Rare co-existance of disease or pathology Background: Supracondylar humeral fracture is a common fracture in the pediatric population. Although extension-type is the most common fracture pattern (97% to 98%), flexion-type supracondylar fractures are rarely encountered (2% to 3%). The combination of a flexion-type supracondylar humeral fracture with an ulnar nerve injury represents a real challenge for an orthopaedic surgeon. Case Reports: We report 2 cases of flexion-type supracondylar humeral fracture with ulnar nerve injury that open reduction and fixation was necessary because closed reduction could not achieve an acceptable result. An anterior approach to the elbow joint was chosen to explore whether any neurovascular structures were entrapped between the fragments. The ulnar nerve was not found to be compressed in the fracture site. After anatomic reduction, cross K-wire fixation of the fracture was performed. At 6-month follow-up, ulnar nerve injuries (in both patients) were resolved. Conclusions: These case reports enhance the existing literature that flexion-type supracondylar fractures with ulnar nerve injury are associated with higher rates of open reduction. Orthopaedic surgeons should be aware, and family members of those patients should be informed, that the likelihood of an open reduction in these types of injuries is extremely high. Open reduction is needed not only to achieve an anatomic reduction of the fracture but to make sure that the ulnar nerve is not entrapped between the proximal and distal fragment.
Inferior dislocation of the shoulder, also called luxatio erecta, is a rare form of the otherwise common shoulder dislocation. It appears in less than 0.5% of all shoulder dislocations. An awareness of associated potential axillary artery injury, brachial plexus complications, and rotator cuff tears is important in this rare entity and should be excluded with a high index of suspicion. In our case report, we have an 83-year-old female who inferiorly dislocated her dominant shoulder with brachial plexus injury and musculotendinous injury, which was caused by an accidental fall. The dislocation was manually reduced at the emergency department. After 18 months of conservative treatment with physical therapy, the range of motion and muscle strength of the shoulder recovered to a satisfactory mobile level according to the patient’s demands.
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