Article Text
Abstract
Paediatric lateral condyle fractures of the distal humerus are common but a concomitant elbow dislocation is rare. Typically, paediatric orthopaedic surgeons will treat lateral condyle fractures with pin or metaphyseal single-screw fixation and supplementary immobilisation for several weeks. These techniques sacrifice the early stability and mobilisation necessary to avoid stiffness after a complex elbow fracture-dislocation. We present an 11-year-old boy who sustained a traumatic posterolateral elbow dislocation with lateral condyle and coronoid fractures. Due to advanced skeletal age, both paediatric and adult treatment principles were applied to this rare injury. After initial closed reduction, open reduction and internal fixation of the distal humerus lateral condyle with divergent partially threaded compression screws was performed. Motion was initiated in 2 weeks and the patient regained almost full motion by 3 months. At 1.5-year follow-up, the affected limb carrying angle was unaffected and the patient had no functional limitations.
- elbow fracture
- elbow instability
- orthopaedics
- orthopaedic and trauma surgery
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Footnotes
Contributors BDW contributed to the literature search, writing and editing of this manuscript. DAG contributed to the literature search, writing and editing of this manuscript. He also was the attending surgeon who performed the surgical treatment of our patient. NC contributed to the literature search and writing of this manuscript.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.