Diagnosis and treatment strategy of radial head fracture / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Radial head fracture is a common disease in upper limb trauma. The most common cause of injury is longitudinal violence along the forearm, often associated with injuries, such as ulnar coronoid process fracture, elbow ligamentous injury, forearm interosseous membrane injury, distal radioulnar joint injury and so on. The treatment strategy of radial head fractures should be determined according to the specific fracture type of the patient. The vast majority of Mason I fractures can usually be treated conservatively, while Mason II and III fractures often require surgical treatment. The surgical treatment usually includes radial head excision, open reduction and internal fixation, and radial head prosthetic replacement. For simple comminted radial head fractures without longitudinal instability of the elbow or forearm, radial head resection can be used. However, if there is longitudinal instability of the elbow or forearm, radial head resection is contraindicated and internal fixation or radial head replacement is recommended. In view of the gradual standardization of the treatment of radial head fracture, this article will review the epidemiological investigation, anatomy and biomechanics, injury mechanism, clinical diagnosis and treatment of radial head fracture, so as to provide ideas for clinical selection of the best treatment scheme suitable for individual patients.