AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Elbow humerus fracture12/27/2023 ![]() High-impact collision, such as a motor vehicle accidentĪ distal humerus fracture can also occur as a result of a pathologic condition that weakens your bones, such as:.Causes of Distal Humerus Fracturesįracture of the distal humerus may be caused by: The humerus narrows down into a cylindrical shaft and joins at its base with the bones of the lower arm to form the elbow joint. The head of the humerus fits into a shallow socket in your scapula (shoulder blade) to form the shoulder joint. The upper arm bone is called the humerus. Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is a surgical technique employed for the treatment of distal humerus fractures to restore normal anatomy and improve range of motion and function. Distal humerus fractures are quite common and occur in individuals of all ages from children to the elderly. Fracture of the distal humerus can affect the movement and function of your arm as well as your work and activities of daily living. You should discuss the possibility of problems with your surgeon before your operation.A distal humerus fracture is a condition that occurs when there is a break in the lower end of the humerus bone that commonly occurs as a result of severe trauma. The risks of these problems only add up to 2-3% of all operations but need to be taken into account when deciding whether to have the operation. Nerves can be bruised and the elbow can become stiff. The main problems with fracture fixation are infection, loosening of the plate and screws. Like any operation a very small number of people can have a problem. ![]() Is there anything that can go wrong? Operations to fix fractures are very successful and most people who have them are delighted with the operation and are glad they had it done.Great results and a pain free range of movement can be achieved. This is for nasty fractures, where the bone is thin/osteoporotic or crumbled away and reconstruction is impossible. In an active patient who is over 65 who has a badly broken distal humerus an artificial joint is the best option. Replacing the joint with an artificial joint- hemiarthroplasty.Because the pieces are held together in this way early movement of the joint is possible and stiffness is limited. The pieces of bone are put back into their correct place and held by a plate and screws. An incision is made down the back of the elbow. Fixing the fragments in the right place with a plate and screws.This does not result in a very useful arm but if the elbow is not used much it does not matter and an operation is avoided. The broken fragments of bone move around inside the joint but by 6-8 weeks the pieces scar up and stop hurting. The elbow can be supported in a sling for 4-6 weeks and the elbow is moved as pain allows. In very elderly patients who hardly use their arm and are cared for by others.If the fracture does move then non operative treatment has failed and surgery may be necessary. Xrays must be repeated in the first 2 weeks to ensure the fragments have not moved. If the stiffness is a problem it can be delt with surgery in the future (see stiff elbow). It is rare that the loss of movement is a problem as nearly every thing that we do is done with the elbow bent 30-130 degrees. Despite early movement it is usual to lose full extension of the arm (it will not go straight) this is the nature of the injury and is unavoidable. The elbow becomes very stiff within a couple of weeks of not moving and even with physiotherapy any loss of movement is difficult to recover. It is important that the elbow joint starts moving straight away so it must not be put into plaster for long. The elbow is supported in a sling and encouraged to bend/ straighten as soon as pain allows. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |