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

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?

Nov 23, 2009
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My recovery
by: Barry

It's been 4 weeks since I broke my radial head. (non displaced, non dominant).

I fell 8 feet off a wall and landed on my outstretched arm. Had NO movement for a week. I was put in a collar and cuff (sling) and told to rest it. Second week I started my own exercises at home, moving my are slowly and gripping things. But as little rotation as possible, this I have read is bad for recovery. During weeks 2 and 3 I had tingling along my arm from my elbow to my hand when touched.... felt like nerve damage that I had in broken nose.

Week four and I have full extension and nearly full rotation with little pain...only soreness is if I have and flat on ground and try to apply pressure (as if push up). This i am told is due to sever tendon damage from the fall....like a sprained wrist.

hope this helps and good luck with your recoverys...looks like i got lucky

Nov 23, 2009
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update
by: Kathy

Well, I am now almost 11 weeks post-injury and am extremely frustrated. I'm in constant (though fortunately not excruciating) pain, have quite a bit of fatigue, and am still about 35 degrees away from full extension. I am now in a hard splint which I wear at night in an attempt to force my arm to get straight. So far it has done nothing except ruin my sleeping. I actually have less mobility than when I started using it.

I'm sorry to be a downer, but if you are going through this, stay on your doctor like white on rice and make sure they are doing everything they can for you. Push the issue. I believed what I now think is my doctor's lackadaisical attitude, and now I'm wondering if I'll ever regain full motion. At this point, it seems unlikely.

Dec 01, 2009
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Keep going people!!
by: Knit Bones

I fell and fractured my radial head in my left arm 6 weeks ago. (On my way into my first day of work and all!)

The doctor told me the same thing as I am hearing here; that you will never be 100%, well that is complete BS because today at my physiotherepy I was mesured at zero degrees - perfect.

I am a fashion student, not an exercise person at all, but I refused to believe that doctor and now he cannot believe my arm!

Full extention, can bend right up to my shoulder, and turn my palm any way I please! I started my physio after 2 and a half weeks and have been doing a bit everyday, it is still tender, I'm not going to over-do anything right now.

I say believe in yourself and that all your little cells can help you and know you better than some negative bloody doctor!!

Dec 09, 2009
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Radial Head Facture - undisplaced
by: Anonymous

Hi everyone,

I fell and broke my nondominant radial head 5 days ago. In ER, I was told that I have non-displaced radial head fracture. I was put into sling and was sent home. My elbow got really swollen the next day and still is. The day after, I noticed a large bruise over my elbow.

I don't have pain at rest, but when I move my arm it starts to hurt. My pronation and supination movements are getting better, but my flexion/extension is very limited. The arm feels very heavy when I move it.

I have not seen an orthopedic surgeon yet, but I have an appointment coming up. I know it's been less than a week since my injury, but I already trying to exercise my arm at home. I try to turn it up and down, and flex and extend it to my limits. I also started carrying light things to get my muscle power back.

I wish everyone fast recovery.

Dec 10, 2009
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Re:
by: Knit Bones

To the last comment! don't exercise it for at least two weeks!! I had the exact same pain an sensation you're talking about at first but I got to see a physio nurse 2 and a half weeks after my fall and thats when you need to start, she said it takes two weeks for the fracture to bind, so please don't exercise before that!! So sore!!

Dec 13, 2009
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Complete radial head replacement
by: Anonymous

I fell about 4 months ago over forklift blades that were left up. I had a full radial head replacement, and then 3 months later a follow up under anethesia manipulation. I still do not have full range of motion. I have been using a JAS brace for 2 months, too. I currently only have a rom of 40 to 120 is driving me a bit nuts.
I have been to physical therapy twice a week for four months, and work on my therapy 3 times a day.

Any added suggestions on how to get full extension? Or the next thing I should look into?

Please advise.

Dec 20, 2009
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Radial Head Fracture
by: Al

Bah - just my luck to get this injury!

Week 2 for me. Week one it was just cracked, week 2 it has separated from the bone. Week 3 x-ray in a couple of days and I'm hoping for some re-attachment of bone, but I'm not hopeful as I nearly hit the roof the other day when my 2yr old tripped and fell and I lunged out for her only to un-intentionally extend my arm! Ow!

Did it cycling when some girl clipped my rear wheel on her bike and took me down. At least I put my foot through her expensive carbon wheels in the process :-P

Dec 31, 2009
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radial head
by: Anonymous

I fell at work and broke the radial head in my elbow.

Happened 6th Dec 2009. Had operation on 29th Dec (2 days ago).

Advised by physio to start joint movement right away. befoe opewration pain was bad and as a guitarist thought I'd never play again. However today pain is gone and I amplaying again although there is no doubt that it'll be sometime before I am gig ready. But really I can see real progress so things are very very positive.

I was told not operating was not an option, especially if i wanted to play guitar again.

I was told to start rotation exercise right away and i have to say that this is esential for guitar players!

Jan 10, 2010
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Rt Radial Head Fracture
by: Ferngrrrl

I was treated at a little hospital in Jasper Alberta immeidately after the fall & fortunately,received an injection of Tordol [anti-iflammatory] which allowed me to get through the night and reduce swelling. The attending physician preferred a sling to prevent the elbow joint from seizing. The pain was deep, achy and intense and of course, I was unable to extend the arm or rotate the hand at all. I was able to track down topical arnica gel and took homeopathic symphytum and Bach Oak tincture until I could see my naturopath in Ontario [day 7] who gave me BFC cream [bone, flesh, cartilage], arnica homeopathic and supplements [B complex, D,Cal/mag - it is an osteoporosis formulation]. I am applying the cream and taking the supplements and also had one treatment of accupuncture and a TENS to the painful bicep area [day 9]. My healing took a dramatic turn after this. It is now day 12 and extension and rotation are improving daily and better than I expected at this point. I will continue cream, supplements and a few more accupuncture treatments for 4 - 6 weeks in total. I would highly recommend a qualified naturopath who can work to support your healing once the medical folks have assessed the damage.

Jan 15, 2010
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Unable to supinate arm after radial head fracture
by: Anonymous

I tripped over ice and broke my right radial head 10 days ago. Was splinted for a few days, then in a sling. CT showed no displacement of fracture. Started PT 2 days ago. Have been unable to supinate forearm past neutral (thumb up)position since injury. PT is excruciating during any motion past neutral. Extension is limited, but not nearly as painful as rotation. I understand this will be a painful recovery, but this seems beyond what is reasonable. Any thoughts?

Jan 15, 2010
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Re: Unable to supinate arm after radial head fracture
by: Knit Bones

About your comment, rotating your arm, the physio told me that the bone needs at least 14 days to knit, so I would seriously put off trying to rotate your arm up for another week, as it's not really healed enough to try to move it.

I feel your pain, that was the sorest part of the physio for me, but it will be less sore and you will be able to get it moving again!

Jan 15, 2010
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response
by: Anonymous

I agree about the supination. It's really not been long enough for you to be performing this motion. I'm still having pain, and I'm 4 months post-injury. The first three weeks were excruiciating, and I had NO supination ability without major pain until about 2 months post-injury. Now there is still some pain, but only a little. Don't rush it - if you do this too soon you can re-injure the bone which could make your injury worse. Just give it a little time. :)

Jan 24, 2010
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any help would be appreciated
by: 22andstressed

I have a question for anybody out with an answer. Unfortunately suffered a broken radial head in my dominant arm (right) playing beaseball two weeks ago. i have already been thru surgery and just started rehab. my doc just took out the couple pieces that broke off the RH and sealed it back up. i have got almost all of my range of motion back,w/is great... but when i put any weight on the thing, like a push up type excersise it pops all over the place. it pops when coming back from full extension or when i move the elbow with any kind weight in my hand when the elbow is raised above my chest. its really strange and uncomfortable. im starting to get worried that its going to be all messed up forever. if i wasn't such and active person i wouldn't really care. but I race motorcycles and i just joined the military and can't even do one push up. has anybody else had this popping problem, and if so did it go away eventually or did you get stuck with it? or should i consider radial head replacement surgery?

Jan 24, 2010
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Jan 25, 2010
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Get a second opinion
by: Anonymous

I broke my radial head in my dominant arm 4 months ago. I did not have surgery as the doctor felt it was not needed. I wore a sling for 2 months and started therapy a week after the sling was removed.
With each visit to the doctor, I complained of pain in my elbow, wrist and hand as well as stiffness. The doctor just said keep up with therapy twice a week and do my home program. I went for a second opinion and a c-scan was done which showed that my arm did not heal and there was still a crack in the radial head. I go for surgery next week for the radial head replacement. If you feel that something is not right, get a second opinion because x-rays and doctors are not always 100% right.

Jan 29, 2010
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Extreme heat
by: Anonymous

I fractured my radial head 12 days ago,and was given a sling and told to come back for an xray after 2 weeks. I can move it a fair amount, although its pretty weak still. Does anyone suffer in the evenings with your arm becoming red hot? My elbow is always worse in the evenings having a deep ache and being incredibly restless, but the heat is unbearable, i go through ice packs that still dont cool it down!Until i read this page i didn't realise how long the recovery would be, my doctor seemed to rush me in as quickly as he rushed me out.

Wishing everyone a speedy recovery

Feb 08, 2010
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Radial head fracture
by: Anonymous

I just returned from my 10 day follow up visit for a fall I had on an icy driveway.When I fell, I landed my elbow then my hand. I waited a day and when the swelling didn't reduce even with ice and the throbbing continued despite motrin, I went to the orthopaedist and was examined. I had x-rays and no fracture showed up although she felt it was a radial head fracture and put me in a sling. The doc had me come back today and she ordered another x-ray. THis time the fracture (like a crack in a teacup) showed up. The doc tells me that it could take 8-12 weeks before I feel better and I should continue to use the sling on and off, but that some motion is best. Continue to ice and move it gently. Take motrin for the throbbing (which feels like a bad toothache). .elbow hurt the most for the first few days and for the last three days the pain has been down my forearm. The doc took another x-ray

Feb 09, 2010
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doesn't sound good
by: jen

I fell on my way to class, and threw my arm out to catch myself as soon as I stood up I was unable to put my arm out straight. I have been told that I have a radial head fracture it has been two weeks and is still very painful to do any movement my doctor told me to start moving several times a day I try but am unable to get very much movement without alot of pain. I work as a kindergarten aide and am concerned about how long I will be off work, I only have eight sick days accumulated. Does anyone know how long this usually takes?

Feb 21, 2010
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radial head fracture
by: Luckyduck

I'm 25 years old. I had a radial head fracture on 12-9-09...I fell off a platform at my work. I didn't need to have surgery. The doctor said my bone was in a good spot. Its been about 2 1/2 months but I can say it is gradually getting better. I basically have full motion of my arm, although my arm is very weak since I haven't been able to move it. The biggest problem Im having is the movement of straighting my arm, I can do it but my elbow feels really tight and has a clicking or snapping feeling. I had another X-ray done and the doctor said my bone healed perfect, but it takes 4-6 months to fully heal. And the doctor said my elbow had alot of inflammation in it, and he said I have to fight through it. Also I have attempted a "push up" My arm feels like it has the strength but every time i do it my elbow makes a popping or snapping sound. I just hope its all better after 6 months is over.

Feb 25, 2010
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elbow
by: Anonymous

hi i had a question for anyone willing to answer it. i had a radial head fracture in the middel of november 09 and am still haing problems. the last xray i had in mid december showed my bone was almost completely healed and my doc told me to lose the sling but i am still in pain. i cant straighten and can barely touch my elbow . it is also extremely swollen. i do not have constant pain tho only when i move it wrong. any ideas??

Feb 27, 2010
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stick with it - it takes time
by: Anonymous

I broke my right radial head in a cycling crash 6 months ago. I began early movement after 2 wks. Its a very painful and SLOW process so be prepared. After a few months I was able to get back in the gym and begin strengthening my forearm for increased stability. After six months of hard training I am able to perform any exercise and my ROM as returned although it is still very creaky and pops often.

Just stick with strengthening your forearm and upper arm after the bone has healed completely and understand that it is a long process that calls for serious discipline.

Can't wait to get back on the bicycle this season!!

Mar 02, 2010
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Radial Head Recovery
by: David

I'm 27, fell with my arm extended playing basketball a month ago. I had the radial head reattached with 4 screws, and started therapy 1 week after. The first session, I had extremely limited motion, extension and flexion around 45 degrees and rotation of less than 10 degrees. Three weeks of therapy has led to almost complete extension and flexion, and rotation. The doctor was amazed one month out from injury of movement. I do have difficulty with lifting anything with my hand. It causes a pulling sensation at the elbow that radiates down to my hand. The therapist said to keep practicing home exercises in order to maintain and improve range of motion.

Mar 11, 2010
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radial heAD fracture
by: Anonymous

hi i fractured my radial head on my dominant arm in october 2009 was in a cast for 4 days then had surgery had on screw put in! felt great to be out the cast as it was hurting my wrist being in the cast its been 5 months now and i have been doing my strething trying to straighten my arm palms up and pushing my palm down wid my left hand! i am lifting light weights to help and trying to build my tricpes as they are the muscles that help straighten ur arm! i can rotate my arm now without pain but in the mornings can be little stiff! i can touch my shoulder with my fingers now but not without pain but pain is going away now thankfully....main problem still is not full extention almost there im working really hard on it...im sure it can be done not gonna give up hope im 28 and use 2 weight train so i wanna get back in training im not gonna give up...... Just keep on moveing ur arm if u dont use it u lose it lol by the way i had pt for about 10 sessions he said im improveing so they discharged me and told me to carry on with movements...build those triceps

Mar 13, 2010
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Seems like a slow recovery process
by: Stievie

I fell when I was out running on 25 January. I thought my arm was just badly bruised, but, sfter a week in pain, I went to hospital, got x-rayed, and was told I had a radial head fracture. Although I am having intensive physio, and do the exercises I have been given religiously, I cannot extend my arm fully and the pain still sometimes wakes me up at night. My arm creaks and cracks alarmingly when I do the exercises. Acupuncture has been effective in relieving the pain and relaxing the tight muscles around the elbow. It is a relief to hear that others have had the same experience, but depressing that it seems as if it will be a long haul to get full movement back, if ever.

Apr 03, 2010
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Lucky me
by: daniel

I fractured my radial head on March 21 around 3pm. I drove my ATC off an embankment, or a small cliff to me. Fell about 12 feet straight down, landed on my left side with my left arm extended as if I was trying to stop myself. First off I cannot believe how much pain I went through the first 2 days. Went to the ER later that night, they said all I did was fracture my elbow, nothing else, which is weird because my whole arm hurts in different places when I move it, especially wrist, forearm and elbow. The pumped me full of dilaudid and put a splint on with a sling.

Went and saw the Ortho doc today(3-25-10) and he said it was a small fracture and I probably won't like this, but I should take it out of the sling within a day or two and just start slowly doing stretches. That's it! I asked a lot of questions, but he said at my age(32) and with a minor fracture, surgery isn't worth the risk and a cast will only result in lack of mobility later??

For the first 2 days I couldn't sleep hardly at all and was in almost constant extreme pain the whole time, even on percocet. Starting last night, the pain started easing up a bit and I could slowly start to move my arm and hand around. I am typing now, but I have to move hand slowly. I can't get my even close to straight and when I move just about any part of my arm/hand it hurts. I have move real slow. I can just barely start to lift my arm up off something under it's own power. And my hand is still really swollen.

After all the bad stuff I have been reading, I will call my pcp tomorrow and schedule a visit with another ortho doc.

I sure wish I got a video of me flying off that trail. I can still see the whole thing. It was like I did a body slam from 12 feet onto the rocks. Yeah, the wash/creek I flew into was filled with rocks. I'm amazed that's all that happened, other than some nasty bruises and cuts, and a head cracking
minor concussion. And the 3 wheeler was ok too, minor damage, started up after about 10minutes.

Update 4-3-10

Have an appointment in a couple days for a 2nd opinion. I know it's a little late, but I still want one. Still have pretty much constant pain. Very little if not moving arm, but I have to be very careful twisting my hand, too much and it feels like a knife going inside.

Almost 2 weeks now and I have regained a lot of ROM back, close to full extension, maybe 15-20 degrees, guessing. About 6 inches from touching my shoulder, but still have very little grip strength or load bearing ability. I leaned over the bath tub to grab something and extended my arm out and put my hand against the wall to hold me, big mistake. So much pain I almost gave in and fell into the tub. Just that little pressure of leaning over a couple feet is too much weight.

Anyways, at least I didn't break might right arm. That would be a disaster!

Apr 04, 2010
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return comment
by: jen

I commented before about my radial head fracture has been two and a half months, doctor had me start therapy two weeks ago. My arm is getting more ROM but is still not very strong. Tried to open dryer door and still to weak and alot of pain. Cracks all night long with every movement. But I am supposed to go back to work in two weeks hope that there is still alot more improvement before then. Wish all quick healing.

