Question - Radial Head Fracture

by Linda
(Tauranga, New Zealand)

This is not a sports injury, but 3 months ago I got hit by a reversing car. Once of my injuries was a radial head fracture to my right elbow. Even though the fracture should have healed by now I am having constant pain, clicking, catching, and a snapping sensation.

I have had about 10 sessions of physiotherapy to try to reach full extension, but this has not worked so I was referred to a specialist who just advised me to stop physiotherapy and it was going to take about six months to heal and just get on with life as best as I could. I am not entirely happy with this diagnosis and would appreciate any suggestions you may have.

Many thanks

Linda

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Question - Radial Head Fracture

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Aug 16, 2008
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Radial head fractures...
by: Bart - SII

The problem with this type of fracture is the way the radial head has to move during elbow motion. When you move your forearm, turning your wrist over, the radial head must rotate within the joint. A fracutre usually significantly reduces this movement, causing problems with extension, as well as forearm pronation and supination (turning your hand over)

Did your PT involve any joint mobilizations or soft tissue massage around the radial head? This will often help return extension and decrease pain.

Sometimes, it is beneficial to stop therapy for a few weeks, take time to just live life, and let your motion come back naturally. However, it is a good idea to keep an eye on how you are doing and make sure to follow up in a few weeks if you are not improving.

4-6 months for recovery is a normal timeline for this injury.

Bart

Aug 18, 2008
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RADIAL HEAD FRACTURE
by: LINDA

To Bart,

Firstly I would like to thank you for taking the time to answer my question.

My PT did apply soft tissue massage around the radial head. I have stopped physiotherapy for now and I am just going to let nature take its course and look forward to being completely recovered within the next few months.

Kind Regards,
Linda

Aug 20, 2008
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Good Luck!
by: Bart - SII

You are very welcome!

Good luck with your continued recovery.

Bart

Jul 18, 2009
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Injury
by: Leonard

Iam A Chef in santa Fe NM I Fellat work cooking and received a radial head fracture to my right elbow i dont have full range motion im stuck at 30 degrees i was at 40 it wont move am i ever gonna have full motion

Jul 18, 2009
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Aug 02, 2009
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RADIAL HEAD FRACTURE
by: LINDA

IT HAS BEEN OVER 12 MONTHS SINCE I BROKE MY ELBOW AND IT HAS TAKEN THIS LONG TO OBTAIN FULL MOTION. I DID ATTEND PT WHICH HELPED WITH EXTENSION AND THE FRACTURE HEALED WELL, BUT I STILL SUFFER WITH A VERY SORE ARM SOME DAYS, IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH PHYSICAL WORK I HAVE BEEN DOING. BUT THATS NOT TO SAY YOUR FRACTURE WILL TAKE THAT LONG IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH MUSCLE AND NERVE DAMAGE YOU SUFFERED. HAVE YOU BEEN TO A PT. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR RECOVERY.

Aug 26, 2009
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help with radial head fracture
by: leen321

hi; I fractured ny radial head of my dominant arm. X-ray report stated.. fracture of the radial head with extension into thr articular surface with slght distraction of the fracture fragments.

I did this 1 week ago. when i bent my arm at the elbow palm of hand facing me my elbow locked and I could not touch my shoulder with my palm. The only treatment plan I have is to stay in this half hard cast for two weeks than begin therapy. I am afraid mt ROM will nrver be the same An ideas? excuse the typing

Sep 02, 2009
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I'm almost there
by: Anonymous

I fell with my arm extended and broke the radial head in my non-dominant arm. This was 7 weeks ago. It was casted for the 1st two weeks. Then I began therapy myself to work on getting full extension. Did not go to a therapist. I have now achieved that and can bend it to touch my shoulder, though not without pain. Doc says from my most recent x-ray that the bone is still not yet completely healed. Must continue to be careful. Worked very hard to achieve the full extension. Exercised 2x a day initially at 2 weeks post fracture and then 3x day since then. Worked up to about 70 extension stretched and then the same number of bends by the 4th week post fracture holding for 10 and then short stretches and bends 70 times. I am of the opinion, that in order to achieve full extension and flex you must work very hard at it. And it is going to be painful. You know what they say, no pain no gain. Keep working and you will get there.

