Radial head replacement or repair for the terrible triad of the elbow: which procedure is better?

The shape and size of the radial head is highly variable but correlates to the contralateral side. The radial head is a secondary stabilizer to valgus stress and provides lateral stability. The modified Mason–Hotchkiss classification is the most commonly used and describes three types, depending on the number of fragments and their displacement. Type 1 fractures are typically treated conservatively. Surgical reduction and fixation are recommended for type 2 fractures, if there is a mechanical block to motion. This can be done arthroscopically or open. Controversy exists for two-part fractures with >2 mm and <5 mm displacement, without a mechanical bloc as good results have been published with conservative treatment. Type 3 fractures are often treated with radial head replacement. Although radial head resection is also an option as long-term results have been shown to be favourable. Radial head arthroplasty is recommended in type 3 fractures with ligamentous injury or proximal ulna fractures. Failure of primary radial head replacement may be due to several factors. Identification of the cause of failure is essential. Failed radial head arthroplasty can be treated by implant removal alone, interposition arthroplasty, revision radial head replacement either as a single stage or two-stage procedure.

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Does the Coronoid Always Need to Be Fixed in Terrible Triad Injuries of the Elbow? Mid-Term Postoperative Outcomes Following a Standardized Protocol

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9113500 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 3500

Author(s):

Beom-Soo Kim ◽

Du-Han Kim ◽

Seok-Ho Byun ◽

Chul-Hyun Cho

Keyword(s):

Operative Treatment ◽

Radial Head ◽

Lateral Collateral Ligament ◽

Type I ◽

Dash Score ◽

Terrible Triad ◽

Collateral Ligament ◽

Recurrent Instability ◽

Standardized Protocol ◽

Coronoid Fractures

The purpose of this study was to investigate mid-term outcomes and complications after operative treatment according to a standardized protocol for terrible triad injuries. Twenty-four patients that were treated by a single surgeon with a standardized surgical protocol were retrospectively reviewed. After the complete reconstruction of radial head and/or lateral collateral ligament (LCL) complex through a lateral approach, coronoid process, and/or medial collateral ligament (MCL) complex through a medial approach were fixed if the elbow is unstable. For coronoid fractures, only type III were fixed in four cases (16.7%). Twenty-two LCL (91.7%) and five MCL (20.8%) complexes were repaired. At the final follow-up, the mean MEPS and Quick-DASH score were 91.5 and 17.3, respectively. There was no recurrent instability after operation in all cases. This study revealed that operative treatment that was based on our standardized protocol for terrible triad injuries yielded satisfactory mid-term clinical and radiographic outcomes without any recurrent instability. These results suggest that Type I and II coronoid fractures in terrible triad injuries do not need to be fixed if the radial head and ligamentous complex are completely reconstructed.

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