RESUMEN
Ulnar club hand is a rare condition of the upper limbs, for which treatment depends on the degree of morphological and functional impairment, correlating with the radiographic classification of Dobyns, Wood, and Bayne. The aim of the present study is to report a case of a 6-year-old male patient, followed up for type III ulnar club hand (total ulnar dysplasia). Despite the initial difficulty of manipulating objects and performing everyday tasks, conservative physical therapy treatment provided strength gain and development of functional skills for daily life. We conclude that patients with type III deformity can be properly managed with rehabilitation although they require outpatient follow-up until skeletal maturity is reached, as dynamic deformities and new functional limitations may lead to need for corrective surgeries.
RESUMEN
Synostosis is a generic term to indicate the union of two originally separated bones. At the elbow, humeroradial or longitudinal synostosis causes significant disability, which varies depending on hand function, elbow positioning, adjacent joints mobility and contralateral limb function. It is estimated that, to date, a little more than 150 patients have been described with this deformity, which is more common in subjects with deficient ulnar formation or affected by conditions such as Antley-Bixler and Hermann syndromes. The lack of the elbow joint, with the formation of a longer bone due to humerus-radius fusion, results in stiffness. As such, it is assumed that fractures in this topography are not uncommon. However, since synostosis is rare, this lesion was only described twice in the literature. We report two patients with a fracture of the single bone formed by a humeroradial synostosis and Bayne type-IV ulnar formation failure. Both patients were treated surgically with success. We emphasize the need for adequate treatment to not compromise the daily activities of patients who are adapted to their deformity, thus avoiding worsening the function of a previously affected limb.
RESUMEN
Abstract Synostosis is a generic term to indicate the union of two originally separated bones. At the elbow, humeroradial or longitudinal synostosis causes significant disability, which varies depending on hand function, elbow positioning, adjacent joints mobility and contralateral limb function. It is estimated that, to date, a little more than 150 patients have been described with this deformity, which is more common in subjects with deficient ulnar formation or affected by conditions such as Antley-Bixler and Hermann syndromes. The lack of the elbow joint, with the formation of a longer bone due to humerus-radius fusion, results in stiffness. As such, it is assumed that fractures in this topography are not uncommon. However, since synostosis is rare, this lesion was only described twice in the literature. We report two patients with a fracture of the single bone formed by a humeroradial synostosis and Bayne type-IV ulnar formation failure. Both patients were treated surgically with success. We emphasize the need for adequate treatment to not compromise the daily activities of patients who are adapted to their deformity, thus avoiding worsening the function of a previously affected limb.
Resumo Sinostose é um termo genérico utilizado para indicar a união de dois ossos originalmente separados. No cotovelo, a sinostose rádio-umeral ou longitudinal causa importante incapacidade, que varia a depender da função da mão, da posição do cotovelo, da mobilidade das articulações adjacentes e da função do membro contralateral. Estima-se que um pouco mais de 150 pacientes foram descritos até hoje com essa deformidade, sendo mais frequente em portadores de deficiência de formação ulnar ou podendo fazer parte de síndromes como de Antley-Bixler e de Hermann. Devidoàrigidezcausadapelaausênciadaarticulaçãodocotovelo,queresultana formação de um osso mais longo com a fusão do úmero no rádio, presume-se que fratura nessa topografia não seja incomum. No entanto, pela raridade dessa patologia, tal lesão apresenta apenas duas descrições prévias na literatura. Relatamos os casos de dois pacientes com fratura do osso único formado pela sinostose entre o úmero e o rádio portadores de falha de formação ulnar do tipo IV de Bayne. Ambos os pacientes foram tratados de forma cirúrgica e evoluíram bem. Salientamos a necessidade do tratamento adequado para não comprometer as atividades da vida de um paciente já adaptado à deformidade, evitando piorar a função de um membro já alterado.