Apr 04, 2010
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JAS Splint use
by: Anonymous

My last comment was several months ago. I killed my arm by falling over upraised forklift blades.

I havr been using a JAS splint 6 times a day for almost 3 months. Still have very limited ROM around 40 to 105. Has anyone else used one of these splints? How long before you saw any improvement?

The doctor is talking about a second manipulation under anethesia. Any other suggestions will be helpful. I had a full radial head replacement in August.

Apr 07, 2010
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Radial Head Shattered
by: Nate

Last year on May 7, 2009 became the worst day of my life. I am a teacher and after school one of my colleagues came running frantically about a kid being jumped. Me and a few teachers went to see what was going on and once we arrived on the scene, we yelled at the kids and told them to go home. They wouldn't listen so I decided to jump the gate and try to stop a situation from going really bad. BIG MISTAKE!!!

The gate was 6.5' and when leaped to the top, my right foot didn't make it over and I came down all 245lbs on my right elbow and then my face. No one could ever pay (even a billion dollars) to relive that experience. The ambulance tried bend my arm in a splint and the guy almost got knocked out by me. Then they decided to do an air-splint which required no bending. This was a better option but was EXTREMELY PAINFUL. But that's not the worst of it.

When I arrived at ER, they gave me a drug that allowed me to feel the pain while they tried to reset my arm, but get this, I wouldn't remember it. They were right because my wife said I begged and pleaded for them to stop at the top of my lungs, but I don't remember. The next day I was scheduled to see the Orthopedic specialist and when they took an x-ray the technician whispered in a lamenting voice, "your arm is dislocated." So the doctor gave me a shot to numb the pain, but exclaimed that since there was nerve damage, nothing would numb the pain (thanks for sticking me with needled for nothing).

So he tried to reset my arm three times and it wouldn't stay. I CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF AGONY & PAIN I EXPERIENCED. I yelled and moaned so loud everyone in the doctor's office stopped and was in tears!!! I finally gave the doctor that crazy look of DON"T TOUCH ME AGAIN!!! And he quickly complied. Later they realized that all of my tendons and ligaments were torn off of my bones and everything was wrapped and twisted together. So in essence, there was NO WAY they could have reset my arm. Again, thanks for nothing.

After 2 surgeries and months of intense physical therapy, I can extend my arm about 110 degrees and bend it about 130. But I have lost my supination and pronation due to calcification. Sometimes I feel handicap because I can't button the top buttons of my shirts, hold a football properly, carry a tray or play with my kids like I use too. I'm still not over my injury, but my doctor stated,"it could have been worse, you could have broken your neck." So I'm extremely grateful and thankful. He also mentioned that my injury was one of the worst he had seen in the 24 years of service. They mention that a third surgery would help and/or total joint replacement (TJR), but if I received TJR I could never lift more than 5lbs ever again. So that's my story and I may go through with another surgery if it will help my wrist movement because I am a professional piano player and music producer. Thanks!!

Apr 07, 2010
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sucks
by: daniel

Can't they do something for calcification? There should be some surgical procedure for that. Sometimes I can't believe in this day and age with all our "advanced" technologies, so many people have to suffer with permanent problems because doctors can't completely heal common injuries like these.

Apr 09, 2010
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Injury, recovery and pain
by: Anonymous

Unfortunately we're not robots so 'fixing' the human body is not as simple as replacing parts. Pain is not just due to damaged bone, muscle, ligaments or tendons. It's a far more complex thing involving emotions, attitudes, beliefs, past experiences etc etc. We've got a pretty complex nervous system that can get 're-wired' following an injury and can leave it a bit hypersensitive. The road to recovery is a pretty tough one! Best of luck everyone!

Apr 10, 2010
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I feel your pain
by: Elvis

I broke my right radial head Jan. 24, 2010. Only 2 weeks in a cast seemed crazy but after reading some comments here it sounds like it is the norm.

When I began OT 6 weeks after the break I was -35 for getting it straight. After some work I got it to -20. I was stuck there for about a week and a half. Also when I began therapy I was prescribed something called a Dynasplint. This hellish device is like a medieval rack. It applies tension to stretch the arm. It is designed to be painful the entire time it is worn. Once the pain from wearing it improves you increase the tension to make it hurt again. They want me to use it 6-8 hours a day. After I hit the wall at -20 I started last Monday to wear it no matter what. I am able to stand about 4 hours a day but I got from -20 to -10 between Monday and Friday. And that is actively not passively.

I get the popping and cracking too and that creeps me out as much as the pain.

I stumbled upon this today just because I really don't know what to expect regarding recovery time. My goal had been to play golf by the end of May but after reading some stories here I am not as hopeful. However the stories here have given me hope that I am not unusual in the amount of pain and time this is taking.

Thanks, and I will bookmark this and check in from time to time.

Apr 13, 2010
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radial head replacement and ulna fracture
by: Anonymous

I had an olecranon(elbow) fracture, a fracture of my ulna and a radial hear fracture and dislocation, had ORIF surgery and I now have plates, screws in the ulna and a radial heal prosthesis. It has been 3 1/2 months since surgery, i am attending physio but my range of motion is not that great, and my rotation of my arm is not that great either. I was in a brace for the first 8 weeks and didny start physio until around the 9th week, it has been very hard to deal with and my recovery feels dissapointing, reading what other people are experiencing is helpful. If anyone has any further information, that would be great.

Apr 18, 2010
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basketball injury
by: Jon

I broke my dominant elbow 2 weeks ago today, and went in for emergency surgery the next day. Half of the radial head broke off and moved into my elbow joint. They were either going to replace my radial head or reattach the piece. Luckily they were able to salvage most of it and they reattached it with 3 screws. Immediately afterwards my arm became very swollen and hot, and I was in tremendous pain. They eventually gave me some morphine pills, and this helped a little. I've been going to physio, but right now can't straighten my arm or get it much past 90 degrees the other way. I also can't move my palm up and down very much due largly to them cutting through some tendons to get to the bone. I'm not really sure what to expect

May 05, 2010
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Giving Up
by: Anonymous

On Jan.23, 2010, I fell on the ice and broke my radial head on my right arm. It was one of the most painful things I've experienced. I've been doing physical therapy for about 2 1/2 months. My orthopedic doctor told me last week that this is as good as it gets and told me he didn't need to see my again. I could continue with PT if I wanted. I was devestated. I can't live the rest of my life like this. I am right handed, my life is a mess because of this. I feel like I am now permantely disabled. I've gotten much better yes, but I still have trouble sleeping. I can only lay one certain way or I am in pain. I can't turn my arm palm side up. Every little normal daily activity that one doesn't even think about is affected by my injury. I can't hold my new baby nephew. I can't do any of my hobbies any more. I sit at a computer all day for my job and the doctor told me that my injury doesn't affect that so I'm fine. What about the rest of my life? Carrying groceries, washing my hair, gardening, using a screwdriver, etc, etc. Doctor said surgery not an option, at this point. Probably would do more harm than good. PT is so incredibly painful. I usually end up in tears at some part. Should I continue with it or just give up and accept what the doctor told me?

May 06, 2010
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Reply to May 5 posting
by: Anonymous

I am experiencing just about everything you are, I felt like you were reading my mind. I am 4 months in now and I still only have 90 degrees flexion and I cant turn my arm over, there is so much I cannot do and I feel permanently disabled as well. Therapy brings me to tears and screaming but has not progressed much at all, my therapist tells be there is a block and she cannot get any farther, I am so frustrated. I cant imagine having to live like this for the rest of my life.

May 06, 2010
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May 09, 2010
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3 weeks in radial neck fracture
by: Anonymous

Interesting...I went over the handlebars like so many of you.I was amazed when they gave me a sling and sent me packing at casualty.Extreme pain.I do however understand why they dont cast it.My wrist was also sprained and the ligaments torn on the inner elbow, but grit your teeth and start turning the hand in a hot bath and then frozen peas.I have good movement but a lot of discomfort straightening and can not take much weight/twisting like picking up the lap top.This will come in good time.

May 09, 2010
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radial head replacement
by: Anonymous

I have not written in awhile. I had a full radial head replacement, due to a fall over a forklift back in August 2009. I just had my second manipulation under anesthia and that has really helped. i was stuck at a 40 degree extension and a 120 degree flexion (you know can not get the phone to your ear, can not reach a drive up window). i am now at 25 degrees, I am also on a full cpm machine that has my arm moving 6 to 8 hours per day. I will be using it for at least 21 days since I had the surgery. I had been lifting 3 pounds before the latest surgery so I am using 1.5 pound ankle weights to help my arm relax into more extension and flexion.
Rotation has been good. My PT started me working with an 8 ounce hammer to turn the extra weight helped to turn the hand over. It was not easy it originally took almost 4 weeks to get my hand to turn up past neutral position (handshake position).
I have been on a jas splint for around 3 or 4 months, too.
I am still hopeful of getting at least a full 100 degrees rom and so are my doctors. If you are not getting enough information from the doctors or getting enough treatment then make suggestions and ask what they think. I am only writing this since it sounds like some of you may need more ideas to ask your doctor if they think something else can work. I ask my ortho doctor everytime I see him (every 8 weeks at least) what are my options? Is there something else we can try? He mentioned the manipulation under anesthia and then started to back off. He gave me all the things that could go wrong but I was thinking what if they go right? Would I always wonder what if? I look on the internet for ideas and ask my PT if it is something that I should try and if not why not?
I have heard from at least one doctor that this is a tough joint and my injury was an extremely bad one. Therefore, I have to stay motivated to get as much motion back as I can and so do you. It is tough the gains are fractions of an inch at a time and so are the losses. I tried to explain that to my parents but until you are on this side of the injury it is hard to understand.
I wish you all good luck on your road to recovery.
Keep searching for answers and letting others know what worked and what does not.

May 24, 2010
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Plan B?
by: Anonymous

I shattered my radial head, fractured my wrist, and damaged all four rotator cuffs on Jan. 8, 2010. Today has been a rough one with a lot of tears ... the realization that this might be "as good as it gets" is hitting me. I am stiff and sore every morning. I feel awkward and clumsy and disabled. I get moments of searing pain. I can touch my face, but not put my makeup on. I can extend my arm, but not fully nor without pain. I can turn my hand palm-down, but only get a scant 10% turn toward 'up'. I can't pick up even small things that require any rotation, and feel so weak when I use my arm.

It has been helpful to read that I am not alone, and reading the other entries makes me feel encouraged to go put on my dynamic brace and put up with the burning pain it gives me. It is not being able to rotate my hand that is the worst. As others of you have described, the lack of rotation affects just about everything I want and need to do.

I received some counsel last week that I have been trying to embrace: don't give up on recovery, while allowing myself to accept that I can give up on my life's Plan A, and find a fulfilling Plan B. Life is definitely not perfect.

Jun 02, 2010
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radial head replacement
by: AS

Hi: I shattered the head of my radius. The surgeon put on a new head. My physiotherapist said I am probably a lot better off with the new head than I would be if my injury had been less severe and I had not gotten a new head.

I am a writer and immediately started trying to rotate my hand face down so I could type. After about 3 months I could type but it was very painful and made my arm swell. A few months more and I could type as I always have without pain.

I had to work very hard for hours everyday against a good bit of pain to restore my daily functions. It was very discouraging, but eight months later I can straighten my arm out to lie flat on the floor if I relax, but in going about my normal day it stiffens into a slight flex. I can now eat with the arm and brush my teeth and hair with it (not good at it yet) and operate my quite heavy camera hand-held, though all these things hurt somewhat. Exercises are ongoing at 8 months.

A key point in my therapy was when a friend massaged my arm thoroughly and loosened it up considerably. As a result I signed up five friends to massage my arm on different days. I could never have afforded having professional massage everyday. Some of them were totally inexperienced at massage but they had good instincts. At that time it was about 4 months into the injury and the flesh around the top of the forearm and the incision were still hard and swollen. They had that hard stuff softening up within a week. They kept at it about 4 or 5 weeks that formed a major transition for me.

One of the big problems was that struggling to straight my arm pulled on my shoulder. The shoulder may have been partially frozen from the early days being in a sling. I immediately started exercise to loosen it up and gained substantial improvement. But as physio exercise continued, after about three or four months my shoulder deteriorated, became progressively stiff and sore and finally was extensively frozen and painful. I had to go off of exercise 1 week, and greatly reduced exercise another week. Then my physio exercises way more than doubled in order to get the shoulder unfrozen. That has taken months but I've gone at it aggressively because I want to swim this year, and it now looks as if that is going to happen, I'm just waiting for our swimmable lake to get warm enough to swim.

I still have swelling and inflammation but it doesn't bother me except when I do marginal things. Because of this my PT has urged me not to do strength exercises for the arm (I do some for the shoulder). But there have been enough instances of unconsciously picking up something like a camera on a heavy tripod to let me know that some weight is going to be possible.

Jun 02, 2010
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Question for AS
by: Daniel

How did you shatter your radial head?

Jun 03, 2010
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Another fractured radial head
by: Philip

Took a hard fall off a ladder and took the brunt on my right outstretched arm. Amazing pain. This was April 18th. It was on my third trip to the Dr and third set of x-rays before the fracture was found (about three weeks later). In the meantime it was extreme pain, much bruising and tough to sleep at night. The non-stop pain pretty much ceased after about three and a half weeks but still intense pain with rotation or excessive bending the elbow. Simple things like brushing my teeth, raising a phone to my ear or using the mouse (for more than a few minutes) was extremely difficult.

I've been thru 4 sessions of PT and like others have said it does have it's moments of intense pain but the ladies have been helping me steadily improve my ROM while pushing me as far as possible. Also doing the stretching at home. Starting to use a rubber therapy ball to work on improving my grip strength. It is helping. I encourage all to grit your teeth and work thru the pain. I intend to recover my full rom and I believe it can be done but I now realize that recovery from this injury will require a serious investment of my time and willpower.

I refuse to accept a feeling of disability at this point and that's exactly what it feels like now. I'll come back and update my progress in the future. I'll do my best to bring some hope for others here by proving to myself that this can be overcome.

Jun 18, 2010
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Trying to stay possitive
by: John K.

Wow, all the comments posted here don't give me the warm and fuzzies. I straight armed a wall after tripping while sprinting. I shattered my radial head and fractured my coronoid on Monday. Luckily, there was surgeon on duty and available that day and they had replaced the radial head and pinned the coronoid process that afternoon. It's pretty swollen right now but the pain is minimal (pretty high pain threshold). So much so that I try not to take the pain meds unless it gets iritating. I'm worried about the recovery time and wondering what I'll be able to do post healing. The comments on this page don't give me many positive things to think about. The only saving grace is that everyone heals differently. Well, staples out on the 29th and PT immediately after. Anyway, just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their experiences on the site so I know what to look out for. Positive thoughts to all.
John

Jun 21, 2010
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This sucks!
by: Luke

From what I hear, this takes time to heal. I flew off my bike (literally) and landed on my outstretched hand fracturing my radial head on impact. That was two weeks ago. I had these weird blood spots coming out through my pores on top of my arm and figured it was because of the strain.
My muscles feel sore all over and can't fully stretch my arm because it feels locked into place. Also, when I try to bend my arm I get to a point where I feel an electricity jolt going through my arm to the tip of my fingers (extremely painful). It's been two weeks, had a cast for 1 week and I don't feel much relief and I am wondering if I will remain disabled all my life because of this dumb accident. I hear physio helps but some people seem to heal no matter what. Any suggestions? Will physio help? It's not really a matter of time but I don't have much time for physio and wondering if it really is necessary.
Thanks,
Luke.

Jun 25, 2010
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Suggestions for exercise?
by: Anonymous

I am 3 weeks out from fracturing the radial head and 2 weeks out from surgery to remove shattered bones and remove the remaining radial head - no replacement. The doctor did not order physical therapy. What are some exercises I can do at home to get back full extension and rotation? Its still extremely painful to try most any movement. The doctor also advised that I have an 8 week window for recovery of motion but that doesn't seem to be the case from reading other folks experiences.

Jun 29, 2010
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Over the handlebars
by: Chloe

hi, 4 days ago i landed on outstretched arms and have bilateral radial head fracture in both elbows. Going to fracture clinic in 2 days. The doc didn't say much to me apart from that it was a clean fracture. One arm seems to have more movement than the other, pain killers have mean't virtually no pain. I've been reading forums etc and sounds super compicated and depressing. Has anyone had an easy quick recovery?

Jul 01, 2010
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when can I start paddeling again?
by: island_paddler

I had a non-displaced hairline radial head fracture 3 weeks ago to my right arm.
I paddle for a Outrigger canoe club and I fractured my elbow the week before our first race so I haven't even been able to race!!
I know I won't be able to race, and the Dr. gave me this huge window of 4-6 weeks for healing. ( I have kaiser) My question is, how long before I can actually start paddeling-(safely without reinjuring the bone)? If you are familiar with Outrigger Canoe racing, then you know it can be very intense sport. My Ortho dr. also said PT wasn't necessary, but everything I"ve read says contrary!!
Anyone have some solid advice?
Much Appreciated!

