Recurrent Dislocation of the Head of the Radius

Acute persistent traumatic anterior dislocation of the fractured radial head: a case report and surgical technique

“…1,5,[11][12][13] However, to the best of our knowledge, no report has described an injury consisting of an isolated fracture and simultaneous anterior dislocation of the radial head. Various mechanisms of injury have been described for anterior dislocation of the radial head, including forceful biceps contraction, 11 hyper pronation associated with slight elbow flexion and varus strain after a fall, 5 hyperextension in a supinated position, 9 and a direct blow to the posterior aspect of a semiflexed elbow. 12 The pattern of injury in our patient involved varus stress that disrupted the lateral soft tissues, including the attachment of the annular ligament to the ulna.…”

Traumatic isolated anterior dislocation of the radial head in an adult: A case report

“…2,4,6,7 These injuries are caused by a variety of mechanisms and the dislocation pattern varies. Salama et al 6 reported an anterior dislocation of the radial head after a biceps contraction caused by an electric shock, and Kong 4 reported an isolated anterior dislocation of the radial head after a fall. He suggested that hyperpronation associated with slight elbow flexion and varus strain was responsible for the dislocation.…”

“…8 In previously reported cases, the annular ligament was disrupted in all patients who underwent surgery. 4,6,7 An ectopic ossification often appears after anterior radial head dislocation. It is located anterior to the displaced radial head and corresponds to the position of the disrupted annular ligament and/or anterior capsule.…”

“…Although it seemed to be slightly early in appearance, this finding previously has been reported 2 to 3 weeks after injury. 3 Because radial head instability sometimes develops after reduction, treatments such as radial head excision, 6 Kirschner-wire fixation, 6 and modified Bell-Tawse repair 4 have been proposed. In our case, the radial head was covered by the annular ligament, creating a stable reduction that did not require either annular ligament reconstruction or internal fixation.…”

Isolated, Traumatic Anterior Dislocation of the Radial Head In An Adult

“…Monteggia's lesion is a relatively uncommon injury seen in 1-2% of all forearm fractures [4]. A review of the English medical literature revealed only four cases of isolated anterior radial head dislocation in adults [1,2,5,6]. Of these three were acute and one chronic.…”