Radial head fracture associated with posterior interosseous nerve injury

• Main Authors: Bernardo Barcellos Terra, Tannus Jorge Sassine, Guilherme de Freitas Lima, Leandro Marano Rodrigues, David Victoria Hoffmann Padua, Anderson de Nadai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia
• Series: Revista Brasileira de Ortopedia
• Subjects: Fraturas do rádio; Nervo radial; Hematoma
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-36162016000600725&lng=en&tlng=en

ABSTRACT Fractures of the radial head and radial neck correspond to 1.7-5.4% of all fractures and approximately 30% may present associated injuries. In the literature, there are few reports of radial head fracture with posterior interosseous nerve injury. This study aimed to report a case of radial head fracture associated with posterior interosseous nerve injury. CASE REPORT: A male patient, aged 42 years, sought medical care after falling from a skateboard. The patient related pain and limitation of movement in the right elbow and difficulty to extend the fingers of the right hand. During physical examination, thumb and fingers extension deficit was observed. The wrist extension showed a slight radial deviation. After imaging, it became evident that the patient had a fracture of the radial head that was classified as grade III in the Mason classification. The patient underwent fracture fixation; at the first postoperative day, thumb and fingers extension was observed. Although rare, posterior interosseous nerve branch injury may be associated with radial head fractures. In the present case, the authors believe that neuropraxia occurred as a result of the fracture hematoma and edema.