Jul 01, 2010
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better to be safe than sorry
by: themaxx69

I also had a minor fracture on the radial head. I guess it was a hairline fracture, went all the way across though. Anyway after 2-3 weeks of intense pain, it got a lot better, almost daily. I wore a sling for about 1 week after injury, then doctor said to take it off. No surgery, doc said he could refer to PT, but said all I had to do was basically use my arm, try to just move it around the best you can everyday and let pain be an indicator as when it's too much. I don't necessarily like that train of thought, because everyone handles pain differently, but I just used it best I could, rotating and bending till pain was a moderate but not excruciating. Used it everyday, and had a few painful slip ups, where you forget about it and then lean on something or try to hold something heavy...oh man, talk about pain, just like day 1.

Anyways, I was told 2-3 months for the bone to be as strong as the other side. I went out riding on my Honda 200x after 5 weeks and it was pretty much fine, but I still wouldn't do any heavy lifting or push ups, anything like that. I didn't want to push it. As of now, I think it's been 13 weeks. I have full range of motion, but even up 2-3 weeks ago it still hurt a little if twisted it extremely, like clasping hands behind lower back, then rotating palms out then bending over and lifting my arms up and forward as hard as I could. And if I try to extend my arm quickly to try and pop it, sometimes it hurts real bad. But I was able to climb a wall a week or so ago, and I just did a couple push ups. Seems ok. I am actually gonna start lifting some weights ago, starting with lower weights and see how it goes, probably could have started a month ago, but........like the title states, I would rather be safe than sorry and end up push it too much and re-injuring it. As mild of a fracture as it was, IT SUCKED! I felt like a total gimp for a while, I couldn't imagine breaking my right arm/wrist or both arms!

But I would definitely recommend not pushing too much exercise to soon. You for sure need to exercise the arm, but just take it slow. You might think you can do more, faster, that's up to you, but just think what happens if you re-injure it and make it worse.

Good luck, and don't break it again. :}

Jul 02, 2010
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Hang in there!
by: Scott

Hi there,
I displaced my radial head beyond repair,smashed the head off it ended up down the bottom of my elbow under the skin.I had to have it and the bone framents removed and a Radial head repl acement(looks like a Plumbers Plunger!)
The pain was the worst,was very hard to sleep as that was also the side I slepted on.After surgery I also suffered from radial nerve damage,so I couldn't straighten out my fingers and thumb.Four days after surgey the cast came off and physio started twice a week.Almost 4 mths on I still can't fully straighten my arm or touch my shoulder.Good news is my fingers have improved,still waiting for the thumb to wake up.I also still have a fair amount of pain,not sure why.Happy to be out on my bike again!
All the best recovery to everyone. ;)

Jul 02, 2010
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For best answers, try to be more specific about location
by: Bnonymous

To make sure that you get the most out of this very informative website, each injured person must be specific about WHICH radial head has been fractured. There are TWO radial heads on each radius: 1) the DISTAL radial head (at the wrist) also known as a Colle's, Barton's, Smith's or Chauffeur's fracture, often the result of a "FOOSH" fall on out-stretched hand (or direct impact to wrist), and 2) the PROXIMAL radial head (part of the elbow), usually from direct trauma to the elbow. To get the best advice, it is important to make the readers aware of WHICH radial head is fractured.

Jul 02, 2010
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to island_paddler
by: Anonymous

Everything is dependent on the location (whether the joint is affected) and extent of your fracture. Depending upon the "stability" of your particular fracture, it may or may not need to be internally fixated or "pinned". If it is mild, without too much displacement and distortion of the joint, mobilization to prevent a frozen elbow, could be beneficial. Loading the elbow at your early stage with weights or resistance (i.e. paddling a boat) could re-injure the elbow and make things worse, rather than better. Ask your MD about whether you can do gentle range of motion exercises (with or without a physical therapist), to keep the joint mobile. You are still in an early stage and do not want to re-injure yourself.

Jul 02, 2010
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Thanks!
by: Island_Paddler

Thanks everyone for the advice!
just to be more clear- my radial head fracture was a Proximal radial head fracture (hairline) at the elbow joint of my right arm.
I had a hard cast on for 1.5 weeks and then used a sling for a week and now I'm trying to use my arm more and more.
Still have trouble with fully extending it and rotating it ( like twisting a doorknob) and also bending it back (like when you put your hair in a ponytail) without some pain.

thanks again for your comments and I hope everyone heals fast!
Aloha!

Jul 06, 2010
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displaced radial head fracture
by: Amanda

Hi, I have a displaced fracture of the radial head in my elbow, the result of a 4 wheeler accident. The ortho I saw told me that surgery is not done unless the displacement is greater than 2mm. My displacement measures at 1.6mm. He said that he wants to see me once a week for 6 weeks to watch it. He gave me Lortabs and said he wants me to start exercising it right away. No splint, no sling. It is very tight when I try to move it. I'm just afraid that this will cause further damage as it has only been 3 days since this happened. The doc said that as long as i don't grasp anything with the hand of the affected arm that it wouldn't do further damage. He did also tell me that i will never have my full range of motion back but that i would be able to function 100%. I am very afraid of moving it too soon but he said that early motiom is best way to get back most of movement in that arm. Has anyone else had their doc do this with a displaced fracture? Any answers you have would be great.

Jul 08, 2010
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To Amanda
by: Scott

Hi Amanda,
To your question about movement.I completely displaced destroyed my radial head(elbow)
The head was sitting under the skin on the bottom of my elbow.It was way beyond fixing.So I had to have surgery to remove all the bone framents and a prosthesis put in.Four days after surgery I was doing movements with a therapist.Very very painfull!! and I couldn't beleive the swelling and the lack of movement.I couldn't dress myself shower etc.It took me 4 weeks to have enough movement and strength to tie up my shoe laces.
So as long as your seeing a upper limb therapist who knows what they are doing,movement is required at early stages,otherwise everything binds up.My therapist made me work pretty hard and reshaped my splints and kepted me on track.He was very good at his job.
I wish you the best recovery,I know how daunting this can seem,just hangin in there it will get better.

Jul 12, 2010
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armbar injury
by: paolo_themaster

Hi evryone,

i was caught in arm bar last month, since then my left shoulder and elbow is aching a little and losing strength. also when lifting and shadow boxing it, hurts a little and clicking or popping but other than that is OK, i mean does not hurt when sleeping, touching my shoulder, bending my elbow, rotating both my shoulder and elbow. i tried stretching my elbow and shoulder, trying to touch my back. its very frustrating because i can't train martial arts at 100% anymore, some point in my training it hurt a little. i don't know if this is combination of rotator cuff and radial head..
Any suggestions? many thanks in advanced.

Jul 12, 2010
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ambar injury
by: paolo_themaster

Hi evryone,

i was caught in arm bar last month, since then my left shoulder and elbow is aching a little and losing strength. also when lifting and shadow boxing it, hurts a little and clicking or popping but other than that is OK, i mean does not hurt when sleeping, touching my shoulder, bending my elbow, rotating both my shoulder and elbow. i tried stretching my elbow and shoulder, trying to touch my back. its very frustrating because i can't train martial arts at 100% anymore, some point in my training it hurt a little. i don't know if this is combination of rotator cuff and radial head..
Any suggestions? many thanks in advanced.

Jul 13, 2010
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4 Week Update: Trying to Stay Positive
by: John K.

4 Week Update:
Surgery, June 14; 3 Physical Therapy Sessions Complete.
Approximately 3 weeks post surgery, I remained unable to rotate my hand palm upward (supplination) more than 17 degrees and arm extension was limited to about 3 inches each direction when my elbow was held at my side. After a week of performing the therapy exercises at home and using a heat pad to loosen up the elbow joint, I am able to rotate my hand a full third over and have gained about an additional inch in arm extension. Also promising, last night during therapy, I received my first stretching session with the therapist and temporarily was able to extend a little further. While the tendons did tighten up again, as expected, all the muscles in my forearm have relaxed for the first time since surgery. More to come in the next update.

Jul 18, 2010
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11 month update
by: CB

Hello,

It has been 11 months since my full Radial Head replacement left elbow. I have had 2 manipulations under anesthia, too. The second one was on April 30th and I am feeling so much better. I was the one that tripped over a forklift because someone left the blades up. I finally have 100 degree range of motion and from 20 to 120. This improved range has finally allowed me to sleep at night without my arm being propped on a pillow. All hand and wrist motions are normal.
I still do full PT exercises 4 times per day along with splinting 4 times a day 30 minutes at a time. I am still hoping that I will be able to hold a phone to my left ear again soon. Which is why I am still hopeful to get back more ROM although at this point I understand that it will be slow in coming. I am still on restriction on how much weight I can hold. Does anyone have a good exercise for getting the range back to hold a phone to ear?
I wish you all a speedy recovery.

Jul 18, 2010
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7 weeks and still in pain
by: pr4u

I fractured my radial head bone of my elbow 7 weeks ago falling with my arms out-stretched. I go to PT 3 times a week and exercise at home. I still wake up with so much pain I feel nauseous. How long will this last?

Jul 19, 2010
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Cracked radial head
by: Steve J

3 weeks ago, I was knocked off my bike after being hit by a car. I apparently landed on my right elbow as I found a nasty bruise, 3 days after the injury, just in front of my elbow, on the bottom. My elbow didn't hurt but I had intense pain in the forearm and everytime I moved my fingers, the pain would increase. The doctor gave me a sling to wear for 2 weeks. 17 days after the initial injury, I was re-examined by my regular doctor and since I was still having pain, he ordered an x-ray of my elbow and the crack was found in the radial head. He said the crack would eventually heal but there was still swelling in the injured area and I would have to be patient. He said physical therapy might help but told me that I probably would never be able to fully extend my arm (my dominant arm of course) again. Physical therapy was something the doctor would order, if I wanted to try that but he didn't sound very optimistic that it would be of much help. Should I wait until the swelling is gone and the pain is hopefully reduced before I try any physical therapy or would it just be a waste of time? Should I ever risk riding a bike again or should I join a club and use a bike that goes nowhere? I am really nervous about taking another spill.

Jul 20, 2010
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2nd Radial Head replacement
by: Anonymous

I had radial head prosthetic surgery in March 2009, and worked for months (5) to gain back ROM. I used weekly OT & acupuncture. I have very good ROM -- almost 100% supination and complete extension. However, in September 2009 my doctor told me the implant had moved and I needed surgery again. I waited until I had pain and now am scheduled for a replacement implant next week. The implant appears to have broken through the other part of the radius. I may have a "long" implant or a "short" one the second time around. I saw 3 doctors as part of getting second opinions on another surgery, and all were amazed at my ROM and lack of pain. This is a tough surgery & recovery. If I had to do it all over again I thought I'd try it without surgery -- reading all the opinions here though makes me think there are no good options for a broken elbow.

Jul 20, 2010
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To Steve J
by: Anonymous

If I were you I would meet the PT and at least go to a few PT sessions. Do not wait for the pain to leave or the swelling to leave. The PT should give you some ideas of how to deal with the swelling, mine gave me a compression style sleeve to wear along with ice really helped. Take pain medications before you go since the PT usually push you to the limit, although first appointment for me was measurements. The PT and your doctor can advise on when you can ride a bike again, and good exercises to get you as close to normal as possible.

Good luck.

Jul 21, 2010
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To Steve J
by: John K.

I agree with the previous responder. Go to PT and let the therapist make the decision about how much you can do. The sooner you get started the quicker your recovery will be. In my scenario, I just had to wait for the Orthopedic Doc to release me for therapy but that was only 10 days after surgery.

Jul 21, 2010
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Supination exercises
by: Anonymous

Has anyone been given supination exercises to complete at home.What do they involve? Thanks

Jul 24, 2010
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Response: Supination exercises
by: John K.

Disclaimer: You should check with a therapists to get confirmation if he/she thinks you are ready for these exercises first.
1. Keeping elbow at side, supinate hand, without moving your shoulder, and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

2. Using a light-weight hammer and keeping your elbow at your side, hold the handle and supinate hand unitl you feel a stretch without pain. Hold in supinate position for 5 seconds. My therpist started me off slow with completing the exercise 7 times, then 10, now 20 after 5 visits and at the 5th visit increased the weight of the hammer.

Rule of thumb: If you feel pain, you've gone too far and may extend your recovery time. This is NOT the time for the 'No Pain, No Gain' mentality!

Jul 27, 2010
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Fracture in Oct 2009
by: Anonymous

I fractured my radial head in October of 2009 and I still can not straighten my arm or do other movements. It is still very painful to the touch. I go to physical therapy and they are trying electric current. One of my problems is that when I try to straighten my arm I have severe pain in my left shoulder blade (my right elbow was broken). Has anyone else ever had this?

Aug 01, 2010
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Exercise suggestions?
by: Zach

Hi Everyone,

Eight days ago I fractured the radial head in my left elbow (my dominant arm of course). I fell off a bike and landed with the arm outstretched.

The ER doctor put it in a hard splint which I carried in a sling. Three days later the orthopedist took it out of the splint and told me to begin moving it hourly until I regain full range of motion. I've been doing that while also using the sling to carry the arm around with me to errands and such.

My range of motion is fairly limited still, so I am wondering what exercises I could be doing and when to start therapy.

What exercises should I do now (eight days in) or after two or three weeks?

Thanks for any advice.

Aug 08, 2010
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Displaced left proximal radial head fracture
by: Anonymous

Hey all,

Great thread, thought I'd throw my experience in here as well. On 07/04/2010 I broke both my left radial head by the elbow and also a type III fracture in my left hip. The hip required surgery (three screws) however they opted not to do surgery to correct the displacement in my arm as it was less than 1mm displaced, and it would have also made recovering from the hip surgery near impossible without 24x7 support. I did this bike riding, front tire flatted, tire rolled off the rim, jacked my front wheel 90 degrees, i went over the front but stayed clipped in so it catapulted me straight into the ground. I'm 37 and pretty active so this was a shock that I actually broke anything although I knew instantly something was very wrong.

Immediately I had very little ROM in my left arm, it was painful to bend and any rotation hurt. I started PT after two weeks of the diagnosis and started off about 30 degrees off straight for my elbow. It's been over 5 weeks now and my range of motion is back to nearly where it was, I still have a little discomfort rotating the wrist and forearm to full motion and it feels stiff when I straighten my arm all the way out, but most the pain is gone and I can feel everyday that my motion gets better and better. Most of this improvement came in weeks 3-5, I'm hoping after my follow up in a week or so they release me to doing more weight bearing so I can start working out again.

The hip, it's a different story, still no weight bearing but maybe in a couple weeks. That's 4-6 month recovery, my arm I hear is 6-8 week in this case.

My advice, I stuck to my dr's advice 100 percent, kept the usage of the arm down, did the PT advised and that's it, iced, and was patient (although that was the hardest part.)

Best of luck to everyone

Aug 09, 2010
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Sons new fracture
by: Anonymous

Today my son sufffered a proximal radial head fracture on the right. He was splinted in the ER and told to see the orthopedist in the next 48 hours because he would need"a little proceedure".The swelling was too severe to perform the proceedure today. We were planning an out of town(via plane)trip the day after tomorrow as his sister, my daughter, is getting married this weekend. My question is , HOw long after the initial injury does surgery ordinarily take place and/or how long is it safe to wait? Im sure the doc will answer these questions when I see him but as mother of the bride I am stressing to night . My son is 16.

Aug 09, 2010
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surgery
by: Anonymous

my surgery was completed 4 days after my injury

Aug 10, 2010
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surgery
by: cb

I had a complete radial head replacement 9 days after I shattered the bone. Another question to ask your surgeon is can he fly either before or after surgery.