Oct 06, 2009
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radial head fracture
by: Anonymous

Ifell leaving a restaurant and fractured the radial head of right elbow. Dr. has stated I will prob not be able to extend my arm straight out ever. I was put in a sling (no cast) and it seems to aggravate my pain. Is it normal to have pain from the elbow down to the hand? I have been put on therapy 2 weekly for 5 weeks and report back to the DR. I am elderly and I dont look for a fast recovery. What are your thoughts?

Oct 06, 2009
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Radial head fracture
by: Kathy

Hi Anonymous:

I'm in a similar situation - I broke my radial head almost 5 weeks ago, and was in a sling (no cast) for about 3 weeks. I still have almost constant pain, but for the first two weeks especially I did have pain that radiated all the way down to my hand. My doctor told me that this was normal, as there are some nerves in the elbow that run all the way down to the hand, especially in the area of your ring and pinkie fingers. I think we both have a long road ahead of us, so good luck.

Oct 07, 2009
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radial head injury
by: Anonymous

I fractured my radial head 8 weeks ago. I have been doing pt for 8 weeks and I still cant straighten arm. My doctor has ordered a JAS brace to help straighten arm. My pain has increased since my injury. Has anyone had same problem, and ever used this brace?

Oct 08, 2009
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bi lateral radial head fracture
by: Anonymous

I experienced the clicking, and now with autumn coming I can feel a dull thudding pain that I think I am stuck with

My Own story
============
I was knocked off my push bike and managed to have my two elbows broken (non displaced radial head fracture).
Initially I was put in 2 casts - however a second opinion had the casts removed , replaced with slings and exercises.
After about 2 weeks, the constant pain stopped - and i have recovered as much as I will. I have good ROM and can touch my shoulders with little pain. The PT was painful, but beneficial.
I was glad to be out of the casts as it accelerated the healing.

it is the dull constant pain when it rains that irks me most - will this continue?

Oct 19, 2009
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Radial Head Fracture
by: Anonymous

I fractured my radial head in April of 2009. Initially treated with sling until could tolerate pain. Did extensive physical therapy for 3 months. Gained extension to -25 degrees.

I have intense pain that shoots down my forearm and into my biceps whenever I put any weight on my arm.

I went for a second opinion today from another orthopedic surgeon. He said that I have a crater in my radial head where it did not heal. He is sending me for a nerve conduction test as he thinks I may have some sort of nerve entrapment. He is also recommending a radial head replacement.

Has anyone undergone this procedure and what was your experience? It has been seven months since I fractured my elbow and I need resolution.

Oct 20, 2009
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Fractured radial head Sob Story
by: Mac

In 2001 I fell and broke that pesky little bone in my right elbow. The doctor at the time had the same fracture and told me it would never be 100%. (he was correct) He said to move it as much as possible, even though it smarted, but for several months, I found that impossible, it smarted like the dickens.
It took about five years until I could stretch my arm out straight, and even still, it feels 'tight' at the elbow. This I accomplished by holding it out straight, palm up, and pushing under my elbow with my left hand.
The past few years it's been manageable, although if I've done a lot of heavy lifting, I can amaze my friends with all the snap, crackle and pop sounds I can make.
I'm a piano player in Calgary and it's a good thing I'm a hack from way back, because had I'd been a concert pianist, this definitely would have been career ending. Lucky me.
Also, when I close my right hand fingers into a fist, the middle finger locks, and I can't straighten it out unless I snap it back with my left hand. The doctor said this was a severed tendon I got as a bonus. I don't know if this is part of the fractured radial head injury, or a separate injury that occurred at the same time.
So, eight years later this dam thing still occasionally bugs the hell out of me, and I'm thinking about surgery, but would it wind up worse? Plus, in Calgary, Alberta, the health care system is in a state of chaos, the wait times are lenghthy, and I can't afford the time off work.
I hope my comments are helpful to others afflicted with this stupid injury.
Mac, Calgary

