to the bone on both sides of the elbow joint, but the thickest parts of the muscles aren’t at the elbow itself. That’s why when touching the elbow one can feel the bones easily under the skin. That also means it can be easy to break the elbow because there isn’t much padding. There are also nerves and blood vessels that cross the elbow. These are located mostly in the front of the elbow and on the inside. The ulnar nerve is located on the inside of the elbow close to the bone. When you hit this nerve, it is very painful and is commonly called hitting the “funny bone.”
WHAT IS RADIAL HEAD FRACTURE?
There are a few systems used to classify radial head fractures, but the original system used to differentiate between the injuries is called the Mason classification. It outlines three different fractures that are grouped by the degree to which the bones are out of their normal position:
- Type 1 fractures: small cracks in the bone, but the elbow remains in its proper place
- Type 2 fractures: larger cracks in the bone and the bones may be slightly out of alignment with each other
- Type 3 fractures: these are the most serious with the radial head being broken in multiple places and there is damage to the elbow ligaments and tendons
- Type 4 fractures: these mean there has also been an elbow dislocation
Read more about Radial Head Fracture on our new Colorado Springs Orthopedic News Site – Colorado Springs Orthopedic News. Schedule an appointment with an upper extremity specialist today.