Aug 11, 2010
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My Journey
by: Rachel

I fell off the side of my basement stairs on January 31st. I went to the ER and they sent me home in a hard splint and an appointment for an Ortho doctor. The doctor explained I would have to have surgery to replace the radial head. The bone was severely displaced. Of course, I freaked out. He also wanted to wait over a week to do the surgery which I understand is to wait until the swelling went down. He never even looked at my arm. There was no way I could wait that long, I have two small children that I needed to take care of. A day later I started having chest pains so I went to another hospital's ER and explained to them my situation. Thankfully the chest pains were just from anxiety and they went ahead and scheduled my surgery for the next morning. Surgery went great and I was discharged Feb 4th. I think this was the worse pain I have ever been in. I am uninsured so PT wasnt an option for me but I made sure I did the exercises I was told to do when I was D/C and I can almost straighten my arm all the way. I have read a lot of comments on here about people wanting to be completely healed after a few weeks. Sorry its not going to happen. I still hurt and it took about 3 months for me to be able to finally change my daughter's diaper without any help. If you have people willing to help by all means let them. You will hate it at first but after you are able to do more on your own these friends will look like God sent angels. I still have pain and just found out that I qualified for financial assistance for PT. I will fill you all in with my progress. Remember, this is a major injury and takes time to heal. BE CAREFUL :)

Aug 12, 2010
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Broken Radial head misplaced~:p
by: Stephanie

Hello everybody!
I fell off my bike only eight days ago I had a hard sling for three days then the doctor recommended surgery to replace the radical head but he could not tell me exactly what he would do, I decided to get a second opinion , but that has never happened ! I wrapped my arms in Noni leaves (mainland people can you comfrey) it has made progress and I started moving it right off the bat so nothing would get stuck, it still hurts and I think I have a long road ahead you can massage the muscles to release the tension and I recommend acupuncture to make sure you release the tension and energy! Ask for help and be thankful you have four limbs still! Find the blessings in every situation! best of luck ~ it may take awhile but all good things come to those who wait~ you can email me of you have further questions koloafam3@gmail.com
if a bone is fractured and bones chip off where do those pieces go? anyone know

Aug 16, 2010
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Fractured radius head
by: Anonymous

Hi,

I’m at +3 week now, pain has almost completely gone, extension is maybe -5 or 10 degrees off where it should be, but can be forced.

The problem I have is I am a keen mechanic, and have been working on my car and bikes almost immediately, despite it hurting like a pig. I think I have done some damage to my ligament lifting my tool box yesterday – its pretty heavy (probably 15-20kgs at a guess) and I let it drop my arm straight. I was seeing if my elbow would extend, and I think all I have done is jerk it hard and mess up my ligaments.

Last night and today my elblow pops and bangs, especially when my arm is at an angle – basically when the elbow has a twisting or sideways force on it too.

The popping is really painful, though the bit I find most concerning is that if at an angle I can feel like it is about to pop, so I lower my elbow so the joint isn’t at an angle to the floor and then it feels like the joint has slipped back into where it should be and doesn’t pop or hurt, I’ve never had that feeling before and it is this that makes me think I have done something to the ligamnts that hold the joint square.

If anyone knows what I should do to tighten it all back upagain that would be great!

Aug 17, 2010
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YOU CAN DO IT! Part One
by: Anna

MY INJURY:

radial head replacement at elbow after coming off a 5 foot wall on Christmas day '09. 27 years old.

MY RECOVERY:

Full hard cast off after 2 weeks. Began small exercises, moving forearm gently away from body and back. PT not available until after the 8 week 'window of opportunity' when one can regain mobility. Demanded 5 mins with a PT who gave me some great, simple stretching advice, which sped my recovery loads.

Regained full extension and flexion after a couple of months. No residual pain, just an awareness of slight weakness. Therefore, now working on strength using weights and dyna-bands. Will report results.

MY ADVICE:

Stay calm, think positively: remember that everybody's injury and everybody's body is different, and if you trust your own bodily awareness, you can push yourself as persistently as is sensible in order to regain mobility as far as possible without causing strain or re-injury. You can do it! Trust your own careful, faithful persistence with your own body more than a negative prognosis.

MY EXPERIENCE VS. DOCS' PROGNOSIS:

2 surgeons told me I'd never have full flexion or do sports beyond swimming: now I'm doing handstands. My physio said that surgeons often proffer a negative prognosis in order to ensure that patients are careful enough not to re-injure themselves. She also said surgeons are not qualified to comment on rehabilitation in the same way that PT's are.

What's more, apparently our injury is quite rare, and little research has been done into its longterm effects, so in many ways you are as much an expert as they are. My physio said this injury normally happens to kids, since weaker-boned adults break at the wrist when they fall, sooner than at the elbow. So, we must be make of healthy, healable stuff! Also, google the new science of regrowing cartilage and bone - maybe bionic tech will be ready for us, by the time these metal joints wear out! If they even do - nobody seems to know!

. . .

Aug 17, 2010
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YOU CAN DO IT! Part Two
by: Anna

. . .

MY EXERCISES:

The exercise the physio gave me that really speeded my recovery of flexion and extension is really simple, works on flexion and extension at the same time, and you can do it anywhere. I was lucky in that I experienced not very much pain, so i just did this exercise all the time:

Hold your injured arm out in front of yourself, turn the hand as 'palm-upward' as you can manage (that practices flexion). From that position, push the whole hand away from the body in small repetitive movements (practicing extension). If that's unclear, imagine you are a waiter holding a tray of canapes at shoulder-height on the palm of your hand. To offer the canapes to a guest, you have to move the tray forward, away from yourself. That's the simple movement.

Used loads of anti-inflammatories before, and icepacks after stretching so as not to irritate the injury.

Once flexibility's regained, it's time to work on strength. Google the pilates move Cat With Balance. Start with just cat, putting weight mostly on injured arm, then mostly on uninjured arm - and back and forth - then work up to having alternative arms and legs outstretched, to apply extra weight. Order a weak dynaband suitable for injury recovery, and practice the arm exercises that go with it - or you can use light, homemade weights (eg. tins of beans).

Last exercise: put your hands together palm-to-palm as if in prayer, now press one hand hard against the other, and slowly rotate - the right hand pressing against the resisting left hand throughout the rotation until the right hand faces palm down, and the left hand palm-up. Your forearms and wrists rotate, but your elbows stay in the same place. Then very slowly rotate back to the central 'prayer' position - the left hand pushing back, and the right hand resisting. Then slowly rotate hands in the other direction with the left dominating, and pushing down the right. The palms press against each other as hard as you can without causing pain, as though your hands were fighting each other to see who can stay on top.

THE FUTURE:

Sorry to be so longwinded, but I remember how helpless I felt when I was first injured and no-one could give me any clear information or advice, so I want to be as detailed as possible, in the hopes that it'll be of use to some of you in your recovery.

I've slacked off for a couple of months with a new job distracting me, but now I've returned to full strength training, and I'm thinking of it as a challenge I'm exploring - how much power and health can I bring to this limb, and the rest of my person at the same time? I figure I wasn't looking after myself properly when I jumped off a wall at Christmas-time, so maybe this is a chance to owe it back to myself, and take good care of my body now. I'll tell you how it goes.

Best love and luck to all,

Anna

Aug 18, 2010
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Muscle strength after radial head fx
by: Tammy

I am almost 4 wks post injury minimally displaced radial head fx(sling/ no surgery)and have regained extension to about -10 degrees from being straight. Yes painful, but seeing progress. Regained pronation and supanation. Now I am to the point where I feel like I've hit a plateau and am not able to make any further progress with my extension. What really concerns me is that I can't flex my bicep and part of my tricep. Has anyone else experienced this and does it resolve or is this something I should be asking my doctor about? Thx for all of the posts. It's comforting to see what others have experienced to know if what you are experiencing is "normal".

Aug 19, 2010
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New Girl tripped over the block..
by: Careless Stride

One rushed careless stride, a set of six stone steps between me and the dry washing on the line and I'm flying; to land with a crunch, forehead on the ground and pain that tells me my right dominant elbow hurts maybe more than a sprain. But I hope. This was yesterday and a visit to our nearest minor injuries unit and an Xray this morning confirms I have a radial head fracture. I now have a sling, an appointment with the consultant in two weeks and a diagnosis that sounds like the worst seventies heavy metal band ever...and a determination to be back dancing the Morris in super quick time...OK maybe not tonight as was planned but soon.

Aug 19, 2010
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Re: Muscle strength after radial head fx
by: John K.

Tammy, yes a plateau is normal based on everything I've read and personally experienced. I had a full replacement and plateaued for about 4 weeks. Then all of the sudden things loosen up a bit and I gained a pretty good degree extension increase. I've come to realize that the swelling was preventing movement and using ice even after therapy exercises helped me...even if the therapist was against it because it promotes stiffness. Now, she has changed her tune a bit but tells me not to let my arm go numb and limit icing to 10 minutes. Good luck!

Aug 19, 2010
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Radial Head Replacement (Proximal)
by: Paul

Wish i'd found this site a few years ago. Anyway, 2006 i made the tradgic mistake of stepping onto my sons skateboard! (silly i know), it happen in a split second as all i could remember was sitting up on the floor wondering why my right arm was in pain. I tried to move the arm but soon realized that it was a bad idea. After going to hospital for x-rays i was told that the radial head had been shattered and would need replacing. Had a prosthesis put in and underwent physio, a long and painful journey. I have always experienced pain in the arm since the operation and at times a shearing pain through the forearm mainly after repetative exercise of that arm. I have full extemtion of the arm and supination/ pronation are near perfect but noticably weaker in the right arm. I am always aware of a dull pain in the elbow and wrist and alot of clicking. I recently had consultation with an arm specialist and after several x-rays the diagnosis was that the prosthesis was now unstable and moving around within the forearm bone. The suggestion was to take take the prothesis out completely and not to replace it. The consultant stated that the normal procedure for radial head injuries such as mine were to just remove the damaged radial head as plenty of people live normally without the radial head and experience no pain.

My question is.. the pro's and con's of having the prosthesis taken out with no replacement. What implications are there in repsects to movement. Yes, these are question i failed to put to the consultant but will on my next visit. I'm just wondering if there is anyone out there that has had their radial head removed without need for replacement.

Regards, Paul

Aug 20, 2010
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Muscle strength after radial head fx
by: Anonymous

To TAMMY:

As mentioned above my Radial head replacement was done 4 years ago and yes, i noticed a difference in flexing of the muscles. I notice a definate size difference and diffence in solidity as i have found that the tricep does not flex fully. I gave up going to the gym and cannot lift the heavy weights i was acustom to so really once the injury has occured it can be somewhat life changing in respects to partaking in common activities. Also fear of further damage makes you alot more cautious. I found it near impossible to swim and can only now just about do the breast stroke without unbearable discomfort. So it does get better in time but i'm sure its different for everyone.

When i first had the replacement done, like most people, i found that there was little movement and physio was hard work, However i found it even harder to sleep at night in the usual positions and sometime i would wake up after feeling my arm drop to the side, suddenly fully extending to my horror and pain so i knew it was possible to straighten as i put these scary moments down to the total relaxation whilst asleep. not sure if anyone else ever experienced this.

Basically its been the bain of my life for a while now and i did feel quiet depressed at first as it made me feel less of a 'man' and not as strong as i used to be. I also felt as though nobody really understood the implications it had on my everyday life, it was like being invisably disabled.

Aug 29, 2010
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dont run for the bus
by: Anonymous

ran for the bus n caught childs shoulder went flying and told landed on right arm radial head cracked and slightly displaced Passed out with pain Sling and no cast Told to exercise straight away Did it last tuesday Have two dogs one of which lab rottie cross 30 kilos of dog other 20 kilo mongrel Still using hand but arm hurts lot if turned and extended Am on paracetomol codiene and ibruprofen Concerned about getting addicted to codiene but have house to run Hubbie fantastic but works full time Anyone any idea how long before i can walk both dogs at same time Cant manage both on same side as joints been sore for years Been told nothing can be done with them just have to live with it

Aug 29, 2010
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Aug 30, 2010
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Five Week Update
by: Zach

Hi Everyone-

I posted about a month ago asking for exercise suggestions to try two weeks post-accident. No one gave me any but that's okay.

I'm 22 and I had a 1.5mm fracture in the radial head of my left elbow. I only wore a cast for three days and did not have surgery. Doctors said most of the healing would occur in the first six weeks, although the bone will not be fully healed for one year.

I had my accident a little over five weeks ago and I am happy to report that I have full extension in my arm and I no longer experience pain during the day. Sleeping is a bit difficult still and I wake up with dull pain from the wrist up to the elbow, but that goes away in less than 15 minutes.

I am not supposed to lift anything heavier than a coffee cup, but I have broken the rule a few times and lifted kitchen chairs and boxes of records without pain. I've seen a physical therapist three times and he says he will give me weight-bearing exercises to try after my next visit.

If you are young and your fracture does not require surgery, I hope you will be encouraged by my recovery. Reading this forum was pretty depressing after breaking my elbow, but I have seen a lot of improvement in the last two weeks and I wanted to share with people who may read this forum in the future. My advice is to move the elbow as much as you can without intense pain. I extended it slowly up and down 10 to 20 times per day for the four weeks after my injury and eventually reached full extension. The most progress was between weeks two and three.

Aug 31, 2010
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dont run for the bus
by: Anonymous

just some encouragement for newly injured I cracked radial head at elbow last tuesday Slight displacement but not enough for surgery Dominant hand so learning to use left hand No cast just sling Rotating arm few times a day and up and down movement and straightening as advised by doctor trying today without painkillers only ibrupofen Can now dress myself carefully and carry light things in right hand Can make butties etc When first did this read comments and very concerned Everyone different so you could be one of the lucky ones

Sep 02, 2010
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wheelbite victim
by: Too old for longboards

I fractured me RH on August 19th - 42nd birthday trying out my new longboard! Clean fracture, Type 1 - no displacment. Just wanted to say that two weeks later I have almost full extension, am out of the sling, still have pain on extending the arm and closing the arm but am happy with the way it is healing. I did make sure that I wore my sling religously though for two weeks and did not overdo it as advised by my doctor. This I am sure has helped. Hoping to train again in martial arts in 3 weeks time - if you don't get a displacment you should be OK.

Sep 05, 2010
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update on dont run for the bus
by: anonymous

able to bath myself and wash hair Nearly full extension dull ache knuckles to shoulder but washed dishes and hoovered today Hardly use sling cos rubs on neck Way more movement than thought i would have amd less pain

Sep 05, 2010
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Careless stride
by: New girl over the block

Encouraged after reading more recent comments and thought I'd update on my experience. I am now 18 days post fall and although I wear my sling around my neck its more for show and a reminder to take things easy when I reach up to the top branches black berry picking. I'm virtually pain free most of the time, seem to shift around during sleep with no ill effects and even clashed sticks Morris dancing yesterday (briefly). My arm's still not quite straight but getting there, I'm doing the stretches recommended and will begin doing strength building in a few weeks. The minor injury consultant recommended still using pain as an indicator when to stop activity, at least for the next couple of weeks.

Sep 15, 2010
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Radial Head fracture
by: Cherylanne

Hi All,
I had a bad fall in my local food store. I finnished work early and was in a hurry to get home. I just ran into the shop for a carton of coke for the boys. I had the coke in my right hand. I also took a packet of chip that were on the end of a isle then walked straight into a huge spill of cream, I hit the floor hard. The store won't show me the CCtv footage. I think I didn't let go of the carton of coke. The weight of me and the coke smashed my right elbow. It has been a night mare since. I went to hospital had x-rays and was told I had a radial head fracture. I was sent home in a sling. The pain was intense. 7 days later I had surgery and 2 titanium screws placed into the bone. It's been 6 months since the fall. I have inproved a lot, but still have trouble touching my face and shoulder. My specialist has told me to wait for a few months and if it's not improving they will do a Radial head replacement. I can't afford more time of work, and don't want another operation. I exersise it daily. Basically it want's me to leave it alone. It's my right elbow. It hangs heavy sore and numb, from a shoulder that has seen better days. I'm 49.
Any idea's

Sep 21, 2010
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6 years on
by: Anonymous

Stumbled on this forum when looking up RH fracture complications.
Broke mine playing soccer 6 years ago (32 yrs old). A clean type 1 fracture. Saw a specialist a few months after due to continued restricted movement, but was told that I'd just have to live with it. I have suffered pain, I still cannot fully extend my arm. Lifting weights is hit and miss too. Some days it clicks and pops I can't do anything with it.
I've had a couple of other real gnarly breakages which have required surgery but are now completely fine, yet this little pesky fracture has continued to niggle for so long..

Sep 28, 2010
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2 Years Later
by: Anonymous

I fell with an outstretched arm,dislocated my elbow and cracked my radial head into 3 pieces. I had full radial head replacement surgery. After about a year and a half, I was losing rom due to scar tissue build up and bone spurs that developed. I also was getting a little numbness in my pinky finger.Surgery #2- remove scar tissue, file down bone spurs,and move the radial nerve. 5 months of occupational and physical therapy and I'm still in pain and have limited range of motion.This sucks!

Sep 29, 2010
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To the above
by: Paul

Hi, I had a radial head replacement 4 years ago, it's now come loose and is due to be taken out and left out. i have spoken to several doctors about this and it all seems positive. Every doc that i have spoken to takes the stance that the best thing to do is not to have the prosthesis replaced as you don't really need the RH there, in fact i will gain more range and less pain. I will look forward to playing golf again!! Also, i was told that any RH fracure should just be removed and not fixed as it normally just gives rise to further complication.

Sep 29, 2010
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Radial head fracture
by: Chris

I fell while running for a bus, I landed hard with my palm down and you can guess what happened from there. I ended up with a radial head fracture.

That was about 10 months ago now and I'm happy to report I'm fully better, complete range of motion in my elbow and just as I was before. So it's not all doom and gloom!

I was in a cast for 1 week, then when that was taken off they encouraged me to carry on as normal. At this point I could barely bend my arm at all. Motion continued to come back gradually until I was about 20% off full extension. I'd say it probably took about 2 months to get to that stage and another 2 months after that to regain complete movement.