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Oct 20, 2009
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Submitted by: Mac

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In 2001 I fell and broke that pesky little bone in my right elbow. The doctor at the time had the same fracture and told me it would never be 100%. (he was correct) He said to move it as much as possible, even though it smarted, but for several months, I found that impossible, it smarted like the dickens. It took about five years until I could stretch my arm out straight, and even still, it feels 'tight' at the elbow. This I accomplished by holding it out straight, palm up, and pushing under my elbow with my left hand. The past few years it's been manageable, although if I've done a lot of heavy lifting, I can amaze my friends with all the snap, crackle and pop sounds I can make. I'm a piano player in Calgary and it's a good thing I'm a hack from way back, because had I'd been a concert pianist, this definitely would have been career ending. Lucky me. Also, when I close my right hand fingers into a fist, the middle finger locks, and I can't straighten it out unless I snap it back with my left hand. The doctor said this was a severed tendon I got as a bonus. I don't know if this is part of the fractured radial head injury, or a separate injury that occurred at the same time. So, eight years later this dam thing still occasionally bugs the hell out of me, and I'm thinking about surgery, but would it wind up worse? Plus, in Calgary, Alberta, the health care system is in a state of chaos, the wait times are lenghthy, and I can't afford the time off work. I hope my comments are helpful to others afflicted with this stupid injury. Mac, Calgary

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Oct 20, 2009
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Six weeks later
by: Anonymous

I fell on my outstretched left hand and shattered my radial plate in four pieces. The following morning I flew cross-country back home with my arm in a sling, nothing else, what a journey. A week later, the surgeon removed the bone fragments and inserted a titanium pin. Two days later, I was out of a splint and exercising, with PT, very tentatively. I thought it would be healed by now -- I've been doing my exercises religiously -- but I feel as much, if not more pain now, though I have decent range of motion (can't touch my shoulder, though) and it's impossible to straighten my arm. Foolishly, I tried to carry heavy grocery bags the other day, thinking I was exercising the arm and forcing it to get straighter. No one mentioned that this might not be a good thing. The arm was excruciatingly painful for 48 hours. Typing causes pain, especially in the shoulder area, and I'm a writer, so that's depressing. I had no idea the healing would take this long and wish there was more information on the subject so that I could have managed my expectations accordingly. What a relief, through this site, to find out that I'm not the only one with ongoing pain.

Doctor said "no pain, no gain" and therapist said "listen to your body." Not sure which advice to follow!

Oct 22, 2009
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Radial head fracture with ORIF
by: Anonymous

I broke my non-dominant radial head while tailgating at a football game believe it or not! Tripped over a cornhole game while playing catch with a football in a parking lot. I had two opinions: 1) Surgery with possible screws and/or plate or replacement 2) No surgery and see how I feel. I went forward with the surgery due to the amount of nerve pain I was experiencing. It ended up being the right decision because my bone fragement was stuck in my elbow joint and I would not have been able to ever extend my arm. The fragment was screwed back into the radius and I am now 3 weeks post surgery. I am able to type but cannot straigten my arm and do not have good range of motion with my hand. My Dr. just referred me to P.T. and recommended the JAS brace. I've heard it's rather expensive so PT hopefully help me get some range of motion back. From reading the below posts, it appears this may be a long battle!

Oct 28, 2009
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Arm tingling
by: Anonymous

I had a radial fracture in August of 2008. The only treatment I had was a sling and home exercises.
Last week Ive begun to have tingling in my elbow down to my hand.
Has anyone experienced this?