I know how horrible this injury is, but keep your chin up. A lot of the comments on this site are pretty negative but bear in mind not many people search for an injury they had and recovered fully from... or bother to comment back once they are better.

Sep 29, 2010
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Proximal Intra Articular radial head fracture
by: Bonita Springs Florida

Wow, fellow radial head fracture survivors. I am amazed by your stories and feeling blessed.
Fell on the sidewalk in my backyard while gardening. Darn I knew it was bad. Got ice on it, took arnica homeopathic
Immediately every two hours, wrapped in a compression bandage. Had a business a ppt. Later in the afternoon went to emergency room and had it x-rayed. I will never choose that emergency room again. I think they had nursing students treating in the ER. Put me in a splint , wouldn't give me ice or a painkiller. By this time the thing was swelling. Spent one of the most painful sleepless nights in my life. Got into one of the best hand surgeons in the country the next morning. He cut the splint off saying that was wrong thing to do. He wanted me to start moving my arm within the next 2 days and doing simple exercises. wanted me out of the sling as well at home.
I started taking metabolic ( proteolytic) enzymes to address the injury and swelling. It been one week today. Though I completely fractured by distal radial head, I have almost full pronation and supination, can move by wrist and am working on the extension and flexion. one week post injury the doctor said there is a one to two week window to begin to address the injury to the joint capsule or it will never properly extend. It will hyoeratrophy instead and become like inflexible plastic
wrap around the joint He has prescribed physical therapy for the next four weeks. I was a massage therapist for almost 25 years and have been doing gentle cross fiber friction and lymphatic massage. I am very pleased with the progress especially after reading your stories of bravery and persistence.
The day before I broke my arm I stepped on a rattlesnake with bare feet and it didn't bite me. I consider myself one lucky duck

Sep 30, 2010
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Sucks.
by: Disheartened

Fractured the radial head and neck of my dominant arm after I fell off a longboard. Like everyone else said - terrible, immediate pain - felt like I was going to vomit and pass out (had to sit down with my head between my knees while my vision blacked in and out).

Knew something was terribly wrong right away (obviously - NEVER felt pain like that, before), went to emergency, had it x-rayed - all I was told was that I "didn't need surgery" and to keep it in a sling for at least 2 weeks. Having it initially handled to put it in the sling was the worst pain ever - fell to my knees and again, almost passed out. I NEVER want to re-live that moment!

Like everyone else said, this affected everything - couldn't sleep comfortably, couldn't do basic things like getting dressed, feeding myself, opening doors. Super frustrating. I only took one morning off of work (I don't get much in terms of time off) and just started learning to type with my left hand. It was pretty crappy.

Started physio and had follow-up x-rays after a few weeks - eventually stopped physio when they told me that the latest x-ray showed it wasn't healing enough to continue...

It's been 5 months, and I have regained near-full range of motion by using the arm as normal. But I'm frustrated because it STILL BOTHERS ME - it still hurts to carry groceries sometimes, gets really stiff and sore when it rains or when the weather is cold, and hurts if I use it too much... sigh. Feeling like it'll never be 100% better...

Sep 30, 2010
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Recovery Time Radial
by: Anonymous

Hey, I just want to say that on July,30 2010 i tripped at my work on to a concrete floor. I landed on the underside of both my forearms from my wrist to my elbows. I have a clean fracture on my left arm's radial head, and my right arm has a slightly displaced fracture, but neither needing surgery. I was in half cast on right arm and nothing on left for the first week. Then I got put into a splint for right arm to come out of when I did nothing for a week with nothing on my left arm. I do not wear anything anymore for protection, and I have had 7 weeks of 2 a days now and have full range of motion and have started strengthing today. So there is HOPE, it can go smoothly but you gotta start as soon as possible to get ur range of motion back. That is the key!

Oct 01, 2010
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hope
by: lea

Hi, I agree there is hope. I had radial head fractures in both elbows 26th June this year. The doctors said I'd never have full range of motion, months of recovery etc. I took a good fish oil amongst other things, practised my physio exercises in a swimming pool. 4 weeks later, the bones had completely healed and I was back kettle bell training and doing full push ups by week 7. Arms were straight completely quickly. I think it was down to the constant physio exercises.Now 3 months on, the odd click but feels back to normal

Oct 04, 2010
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HELP PLEASE
by: Hurting in MI

No insurance....Fractured the radial head bone in my elbow 6 weeks ago.My main problem is that I cant straighten it out.Just got a list of exercises im going to start doing and was wondering about over exercising it and icing it after exercising or heat pad? Any advice would be much appreciated.... Thanks

Oct 05, 2010
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Ice pack
by: Anonymous

Hi, I found ice packs a real help and used resistance exercises, held onto the forearm with my good hand and using the injured arm force pressure against the good hand and hold that restistance for about 20 seconds for 10 sets. Do this about three times a day or more.

Oct 08, 2010
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frustrating injury
by: Anonymous

i fell off my bike while riding a trail...went downhill and fell. fractured radial head in dominant arm.my first broken bone ever... cant work as a teacher. was put in splint. cant straighten arm out. for one week it will remain in splint. then doc will see if it started healing. the 2 docs i saw are recommending replacement. i'm a 47 yr old active women...who used to enjoy working out 3+ x a week. also lifting weights....but now im frustrated with the situation im in...
im taking vit D daily, drinking more milk, still working out when i can...after reading many comment i feel sad...that i have to put my active life on hold for thi pety injury...wondering if i should just have surgery asap...this splint is annoying...

Oct 09, 2010
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to frustrating injury
by: cb

Hello Frustrating injury,

You did not mention how far your gap is in the radial head pieces. When I originally had my injury the er doctor stated that surgery would be necessary if the pieces showed to be displaced more than 3mm. I asked how far out they appear and he stated it was border line. I saw the orthopedic doctor a week later and he stated you will need surgery in 2 days. I asked how displaced the pieces were and he stated over 3mm.

I ended up with a full radial head replacement. It has been tough, lots of therapy, etc. It maybe easier on someone that has been active and used to exercising. My husband would tell me use this muscle set or another and I would just stare at him. I do not know the muscle sets so my thoughts would be wrist down or turn hand. I would do the surgery again if needed since all the research that I have found showed that if I did not then I may not be able to do all that I can today.

Good luck, the big thing is start the physical therapy after surgery as soon as possible ask your doctor before the surgery.

Oct 10, 2010
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To frustrated injury
by: Anonymous

Having the radial head won't help with the physical strength to work out (in my experience anyway). I had a replacement about 4 yrs ago and now i'm gonna have it taken out completely and have nothing put in place as its not the major elbow joint and i'm sick of the restiction it causes me, yes i can move my arm to near perfect extention but i cannot use force or stenght on it. i've been told by feveral doc's that i and many people have lived perfectly well without the prosthesis in place. good luck!

Oct 13, 2010
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shattered radial head
by: sdg

hi im just 2 weeks out of sugery i crashed while racing motocross shattered my radial head into a few pieces but they took the pices out and screwed them back together i also fracturedmy ulna and sheared the cartilage off. had a hard cast for 2 weeks now i'm in ahalf cast and can start to try and move it in 1 week. my fingers work normally. know this is going to be a long painful recovery. is thereany hope of racing again?

Oct 13, 2010
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Oct 14, 2010
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i posted almost in march 09
by: Anonymous

look guys i knw its hard it was hard for me to. I fractured my radial head in my right arm in october 09 its been a year as it is october 2010
arm has improved greatly but Not full extension almost there so close. I can touch my shoulder now and can Flex bicep! Couldnt do that before it will slowly come back. I can do palm up and palm down now no problem NO PAIN i couldnt do it before but kept trying to move arm. I can lift Weights now not as heavy as before but im slowly progressing. Tried acupuncture it didnt wrk for me. All u need to do is strech ur arm every day 3 times a day or more. Lift light weights to begin with. Touch ur shoulder then extend with palms up as many times as u can then do it with palms down. Squeeze a grip ball and when u squeeze it then flex all ur fingers straight then sqeeze it again it help. IF u can go to a steam room or sauna it helps alot the heat loosens up the muscles and do streching in a steam or sauna room.
I went to see my physio and he told me to lie on my back straighten ur arm and get someone to slowly bend ur arm towards u then extend the arm down applying pressure so that it streches the arm out in extension DO THIS 3 times a day. ASLO if you guys have a cubicle shower at home where u can close the shower doors turn up the temperture of the water and spray on ur arm lean against the wall with palms up and ur fingers streching downwards and strech out ur arm and use other hand to push elbow from underneath then do it palms down it helps alot in streching ur arm and getting to full extension! Guys dont give up keep moveing ur arm go to the gym or train at home train ur legs ur whole body this will increase blood circulation go swimming be active. I knw its fukin hard i was depressed i couldnt move my arm at first i couldnt even touch my face now i can touch my face touch my shoulder easy no pain and almost full extension. I feel all of ur pain it gets better with time and movement. Good luck and be postive everything happens for a reason x :)

Oct 14, 2010
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1 YEAR ON AFTER RADIAL HEAD FRACTURE MY SECOND POST ON THIS PAGE! FIRST POST WAS IN MARCH 09 I THINK IT ENDED WITH IF U DONT USE IT U LOSE IT!
by: Anonymous

look guys i knw its hard it was hard for me to. I fractured my radial head in my right arm in october 09 its been a year as it is october 2010
arm has improved greatly but Not full extension almost there so close. I can touch my shoulder now and can Flex bicep! Couldnt do that before it will slowly come back. I can do palm up and palm down now no problem NO PAIN i couldnt do it before but kept trying to move arm. I can lift Weights now not as heavy as before but im slowly progressing. Tried acupuncture it didnt wrk for me. All u need to do is strech ur arm every day 3 times a day or more. Lift light weights to begin with. Touch ur shoulder then extend with palms up as many times as u can then do it with palms down. Squeeze a grip ball and when u squeeze it then flex all ur fingers straight then sqeeze it again it help. IF u can go to a steam room or sauna it helps alot the heat loosens up the muscles and do streching in a steam or sauna room.
I went to see my physio and he told me to lie on my back straighten ur arm and get someone to slowly bend ur arm towards u then extend the arm down applying pressure so that it streches the arm out in extension DO THIS 3 times a day. ASLO if you guys have a cubicle shower at home where u can close the shower doors turn up the temperture of the water and spray on ur arm lean against the wall with palms up and ur fingers streching downwards and strech out ur arm and use other hand to push elbow from underneath then do it palms down it helps alot in streching ur arm and getting to full extension! Guys dont give up keep moveing ur arm go to the gym or train at home train ur legs ur whole body this will increase blood circulation go swimming be active. I knw its fukin hard i was depressed i couldnt move my arm at first i couldnt even touch my face now i can touch my face touch my shoulder easy no pain and almost full extension. I feel all of ur pain it gets better with time and movement. Good luck and be postive everything happens for a reason x :)

Oct 14, 2010
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1 YEAR ON AFTER RADIAL HEAD FRACTURE MY SECOND POST ON THIS PAGE! FIRST POST WAS IN MARCH 09 I THINK IT ENDED WITH IF U DONT USE IT U LOSE IT!
by: Anonymous

look guys i knw its hard it was hard for me to. I fractured my radial head in my right arm in october 09 its been a year as it is october 2010
arm has improved greatly but Not full extension almost there so close. I can touch my shoulder now and can Flex bicep! Couldnt do that before it will slowly come back. I can do palm up and palm down now no problem NO PAIN i couldnt do it before but kept trying to move arm. I can lift Weights now not as heavy as before but im slowly progressing. Tried acupuncture it didnt wrk for me. All u need to do is strech ur arm every day 3 times a day or more. Lift light weights to begin with. Touch ur shoulder then extend with palms up as many times as u can then do it with palms down. Squeeze a grip ball and when u squeeze it then flex all ur fingers straight then sqeeze it again it help. IF u can go to a steam room or sauna it helps alot the heat loosens up the muscles and do streching in a steam or sauna room.
I went to see my physio and he told me to lie on my back straighten ur arm and get someone to slowly bend ur arm towards u then extend the arm down applying pressure so that it streches the arm out in extension DO THIS 3 times a day. ASLO if you guys have a cubicle shower at home where u can close the shower doors turn up the temperture of the water and spray on ur arm lean against the wall with palms up and ur fingers streching downwards and strech out ur arm and use other hand to push elbow from underneath then do it palms down it helps alot in streching ur arm and getting to full extension! Guys dont give up keep moveing ur arm go to the gym or train at home train ur legs ur whole body this will increase blood circulation go swimming be active. I knw its frekin hard i was depressed i couldnt move my arm at first i couldnt even touch my face now i can touch my face touch my shoulder easy no pain and almost full extension. I feel all of ur pain it gets better with time and movement. Good luck and be postive everything happens for a reason x :)

Oct 20, 2010
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Broke Radial Head 6 years ago - Still having problems
by: Anonymous

Six years ago, I fell sideways catching myself with my left arm fully extended and it snapped backwards. I went to the ER and was put in a cast. I followed up with the Ortho two days later and was put in a sling causing my arm to be bent for recovery. BAD IDEA GUYS!!!

So here I am six years later with nerve damage because of the way my arm healed. I have daily pain in my arm that is made worse by any and all activity. I drop things constantly and try hard not to even use that hand if I care anything about what I am trying to pick up. I am very healthy person who takes care of themselves, but I feel sure that had my arm been extended for recovery I would not be dealing with the issues now.

I have been through 3 years of extensive therapy now with no relief. The next step for me is surgery and I am READY for the relief.

I am not trying to scare any of you, but be careful to get a second opinion. The nerves that run through your elbow are serious business.

Oct 20, 2010
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frustrating injury
by: Anonymous

Hi again. Well haven't been able to type until now. Still it painful at time. As I injured the radial head on oct. 3rd 2010. It was a clean break. I was in a splint for about 2. Weeks. Doc took it off so that I can practice moving it. I can tell that movement is getting better. Still pain to turn door knob, twist tops off soda/water bottles, can't holdhubbys hand. Can't straighten arm out. Feels tight. Occassionally I get pain that shoots up to shoulder. still pain when I sleep but I take 800 mg Ibropofen. Driving is ok. Can't really put right arm to 12:00 position on steering wheel....also motion of cutting something is impossible. I try thru out day to move it but it hard. Often I get a sensation that its gonna crack. I'm really hoping to get back to work in another 2 weeks...but I teach 4-5 yr olds. Boss says I need to be able to lift a 40 lb child. Will that ever be possible. Tired of not being able to stretch arm out. So frustrating!!

Nov 04, 2010
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nerve damage?
by: Hurting in Texas

Just wanted to say that I wish everyone on here a speedy recovery! Thank you all for your stories. After reading them I feel much better.

I am a 49 year old female and I fell in the drive way...not really sure why, except that the top of my left toe was ripped off which makes me think my flip-flop caught something and that sent me face down on a drive way that was inclined...this happened on Sept 28th, 2010. I have never broken a bone before so I was suprised to find out my left radial head was fractured. I fell hard enough to break one of my front teeth in half and have to have 3 stiches in my lip and 3 in my big toe. The emergency care sent me into orbit....they put a soft cast on my arm. I have delivered 4 children and never have I had such pain! 2 days later I went to my regular doc and she took one look at me and said you need an ortho doc. next thing i knew the ortho doc was coming in the room....lucky me and taking the cast off....he re x-rayed it and found the radial head fracture. He advised me to leave it in a sling but gave me several light exercises to do. 2 weeks later he re x-rayed my arm and increased the exercises. All was fine, at that point...I took advil and the occasional pain pill when I would over do it...but last week, I guess that would be week 4 my hand became swollen and very painful, also increased pain in my wrist. I called the doc and he said to ice it and lay off the exercises for a day or so...I did that, and found some relief...but only temporary. This week I called his office because the swelling is bad...can't close my hand, which I could do before. I just had my appointment with the ortho doc and he says that it is sympathic nerve syndrom? anyway, I am on a steriod pack, then gabbipition or neuronton? He has now scheduled me for PT next week and says I should take vita c? and call him if my swelling goes away but my hand developes sensitivity to touch...so much so that a tissue touching it would make me cringe...any thoughts? suggestions or comments from anyone? Has anyone experienced this? Up till now I thought I was so lucky.....I have a high tollerence for pain and did all of my exercises...so I thought I was progressing...wow what a set back!

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nov 06, 2010
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Radial Head Fracture
by: Angi

My left hand radial head has been fracture since February 2010, I can do alot of things with my hand, but I am still having pain, and unable to get the full extension. I will be doing a radial head replacement 3wks time. I am scared but God is going to carry me through.

Angi
JAMAICA

Nov 06, 2010
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Post Surgery 6 weeks now
by: Canada

Broke my Radial Head in a baseball game whereby my team mate tackled me while going for a fly ball in center field where I was playing. 180 lb male crusing a 110 llb female.
Put in a sling for a week till I saw the surgeon, then surgery next day to replace the head.
I am a very active individual who goes to the gym every day and mountain bikes and weight lifts so this injury was very discouraging for me.
I put away my mountain bike for the season but have been able to do cylcing classes afer 4 days of surgery.
Physio is good, I do this every few hours and am gaining range of motion. Small milestone, I can tie my shoes, I can eat chicken wing with two hands, was able to clap my hands yesterday. I feel like a five year old, however with these small milestones, I might be The key is to keep doing the exercises every few hours.

Nov 08, 2010
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radial head fracture
by: kingster

well i fractured my radial head while skating,dummy me huh?lol.Doctor said i dont need surgery,but to follow up with orthipedic doctor.Well i have not seen one yet,cause of insurance reasons,but i have full ententions when i get that resolved.Can move my arm almost anywhere i please,can flex bicep and muscle,turn palm upwards and facedown,can not touch shoulder yet though,or extend arm all the way straight,but almost.can clap hands and turn door knobs,what really is bugging me though,is that my arm pops and cracks when i turn it,can even hit palm with fist,any suggestions on the pop and crack,and when should i start lifting weights with arm?It has been three weeks almost since injury occured.Good luck to all of yall that has this enoying problem. Thanks everyone.

Nov 08, 2010
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Nov 12, 2010
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Injured on Aug 4th 2010- now it is Nov, 11th 2010
by: Stephanie

Hope is near poor elbow folks, I didn't have surgery I just simply moved it as it hurt I have about 94% of range of motion, It aches when the weather changes I take Zyflamend by Chapter ,on sale at Amazon right now, it helps alot! Use less pain killers ! So yep hand in there~ Aloha! P.s I would recommend getting x-rays just to make sure you are getting better in alignment!

Nov 12, 2010
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frustrated
by: Anonymous

Injured on 10/3/10...since ii posted before I won't give my story..I will say that I still can't make a straight arm but began physical therapy and daily I do exercises after I heat arm with a moist heating pad. The arm exercises are not too painful but I sure hope it works. If it doesn't work...I will haveto wear some kind of crazy looking splint.
This injury takes time to heal. Patience is needed!
I still can't touch shoulder with finger or turn palm up all of the way. Eating is difficult, and opening a twist top bottle...but movement is improving. Good luck to all who are struggling with this injury.

Nov 12, 2010
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physical therapy/push yourself
by: Anonymous

I fractured my radial head in late September healed wrong. Mechanical block. Scheduled surgery I am 5 wks. post op. 7wks post initial injury. I am allergic to pain meds but managed through the 24-48hr post op phase with ice.... Ice it baby! Ice is my new best friend... For about a month I couldn't touch my face, head or tie my shoes. couldn't use my left arm in an efficient manner whatsoever.
My neighbor had a similar experience and told me to start doing as much as I could with my injured arm. Driving, dressing, cleaning, washing windows with your injured elbow mopping or mowing a lawn with the injured elbow just doing day to day tasks. With that mentality no pain meds and PT 3x per week I am progressing well. My strength is still embarassingly wimpy! my mobility and fine motor is awesome. After a while your body adjusts to constant dull pain and it becomes a mind over matter thing. Don't give up don't depend on meds and do your exercises even if you crack, pop and hurt a bit. We are all responsible for our own recovery and happiness.
Don't give up and don't fear discomfort.

Nov 12, 2010
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Nov 14, 2010
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Radial Head Replacement...
by: Sunny

I slipped on the ice January 2009 & broke my radial head...I had replacement surgery just a week later. I have severe pain occasionally at the top of my forearm & my wrist. I have been putting it off becase it comes and goes but I am thinking I will go back & get it looked at... if anyone else has this prob please email me with any advise! acloud7399@gmail.com

Nov 20, 2010
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Radial Head fracture healing progress
by: SJ

I fractured my radial head of my right arm 6 weeks ago, I was told by the attending doctor at the time to put the arm in a sling and rest it as much as possible. I went to see an ortho later who left me with the decision of whether to operate or not. I luckily chose not to operate and wore the sling for almost 2 weeks.

4 weeks into the injury, I could fully extend and flex my arm (well let's say 99%), however I couldn't rotate the forearm with my palm up without excruciating pain. I started physio and after 6 sessions I could turn my hand palm up and palm down with some pain.

Right now I can rotate the hand upward and downward with no problem, though it gets a bit stiff in mornings but it was fine throughout the day.

My physio tells me that it's the soft tissue surrounding the bone that causes all this pain and stiffness and not the bone itself. Therefore I'm going to give it another month and hopefully it will be back to normal (By normal I mean back to weight lifting as I can do everything with no issues now)

Wish you all a speedy recovery :)

Nov 24, 2010
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fractured radial head
by: chris

Fell while out walking 07 11 10 stumbled on an uneven track road. The usual outsreached arm to save myself ooooh my word the intense pain and nausea( i think childbirth wasnt this painfull).
A+E staff put it in a broad arm sling and told to rest and take analgesia. Im now suffering tingling and pain in my upperarm and wrist is anyone else suffering this ? and i have a sick note for 6 weeks will this be long enough i work as a nurse. Any info would be most wellcome.

Nov 24, 2010
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Nov 29, 2010
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Never give up
by: Higgs

Sj - how did you fracture yours?

Anna - your attitude and story was my favorite

I'm 24 and fractured my RH with minor displacement. (elbow) I was thrown off my motorcycle mid turn (about 25mph) and my right elbow took most of the impact. I'm am active male in good shape. Not sure if because of adrenaline or not but my arm did not bothersome right away. I even picked up my bike and rode it home. Later I realized my arm in severe pain with my elbow completely locked. I suffered acl reconstruction 2 years ago and was depressed throughout trying to recover. I refuse to act that way again and I'm going to do everything possible to have a functioning arm again. After 2 days realizing something was definitely wrong I went to ER. I found out I have a RH fracture with small displacement. He thinks displacement might not okay for no surgery but still wants me to see orthopedic. I iced it for first 72 hours and started using heat today. The heat makes it feel so good. I am at a very early stage and everyone elses story makes me userstand how serious this is and that it is a long process to heal. I most certainly want to be able to lift weights again. I experience the same pain as everyone else. Unable to rotate
Wrist extend or supinate. My elbow gets
Stiff but I refuse to be defeated
And I want to encourage anyone is to as well. Never give up and stay positive. Whether you need surgery or not make sure you do PT at home or where available. Love
And god bless. Stay positive and never be defeated recovery is 50% mental

Nov 29, 2010
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Radial Head Replacement
by: Anonymous

I fell in the push-up position in May 2010 and shattered my radial head beyond reasonable repair. In July 2010 I had my radial head completely replaced. I started OT after about four weeks. It was slow going at first, but by sticking to the schedule and following the Therapists instructions I got most of my ROM back. I can touch my my palm to my elbow just as well as I could before and I can turn my palm face up just as I could before. The only movement I didn't completely get back was the hyperextension (this is the movement you do when you are flexing you tricep), but I got it almost completely back. Currently, I have started some lite weight training. Sometimes when a work out I have some pops and creaks. This is normal and you just have to let it not bother you. Just stretch your arm out, go about your business, and try not to over do it. If you start feeling pain in the joint that is propably a sign that you are overdoing it. The key is to start lite and build up. My OT and my Surgeon both said that I would never be pusing the most weight around in the gym, but the key would be less weight, more reps.

If you are debating radial head replacement, I would encourage you to go ahead and do it - especially if your fracture is severe. The closer you get to six weeks post-fracture, your bones will heal almost completely in place. If they begin to heal in improper positions then you will have less ROM in the long run. The sooner you have the head replaced the better the replacement will work, the faster you will recover, and the faster you can get back to a normal life.

Nov 30, 2010
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RH Fracture progress update
by: SJ

Higgs, I fractured my elbow the exact same you fractured yours, I even had a minor displacement! and I'm an active 25 male in a very good shape so my hand didn't bother me much either, but I went to the hospital just to make sure nothing is wrong, since I was away on vacation and discovered that I fractured my RH!

Anyhow keep up that attitude of never giving up, right now I'm at the 7 week mark post injury, and I must say that I'm surprised by the improvement I have in one week, right now I can fully extend and flex my arm with minor pain and can turn my hand at any position as well. I began to lift light weights (around 5 lbs) and I can do some assisted push ups, my physio actually encouraged me to do those and gave me some weight training in the sessions.

So Here I am, 7 weeks post injury, 8 sessions of PT, bone completely healed and soft tissue healed by 80%, back to my normal day to day activities with some modifications to my training routines, I have finished the PT sessions and now I'm encouraged to increase the weights in training gradually to the point where I don't feel much pain in the joint.

Believe that you can do it and you will, as Higgs said, it's 50% mental and the rest is hard work and persistence.

Good luck y'all!

Dec 06, 2010
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Is it common for ur hand to turn Cold with a radial head fracture
by: Anonymous

i fractured my Radial head just last friday and i have a cast on but just today my hand started turning cold and ive hsd a tingling feeling in it like it asleep but not if that makes any sense. Is it bad that my hand turned ice cold or do i have nothing to worry about?

Dec 06, 2010
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regarding arm coldness/tingling
by: Anonymous

Do you have a hard cast on? Typically you wear a sling or soft cast. Ice cold and tingling, I'm not a doctor but that doesn't sound typical... Check with your doc... Sometimes the nerves in the radial head area get effected and you could be experiencing nerve issues rather than bone...
good luck!

Dec 06, 2010
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Dec 08, 2010
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broken humerus
by: Anonymous bloke

Broke my upper humerus oct 4th. Now in 11th week of healing. Because of age 70 and poor bones having a hard time. Right arm rom of motion only about 107 arm lifted sideways, around 130 lifed infront of me. Passive exercises very painful. I am a little fed up hoping to be at a better stage.
Broke the same bone,same arm 10yrs ago, at that time got full range of motion back, the pain was beyond belief, tears ran down my face.
I am scared to push then pain starts, scared the dam thing will open and I will end up in the ER
Stay strong everyone................

Dec 11, 2010
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Radial Head replacement
by: SDS

I am a 53 yr. old female. My radial head was replaced in my right (dominant)arm on 10/6/10 after falling in a pot-hole in an unlit parking lot. PT started immediately following the splint removal. It is now 8+ weeks post surgery and I am still unable to extend my arm, rotate my forearm, turn my wrist etc... I attend therapy 3x a week which includes using ultra sound. In addition, my home therapy takes hours daily. I use a JAS splint 3x a day attempting to increase my extension. I use another appliance constructed to stretch in the opposite direction, attempting to reach my shoulder. I am seeing some, but minimal results. I feel like I am always doing SOMETHING in an effort to gain some improvement. I have a 'guarded muscle' that refuses to cooperate. It is perpetually flexed causing my arm to constantly feel achy and fatigued. I also experience frequent pain in my hand, wrist & fingers. Any suggestions, ideas or comments would be appreciaterd. I see the surgeon for follow-up in 3 days. I'd like to ask him about botox into the muscle to relax it, not sure how far fetched this would be.

Dec 14, 2010
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To SDS
by: Paul

Hi, I've had a radial head replacement and experienced the exact same symptoms that you speak of. My injury was caused 4 yrs ago and had replacement put in 4 weeks after. I found that resistance exercise to be the best and have full extention and near full rotation. I also had and still have pain in the wrist and finger (little finger and ring finger) this is due to pressure being put on the wrist as the prosthesis has come loose. I can still function normally but and repetative use of the arm causes me great pain for weeks after. If you wish to email me please do. paulallen872@hotmail.com

Dec 25, 2010
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Non-displaced radial head fracture of left elbow
by: Cathy

I fractured the radial head of my left elbow on December 7, 2010 when the chair I was standing in fell backwards. Orthopedic surgeon confirmed I had chipped a piece of bone and put me in a soft cast. He advised me to do home exercises, which I have been doing (extending and touching my nose). It has now been 2 1/2 weeks and I have seen some improvement. The main problem I am experiencing is the "snapping motion" which causes me extreme discomfort; however, not been able to identify what I do that causes this. Is the "snapping or cracking" feeling common or caused by a certain movement? Return to ortho surgeon on 1/17/11 and am hopeful for a complete recovery.

Dec 27, 2010
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broken radial
by: Anonymous

I fell fixin the christmas tree, so my christmas was spend bed in a cast , pain, will see the docter in a few days , they had to put a pin to keep the bone in place, my fingers are still swollen . am wondering if he will be putting my arm back in the cast.

Dec 27, 2010
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Dec 29, 2010
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nerve damage
by: Anonymous

I had the radial head removed in June 2010. Healing was slow but did have lots of improvement. 6 weeks ago my hand started going numb with alot of pain in the elbow. Has anyone else experienced numbness? I go for nerve conduction tests next week. My orthopedic surgeon claims the numbness has nothing to do with the injury or surgery.

Dec 30, 2010
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fractured radial head almost 8 weeks ago
by: Georgie

Hello there, i stumbled quite by accident here:) I will book mark it now!. I have a grade 1 (UK based) radial head fracture, I had a full POP for 7 days as there was significant odema and they felt there might be a second fracture, fortunately there wasn't. I am a Staff Nurse in teh NHS and need both my arms to do my job on a busy surgical ward and despite this I was discharged with 2 exercises top do reguarly ( which i do despite it hurting then i stop),. It kept clicking like mad !! still does which actually makes me quite nausteated!. I tried to get a new fracture clinic appt and was told i had to go back through a and e again!. 4 hours later and re-xrayed and the bone is not healing!. I was so cross and very worried, im due back to work next week!. I got very cross and have been refered as an "emergency" to our physiotherapy dept but it looks like i mght have to wear a support or brace or a while, though im told with that i can go back to work and use it as normal!. I do wonder sometimes what ppl are thinking and their perception of pain when they say such things! anyway I will keep you posted and if anyone has any other fab ideas for speedy recoverys keep posting them here . This is the only place i have fouind support there truly is a lack of info on this very pesky nasty fracture. Happy |New Year btw to you all x

Dec 31, 2010
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hey george
by: Anonymous

I broke my radial head in September it healed wrong. In early October had surgery. I have been in physical therapy regularly and returned to work. Yeah the pain is nauseating... Strange sort of discomfort. I would strongly encourage surgery to correct any mechanical blocks. So worth the pain and discomfort... I am now pain free and have my mobility and most of my strength back. It has been hard work and not without alot of discomfort and bumps along the way. Nonetheless, totally worth it... Physical Therapy has opened my eyes to the importance of staying active, positive and participating in my own recovery. So many people out there with major injuries and physical impairments I feel very fortunate... Please, get surgery if you feel like your arm isn't in sync with the rest of your body. It isn't thaaat bad although there is pain, discomfort and downtime in the end you will be glad you did it!!! Get the opinion and advice from a younger surgeon orthopaedist because new methods of surgery and physical therapy are always happening! Or atleast seek out a surgeon who is well versed with your specific type of injury... Good Luck in the New Year!

Jan 04, 2011
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Re- Nerve Damage (as above)
by: Paul

Just a quick note on nerve damage. I had and still do experience nerve damage and beleive that if you look into it you will find a problem called 'ulnar Nerve' disorder, normally caused by pressure placed on the (funny bone) nerve. This can cause numbness in the little and ring fingers and the 'ulnar' side of the hand.

Jan 04, 2011
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Jan 05, 2011
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Broken Radial Head Nov 23-10
by: Patricia

Hi All,

I fell like a domino on my entire left side the first icy day of the year (Nov 23-10). Pain was intense. But I continued on to work. My left leg bruised up immediately and hurt horribly. My elbow hurt as well and swelled up so much that I could barely move it.

Three days after my fall, when my leg stopped hurting I realized my elbow really hurt. By this time it had swollen so much I lost my elbow and could barely move it out of the "sling" position.

Went to the family dr, then emergency room and discovered I had a broken Radial Head bone in my left elbow. The Dr advised me to wear a sling and not to drive and got an appt to see an ortho surgeon for the following week.

Basically I was told by the ortho surgeon that I had a broken elbow, was not allowed to drive (although I had driven for the first three days after the incident)and to keep it in a sling for 2 weeks after the initial injury. Apparently they felt the bone would heal but were more afraid that the elbow would freeze and I would not be able to move it once it did heal even with therapy.

My elbow hurt but I kept trying to move it as much as physically possible (totally stopped at the point whenever my arm hurt too much) but kept it in the sling position for most of the time. Only took a day off work (after having the x-rays which were killer). I work at a computer and had to continue to use the arm for typing. Never knew so many keys were on the left side of the keyboard!.

2 weeks later at my next orth apt, was told although the bone was not knitting, my range of movement was amazing. Apparently most people at this stage are still in the sling position. My next ortho appt is in a week. My surgeon said NOT to do any physical therapy because the arm was not ready for it but told me to continue what ever it is I am doing.

I DO NOT lift anything with that arm nor have I driven since being told not to. I have tried to move it as much as physically possible but stop immediately once I get sharp pains. At first it was torture to try and move my forearm and wrist, now it is just a little uncomfortable. Opening doors, turning on water facets and opening cans are painful so I avoid those things as much as possible.

I am more then happy with my mobility but am having pains in my elbow now more then when I broke it. My shoulder and wrist are tired and at times can not find a comfortable position for the elbow. Although the surgeon said it didnt look like any nerve damage, I am having lots of tingles in the elbow and sometimes down the forearm.

Despite my good mobility (I am able to almost straighten it now), I am worried that the bone is not knitting well and if I will get arthiritis or nerve damage. The new pains are hopefully the bone knitting but it does cause me great concern.

It is really nice to have stumbled onto this site and read how other people are fairly with a similiar injury.

Thanks everyone for sharing!

Jan 06, 2011
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left arm, skapula, radial head fracture
by: vern

Two different accidents. First a branch fell out of a tree hitting me in the head and braking my scapula left arm and puncured my left lung in 1992. 18 years later,fell roller skating left arm radial head fracture,2 months ago.Now I am in pain alot of pain, my arm feels warmer than the rest of my body. my left elbow is not bending right and im loosing movement in my wrist and elbow.my elbow pops all the time. My wrist is wanting to curl under. i am loosing strenght in my arm. nelsonvern@yahoo.com

Jan 06, 2011
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Jan 11, 2011
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Radial Head not healing
by: Anonymous

I fell 10 weeks ago and was diagnosed with a fractured ulna near the elbow. Wore a sling for 3 weeks until my next Dr. visit. My arm was xray for the 2nd time and was told that the facture was healing nicely. I was began physical therapy 3x a week. I was happy with the results from PT, but I still had a burning sensation in my elbow and pain turning hand palm up. A lot of improvement from day 1 of the injury, but I felt I was not quite there yet. I am now at 10 weeks since the injury and went to see my Dr for the 3rd visit. I had another xray of my elbow. This time the fracture of the Ulna was not mentioned, but was told that my radia head is not healing. The Dr. mentioned radial head replacement. I was so surprised to hear this diagnosis, that I did not ask any questions. The Dr. said to give it another 4 weeks of PT and follow-up appointment in 4 weeks. I have been reading information about radial head fractures and the pain I am still experiencing makes sense that there is something wrong with the radial head. Is it possible that the radial head injury not show up in the first 2 sets of xrays? I have many questions for my Dr. now and I am going to call tomorrow. Thanks for any advice or comments. Mr DR is an orthopaedist.

Jan 11, 2011
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Jan 19, 2011
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Broken elbow radial head dominant side
by: Anonymous

True bummer. 12/23/10 I tripped, pitching forward onto my knees, both hands outstretched and my right elbow. All bruises, except my right elbow, which is a "mild" break, I was told in ER, and by my doctor, who took me out of the 4 day old splint, ordered me to wear the sling sometimes, plus pt 3x/wk for 6 weeks. The only arm pain I had was upon twisting or lifting or grabbing, but my hand was immediately, extremely painful, especially my thumb, and when trying to make a fist...it is awful still, and forget it when it comes to strength. I am working very hard at therapy... maybe, too, hard for now I have serious nausiating pain in my forearm, and wrist as well, plus when I try to close my fist, the center of my palm feels like a knife is going though it. I am using my hand to type this, and for every possible thing without weight. In therapy I use 1 lb. My range of motion is very good, which all are surprised by it. It is just the weakness, the pain, sometimes excruciating, and weird ouchy. Well, I feel it is healing, but not w/o some awfulness. My skin is sore as if maybe I now have nerve damage. Well, that's my radial head story. I think I will look up how to stretch my forearm muscles to help my hand maybe? Also, my physical therapist mentioned the fascia being displaced, and she massaged my forearm by holding compression with very little movement, and that felt healing. We also use some electrodes, ice, putty, and bands. Well, good luck everyone. Thanks to this site.

Jan 26, 2011
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cycle accident
by: dajpa

front wheel locked when dog ran in front of my bike , got catapulted into the air and landed on wrists , fractured and mildly displaced radial head in left elbow. hospital wanted to operate and put screw in but my own private othopod said no. put ice on elbow 20 minutes 8 times a day and then after 1 week start pt. if after 6 weeks restricted movement then surgery but not before.my caste is cut in the middle so i can take it off to do the icing. early mobility and exercise is the solution so i have been told. wish me luck as i want to get baCK INTO CYCLING IN 12 weeks.sorry for the 1 finger typing

Jan 26, 2011
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RH replacement - follow up surgery
by: SDS

Hi, I'm looking for input regarding surgical release of elbow contracture. ROM is 38/105 (Extention/Flexion). Radial Head was replaced 10/6/10. Most areas have improved but flexion has remained unchanged for the past 10 weeks. From the onset I have had extensive muscle guarding. I use dynamic extension and flexion splints 3x a day, in addition to other home excercises. PT was recently decreased to 2x wk. I see the surgeon 2/7/11 at which time he will probably recommend the surgery. Any input on what to expect ? What about the muscle guarding following surgery ? He did mention the surgery would be incredibly painful and I would have to 'push' through the pain with meds. immediately following surgery. I've been out of work since I fell in Sept. It's been a long process and I need 'normal' back.
Thank you ~ Sandy

Jan 26, 2011
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nerve damage after radial head fracture
by: Anonymous

Had nerve conduction studies performed 6 months after radial head fracture and removal because of numbness in the hand and alot of pain in the arm. Was diagnosed with both ulna and radial nerve damage most likely from scar tissue. The pinkey and 4th finger are always numb and the pain is in the crook of the elbow. Now the doctor is talking about another surgery to move the nerves so they are not constricted. Last thing I want is more surgery. Anyone else had this done?

Jan 27, 2011
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its been long enough
by: Anonymous

Its been 4 mths since I fell off bike breaking radial head in dominant arm. Has improved since then. But cant straighten arm. Go to PT every week. Doc put arm in parafin wax and stretches it out, with massage etc...But arm tightens up soon afterwards. Reaching out for things is hard, but pain comes and goes. Im wondering if something else is the problem. I exercise it often at the gym, but it just wont straighten out. Touching shoulder is hard to do with lots of pain. I can do most everything. But often wonder how much longer I will have this problem. Use a JAS splint to also help stretch arm. Would like to get back on my bike...

Feb 03, 2011
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Radial Head Fracture in Alberta
by: Gary

I am dealing with WCB due to a radial head fracture that occured May 15th 2006, Ya I know long time ago, I just had Surgery by an Ortho in Red Deer AB Dec 9th 2010, I have the same symptoms as pretty much everyone else is describing here, could not straighten my arm for 4 yrs now turning twisting pain, numbness my life sucked, wcb denied me the surgery on Dec 9th stating that because a bone spur was spotted on an x-ray dated May 26,2006 Spurring noted at the insertion of the Achilles on the Ulecranon this is the actual quote of the report, Sandra Resch CM of WCB Alberta decided that I had a bone spur previous to breaking my elbow and was disallowing my surgery left me 2 months with no income, the Dr who did the surgery did the following removed the tip of the olecranon, I had some osteophytes removed the ulnar nerve was found to be tight and showing some edema that was mobilized and freed. I now have full extension which did not have 4 yrs prior, pronation and subnation are all remarkable, I have not had this much relief in 4 yrs since I injured my arm..wcb has caused great distress in my world I am interested if anyone else is having the same problem with WCB and denying this type of injury ??..Please contact me at colleenandgary@shaw.ca if you have or are having similar problems. I have feeling in my hand again no tingling or numbness...I will note that I have never had a problem with my elbow prior to this injury but the Case Manager tells me that I did just no symptoms

Feb 04, 2011
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Update
by: Anonymous

I first commented here about a year ago. At that time I was experiencing a lot of pain and restricted movement due to surgery after having fallen and broken my olecranium, radial head and ulna. Surgery led to a plate with 11 screws and a radial head replacement. A year later, I am doing much better, Went to physio and worked extremely hard and I mean extremely hard, but it paid off in the end. Although I still have restricted movement, I am much better than I was. I may have to have surgery to remove the plate and screws as it is extremely close to the surface. My arm still bothers me on a daily basis but it is much better than it was. I wanted to let anyone know that has recently experiences a similar injury just to hang in there. It does get better with time.

Feb 07, 2011
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RADAIL HEAD
by: Anonymous

Hi I have fractured my radial head and went to one doc and he did not advised me of it until i went to a other doc and he advised me of it. the first doc after 3 months he tells me he cant do that surgery. the second doc says i need a radial head replacement. I don't think so cuz I'm able to move my palm up and down more. I have seen worst fracters than mind. They have been fixed with plate and some with screws is there anyone that can tell me of a good doc in houston, tx.

Feb 08, 2011
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Radial Implant
by: Kathleen

Glad to find others with this issue. I fell down stairs on ice in 2005. Went to the ER to be told I had a minor facture. Sent home with meds and told to see an orto doctor for a cast after the swelling went down. Saw my ortho doctor 5 days laster, after being strung out on pain pills, and was told that I needed immediate surgery (they looked at the same x-ray from the ER.

I had a radial head implant installed and went through 12 weeks of PT, 3 times a week.

I regained 90% of motion and full strength.

Today I type with 1 hand, as my nerves in my other arm are killing me. Nothing brought this on, just started hurting and now full blown nerve pain. I had gone to my ortho in Oct with a locked up elbow and minor nerve pain. They did x-rays and found nothing wrong. He told me I may need surgeruy at some point from the scar tissue and famage from the shattered bones affecting my nerves for 5 days after the accident.

Anyone out there having severe nerve pain up and down the arm starting at the elbow and going both ways?

Feb 10, 2011
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Update
by: Patricia

I posted back in early January about my broken elbow. Just wanted to report that I have healed amazingly well. I have about 98% of my mobility back and can do almost all my normal activities except that I still can not lift very much. My orth surgeon suggested I start physical therapy to regain the strength in that arm/eblow which I agree is needed. My shoulder and wrist still get very tired easily but overall I am happy that my healing was so quick. I am still not driving nor shovelling snow but I dont mind that. Thanks to everyone that shared their stories on the board and I wish everyone heals as well as I have.

Feb 12, 2011
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broken radial neck
by: lisaaaa

hi everyone.

on january 22 i tripped over my 2 year old and fell full force on my outstretched arm.

i ended up with a broken radial neck in the elbow. i had surgery the very next morning and 5 screws were placed into the arm.

i wore a cast for 2 weeks and am now wearing a splint that i remove 3 times a day to try to move the arm up and done. i am not able to stretch the arm straight or bend the arm all the way up. it is not painful but just extremely stiff.

i wanted to know if anyone here knows whether the radial neck fracture is as painful to recover from as the radial head fracture.

has anyone else experienced this? what should i expect? i have read through this forum and it is scary what people have gone through.

thanks!

Feb 14, 2011
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Radial Head - removing implant
by: HYL

Hi all,

I had my radial head replaced with a titanium implant back in July 2009. It was an isolated type III fracture from a fall playing soccer.

I regained nearly all of my motion after a lot of hard work. After 12 weeks I started to play golf again pretty much every week (Doc mentioned it was ok to play) since. I felt tender in my forearm but never felt any real pain.

Its now Jan 2011 and i just found out from my surgeon that the implant has become loose and needs to be removed completely.

I am not looking forward to the surgery. Has anyone else have had their implant removed? what your experience?

Feb 14, 2011
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Feb 19, 2011
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Nerve Pain
by: Kathleen O

Someone had posted that they had nerve studies doen to numbness and pain down from the elbow area to the pinky and ring finger.

I too have had this done, and was told the same thing; scar tissue. I went 1 week with nerves exposed, as the ER told me the injury was minor and to go home, only to follow up with my Orthopedic DR and taken to surgery immediately.

Anyway... The nerve pain is bad. The numbness, I've gotten used to it. I had my arm freeze up 2 weeks ago for 3 days straight. Couldn't move my arm and the pain was unbearable (oxy is my friend). It felt as though someone took a sledge hammer and smashed me at my elbow and the nerve pain radiates everywhere in my arm. Thankfully it was only 3 days and all is fine now.

Someone else commented about removing the implant and replacing due to looseness. A friend had this done and it was replaced. She had to go through all of the PT and adjustments all over again, but it sounds like yours needs done.

The life expectancy of these implants is unknown. Could be 5-10 years for it to be replaced with another. I kept my arm extender ($1200) just in case I need to go through this again and can't afford another extender.

I'm not an expert in this, but i've lived with it for 6 years...been there and done that. You could email me at KatOwens@aol.com if you want to chat. :)

Feb 19, 2011
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Response to Lisaaay
by: Kathleen O

lisaaaa

There is an arm extender that your DR can prescribe for you and order. It's made by Empi. I had my radial head replaced and this was a Godsend. It has tension and forces your arm to open gradually. Here's the link to it.

http://www.empi.com/empi_products/detail.aspx?id=220

Talk to your orth dr and see if he recommends this.

KatOwens@aol.com

Feb 19, 2011
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Radial head excision
by: Andrew

Displaced fracture of left radial head in cycling accident when hit by car who didnt bother to stop! Had left radial head excised, no physio offered just told to try and use it, no cast or splint. Slowly getting there but can't extend properly 1 month on although flexion not too bad. I am a dentist so manual dexterity very important. Grip strength is poor and despite it being non dominant hand am having to limit certain procedures which require repetitive prolonged movement. Slowly getting back to the gym - do boxfit classes but think it will be a while before I can start these again. Had a few episodes lately of tingling down into little finger and reassuring to hear of similar experiences. Concerned about long term elbow problems ie arthritis which may limit my job and active lifestyle later.

Andrew, Scotland UK.

Feb 20, 2011
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thanks kat
by: lisaaaa

thanks for the info kat. that brace looks like a torture device.

i will see my doc on friday and will see what he says.

Feb 23, 2011
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recovery
by: volleyballer

Hi I just received a radial head fracture during a volleyball game
I have been told around 1 week in a 90 degree cast thing and then have it changed to give me a wider range of motion
I currently represent my country in volleyball and need to be able to play 5 weeks from now
I have not had any pain yet aside from moderate soreness time of injury
Could 2 weeks physio with given excersises give me sufficient strength and range of motion to play?
I am willing to work as hard as humanly possible to achieve this
thankyou, any educated input would be great

Feb 28, 2011
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volleyball
by: Anonymous

i broke my radial head on july 25th, one week with a full arm cast, followed by extensive physio therapy seesions (10 total)....takes about 3 months to feel more mobility back and feel better about the situation. Im at about 8 months since i broke my radial head, ive been playing hockey since november, i can hear cracking noises in my elbow when i turn my elbow...will this go away??

july 25-oct 25, that was my doctors advice of when to start doing physical activity

Mar 01, 2011
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Radial Head.
by: Anonymous

I fell approx 20 ft and shattered my radial head as well as dislocated the elbow. (Not to mention crunched my wrist, shoulder and neck. Long way down, lemme tell ya.)

I now have a titanium joint and two pins - I had staples and was in a cast for about three weeks. The movement six months later is still stiff, rotation smarts and I can join in that chorus of popping and cicking.

I wanted to say - Kathy - I had a mechanism that straightened my arm out as well. Don't torture yourself by wearing it when you sleep. If you watch a movie or a tv show, perhaps do it then, but to be honest I felt it completely useless.

Tissue massage from my physiotherapist helps the most. I'm still limited in the gym for weights (five pounds is what I've worked up to... In six months) and my arm still gets puffy and locks up.

Just take your time, don't rush the healing. It was one mistake I made... These kinds of injuries generally take a year (or two) to start feeling better and cold weather does NOT help.

I do hope ALL of you start feeling better. I know my life hasn't been the same since the accident, but there are always little things we can do to make our lives a little easier and get rid of at least a little of the pain.

Mar 03, 2011
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yoga helps
by: Anonymous

Hey injured radial heads!
I finally stopped PT and am out on my own discovering new ways to gain better strength and mobility while decreasing my popping, locking elbow. Yoga, at first I was hesitant but after doing it regularly for over a month I have such an improvement. When I reached my frustration limit in physical therapy I decided it was time to try a new approach to my regimen. Only good has come from doing this regularly. Namaste!

Mar 03, 2011
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To HYL
by: Paul

I have the very same problem. got a titanium radial head replacement that has also come loose, However, i'm looking at have it taken out with not replacement. Look into it as i've been assured that life is alot less painfull without the prosthesis. Have a chat with your consultant and get them to look into it. As i understand the only real noticable difference will be a slight increase in rotary motion.

Mar 03, 2011
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Titanium Implant
by: Kathleen O

Hi Paul....I see that you have a titanium implant for your radial head. How can you have it removed and not replaced? I too have the implant, but I can't have mine removed without something replacing it, as I'm missing my radial head and about 2" of radial bone.

Mar 03, 2011
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Mar 04, 2011
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5 mths since fall
by: Anonymous

Hi all. Its been 5 mths since I fell off my bike and broke radial head. Now I have bone spurs and apparently arthritis on the back of the elbow. I still cant straighten my arm all the way. I am so close. I work out at gym about 3x a week and still cant get this arm straight. It cracks every so often...and aches at times. Cant touch shoulder with that arm, and reaching for things is tough.
I hear from everybody that this kind of injury takes forever to heal. How frustrating. I go to physical therapist now & then for hot parafin wax treatment and massage with some kind of ultrasound thing...for deep tissue.
doc put me on med called Indomethacin for a mth. Then he says he'll give me some kind of shot.
Does this sound right? I know every doc is different. But i sure hope my arm can go back to normal. I thought surgery would be an option for bone spurs. Do they disappear eventually? Anybody have this scenario?

Mar 04, 2011
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Type 1 nondispalaced radial head fracture
by: Anonymous

Two weeks ago I tripped and fell, outstretching my palms to break my fall. At first I hoped that it was just a bad bruise in my left elbow, but the pain told me otherwise and I went to the ER. They took x-rays and the attending physician said he wasnt sure but he thinks I might need an operation, and they referred me to an orthopedic surgeon recommended by the hospital. I live in the U.S. and don't have insurance, so I wanted a second opinion before spending thousands on unecessary surgery. I went to a free website that has ratings that actual patients have submitted called ratemds.com and after some calling around I found a D.O. who was very highly rated and sympathetic that I am paying out of pocket. They put me in a half cast for two weeks, because it turns out I have just a minor radial head fracture. They recommended early movement and referred me to a physical therapist. A few weeks after my injury I can already rotate my palm and every day I am able to straighten my arm more and more.
I am sharing this because too many doctors look at surgery as an easy way to make money off of health insurance companies, and if you don't have insurance you will be in debt for a long time. Do your homework on your injury and the reputation of local Orthopedic specialists. Get a second opinion and be a conscientious consumer- ratemds and angieslist are just a few websites that give you information about local doctors. The first thing I did was research my condition. Don't try and self-diagnose, but be well-informed. Keep a copy of all tests and x-rays. I saved myself thousands of dollars and prolonged misery by just doing a little investigating.
Also, take care of yourself regarding nutrition and smokers try to cut down or quit during your healing process. Supplements are ok but its essential after an injury to eat whole foods that are packed with vitamins.
Best wishes on the road to recovery for all who are reading this :)

Mar 04, 2011
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Type 1 nondisplaced radial head fracture
by: Anonymous

Two weeks ago I tripped and fell, outstretching my palms to break my fall. At first I hoped that it was just a bad bruise in my left elbow, but the pain told me otherwise and I went to the ER. They took x-rays and the attending physician said he wasnt sure but he thinks I might need an operation, and they referred me to an orthopedic surgeon recommended by the hospital. I live in the U.S. and don't have insurance, so I wanted a second opinion before spending thousands on unecessary surgery. I went to a free website that has ratings that actual patients have submitted called ratemds and after some calling around I found a D.O. who was very highly rated and sympathetic that I am paying out of pocket. They put me in a half cast for two weeks, because it turns out I have just a minor radial head fracture. They recommended early movement and referred me to a physical therapist. A few weeks after my injury I can already rotate my palm and every day I am able to straighten my arm more and more.
I am sharing this because too many doctors look at surgery as an easy way to make money off of health insurance companies, and if you don't have insurance you will be in debt for a long time. Do your homework on your injury and the reputation of local Orthopedic specialists. Get a second opinion and be a conscientious consumer- ratemds and angieslist are just a few websites that give you information about local doctors. The first thing I did was research my condition. Don't try and self-diagnose, but be well-informed. Keep a copy of all tests and x-rays. I saved myself thousands of dollars and prolonged misery by just doing a little investigating.
Also, take care of yourself regarding nutrition and smokers try to cut down or quit during your healing process. Supplements are ok but its essential after an injury to eat whole foods that are packed with vitamins.
Best wishes on the road to recovery for all who are reading this :)

Mar 06, 2011
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Broken radial head
by: sabre sprint

It's nice to read others experiences of this injury. I broke my dominant hand radial head at the end of January( 5.5 weeks ago). Put in sling for 2 weeks then told to try and move it as much as possible. Trying hard to get my palm facing up and down, it's impoving but when try to get it facing upwards get pain down arm and into thumb.
Can't extend my arm much, try to push it forward but it seems locked. Has anyone else experienced this and got any ideas to help? Going to see Dr at hospital this week so hopefully will be able to get some physio to help.
Off work still, I teach and school were not happy about having me back till it's safe. But feel very guilty. Any other teachers out there with experience of this injury and willing to share how long they had off work?
Thanks

Mar 06, 2011
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sabre sprint
by: Anonymous

Hi,
I broke my radial head back in late September two weeks later I had surgery. Went back to work as a teacher the week after Thanksgiving. I work in a preschool and my teaching position is pretty physical. It was tough at first but with Physical Therapy/massage too. I did pretty good. A few set backs during cold damp weather but overall I have managed well. My job doesn't offer benefits but I know for fact in CA workers comp/disability states 3mo. off work. I would stick to it because I had a few mishaps during the early phase of my return to work. Be certain before returning that you can do your day to day tasks. exercise the tendons/muscles just above and below your elbow to help with overall strength. Great google... exercises for tennis elbow work well too. I have found the greatest source of help to be adding yoga to my daily routine. If I skip a few days or don't stretch out the old injury area I don feel increased joint stiffness and even a dull pain. Hang tough.

Mar 06, 2011
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non displaced fracture radial head
by: Anonymous

I am on week 3. I have been icing my elbow about 10 hours a day. It has worked it is finnally not swollen. I have been doing gentle range of motion, through this whole time. with my palm facing upwards extending my arm as much as possible. Now that the swelling has gone down i have full extention. I have also radically changed my diet this whole time. No coffee,foods that reduce inflammation, green tea, lots of ginger,etc. No tomatoes, processed sugar,or eggplant. It is getting stronger and i also do pronation and supination as much as i can. I have recently have some loud crepitus in the elbow joint.
Anyone know how to minimize that? I have also done massage. What i have learned in this journey is that it is important to stay away from alleve or ib profen because this stops the bones from healing. (my orthopedic doctor told me that)
good luck everyone.........

Mar 06, 2011
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Kathleen O
by: Paul

I quizzed that fact as well, surely something needs to go in place. Apparently not and many people live perfectly fine without the radial head socket. Mine is loose and constantly gives me trouble but nothing i can't coupe with. I'd like to have it removed, my only conern is the extra movement one would expect to inherit! but we'll see, i need to do more research on the matter so it'll be a long way off before i get anything done.. Kathleen, PM me on paulallen872@hotmail.com as its not often you come across someone else with the same injury and its good to exchange opinion....and pain!

Mar 19, 2011
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Hopeful
by: Patti

I am grateful for this site...fell 4 wks ago..broke radial head at elbow. Splint at hosp w/followup instructions. Guess I was allergic to something..the splint seemed to cause intensive pain..the best position for me was with my hand on my thigh but nothing was very good for any length of time...still not. My face and arm, fingers puffed up and I was itching. Took the sling off and just moved for comfort. Caught a lot of flack from fam. about that but after reading everyones comments am pretty happy.
Absolutely could not bear any weight w/hand, even folding a towel caused so much pain. However, I seemed to improve each and every day until this last week when I forgot a few times and put my weight on my hand. I own a child care center and did not feel like I could take any time off but I did go home early several times to 'curl up under a blanket and pout' because of the constant pain.
So...4 weeks into this my arm is still swollen and hot...my house is so very messy...do not want to use my hand at all. Hot water in the shower is good but OTC painkillers don't seem to have any effect. I have been using my hand as much as possible since the 2nd day, gently forcing my palm up and rotating my wrist. Today I tried ice and got a great deal of relief. After reading this site I tried massage and Anna's 'serving tray' exercise and supporting my elbow with my uninjured hand and extending. These exercises are helping..thank you so very much! For me it seems to help to keep moving as normally as possible. But I feel so much better knowing all this pain etc. is what is to be expected and to realize this is going to take some time...so glad for this site because I am hopeful now. I thought I had done some extra damage by avoiding the splint and sling and using it so much! Keep pushing guys!

Mar 20, 2011
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7 weeks in..weird new pains in hand
by: Anonymous

~7 weeks since my injury (feb 11)
classified as a radial head fracture, but dr showed me the x ray--horizontal break about 3/4 of the way across the neck (right dominant arm)

My injury was the typical FOOSH, while I was visiting my folks in another state (feb 11).

The ortho told me i was going to need surgery..a replacement! Then we told him i wasn't from the area, and needed to get back home and to work.

For reasons quite beyond me, the ortho put me in a cast and told me to see an ortho down here in 2 weeks...I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone here that the new (HIGHLY rated) Dr down here was shocked that i was in a cast at all, and mystified why the other dr thought it wouldnt heal properly.

all that is just a preamble to say...be careful who you see, do your research, and if anything doesn't jibe..get a a second opinion!

NOW TO MY QUESTION:
I'm now into 3rd week of pt--first goal was to be CERTAIN i didn't need surgery....to work with pt on ROM and see what kind of progress we could make in 2 week's time, so we'd know if there was some blockage or not.

I could not believe how much progress we made in such a short time...supination..after heat, massage and 15-20 minutes of gentle coaxing, i can get it almost there...but the new pains have me worried. I espected arm/elbow pain, but this is weird..I'm sure somonelse can explain

1. Thumb joint--ok, i did already have arthrytis in the base, but MAN it hurts. So when I"m doing my supination excercises, I use my left thumb to put a great deal of pressure in the interior web area...takes care of the pain there AND in the inside elbow joint. If I release, it all comes back.

2. Back side of hand..below pinky and ring finger.
This too, responds well to strong pressure....

So basicly, I use my left hand to put a "death grip" on my right hand, the thumb pushing into the web, and the palm creating pressure on the back of the hand..all of this while being very careful that it is not doing anything to help or hinder the rotation. Tricky.

Does anyone else have any experience with this????

Because of my stupid insurance, I am having to stretch out my official 10 PT visits,so won't see her until Thursday, but am concerned that I may have caused additional injury? Or is tendon/ligament damage from the original injury showeing itself as we've progress? Or is all of this very normal??

THANKS FOR ANU INSIGHT!

Mar 20, 2011
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regarding 7wks in weird pain
by: Anonymous

I also experienced strange pains shooting down my arm and effecting my fingers and wrist. Come to learn it's nerve pain. I don't recall the medical terminology however, there is a very long nerve that is located near and around the radial head it extends all the way to our fingers and it also extends upward past our shoulder moving on up toward our neck. So, the strange pain is normal and annoying! In time it will get better. PT is great don't stress if you are truly sore afterward it's a strange road to recovery. Massage will help keep the joints and muscles loose. They tend to gunk up but massage truly breaks it up. I am 5mo. post op and 2mo no PT. I do yoga almost daily. Strange but true it is my total relief from pain and discomfort. Don't stress seven weeks is very early on. You can request that your doctor write a note to the insurance company to extend your PT. My insurance carrier was the one who told me this! Yeap... so, don't lose hope. PT really helped me get over the hump and discover that my recovery was 100% in my hands. That is why I now do yoga in conjunction with my at home PT excersises... Who wants to live in pain? I do have bad days,especially with cold damp weather, but regular exercises learned in PT combined with yoga is my new perscription for success!

Mar 21, 2011
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Thank you all for posting your stories
by: Suzanne

I'm 15 weeks post surgery. Radial head at elbow in dominant arm broken in 3 pieces and put back together with plate and screws. I've been to pt 3 x week for 10 weeks and also do my pt at home. I started using a jas brace also about 2 weeks ago and sleep in a splint. My arm can extend fairly well, but flexion is still very limited and not at a range that is usable yet. I also have very limited pronation and supination.

The last 3 weeks my pinky and ring finger have gone numb and my hand feels much weaker. Dr says it is the ulnar nerve and the problem may go away on its own. I admit that it scares me.

The pt is painful, but I've worked very hard at it and was so hopeful that I could regain a functional rom. Starting to think that despite the effort, maybe another surgery will be required. The dr mentioned that removing the plate and screws might help and also a manipulation under anesthesia.

I would have never thought fracturing my elbow would get me down this way. This is such a tuff injury to recover from, it is helpful to read other's experiences and know that I'm not the only one dealing with this.

Mar 21, 2011
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Nerve Pain
by: Kathleen O

Just read the comment regarding nerve pain. I'm a 'recovering' radial head implant survivor. I had mine replaced in 2005. Here we are 6 years later and I'm at 90% mobility and strength.

The only residual effects are nerve pain down from elbow area to pinky and ring finger and aches when the weather is cold and wet. I've also had my arm literally freeze up on me 2 times for no reason at all, but that lasted only a few days, then resumed to normal.

I had a nerve study and was told that the accident I had did damage to the nerves. My pinky and 1/2 of my ring finger are always numb, but not a hinderance, just a casualty of the accident. Something I'll live with.

Over time, mobility gets better and you'll be good as new with PT and day to day motion.

Mar 21, 2011
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RH replacement
by: Sandy

Hi, after a bad fall (or "flop"), I had my fragmented radial head replaced Oct 6, 2010 in my dominant (right) arm. With extensive PT (3X a week) and home PT (also using the JAS splint)I was able to regain most extension. I experienced muscle guarding which may have contributed to flexion being "stuck" at 105 degrees. Feb 24th I had another surgery for ulnar nerve transposition and elbow manipulation. This surgery seemed to "release" my elbow and improve ROM. Relocating the nerve has caused considerable numbness in half my right hand - especially the pinky finger, ring finger and side/butt of my hand. My therapist assures me that this is normal and all part of the ulnar nerve. It could be months until I have the feeling back. Arising from this 2nd surgery is the feeling that I have to frequently raise my arm to "pull" my elbow out of a stuck feeling where it feels like it has to "click" back into place - you can hear the click.

My supination is still weak. Unable to turn my palm upright - stays at the 1:00 to 2:00 range. Getting closer to shampooing my hair, brushing my teeth, washing my face etc... Still can't rest on my elbow as in sitting on the couch watching tv - it does'nt reach my head at that angle. Still can't sleep with my arm under the pillow - I've had to adjust to sleeping on my back.

There are times where I feel that my bones actually hurt. Mostly I am just achy vs. in pain. There always seems to be some sympton to deal with daily - it is never the same. My wrist may feel "chunky", my shoulder may ache, my arm may throb..... I can spend so much time using heat, stretching etc., only to feel like I did absolutley nothing just 30 minutes later. I will agree with everyone here, it certainly is a difficult recovery.

I am closing in on 6 months post injury, 2 surgerys later and I'm almost ready to return back to work. I work in the Info. Technology field and sit at a keyboard for 12 hr days. Returning frightens me a little since I know I will never be at 100% and i'm told that arthritis is inevitable. Any thoughts ?

Like everyone else, I never imagined something as simple as an elbow would cause so much disruption to my life. The things we take for granted.

The Fall and Winter were rough, looking forward to Spring !

Mar 22, 2011
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to SANDY re returning to IT/keyboarding
by: kc (formerly anonymous)

inj date 2/11
I've just started using an AUTO HOT KEYSscript that allows me to use just the left a side of the kb (and mirrored muscle memory) to be able to touch type with just my left hand. it takes some getting use to.....of course, it also facilitates the other wayaround for the right hand.

Also, there are a few it guys who've created other work arounds for similar situations...pm me if you want links..

Mar 22, 2011
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ps--THX for feedback re werid paini'll let you no what PT s
by: kc

nt

Mar 22, 2011
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ps--THX for feedback re werid paini'll let you no what PT s
by: kc

nt

Mar 23, 2011
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question re: 2nd surgery experiences
by: Suzanne

I would appreciate any feedback offered regarding 2nd surgeries for manual manipulation, nerve transportation, hardware removal, or scar tissue.

What was your experience like? Are you glad you did it? Would you do it again? What was the intial reasoning for the second procedure?

I'm searching for all the info I can find on elbow rehabilitation, and not finding a lot of sources of actual experiences of patients.

This elbow is driving me crazy. Just trying to hang in there and "arm" myself with as much information as possible.

Mar 24, 2011
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Ulnar nerve transportation
by: Sandy

Suzanne, 1 month ago today I had the 2nd surgery you mentioned - ulnar nerve transportation and elbow manipulation. See my earlier post from Mar 21. My elbow was stuck at 105 degrees flexion. My surgeon originally suspected scar tissue as the culprit which is why we waited 4 months post original surgery - he said if scar tissue was to form, I would have the maximum amount by then. Turns out my nerve was actually bunched up/crumpled (not sure if there is any technical term). This was preventing any further stretch in the elbow area. There was scar tissue present but not enough to cause my issue.

One month post 2nd surgery and lots of PT (and using JAS Splint) I'm now at 130. I can reach my face/head which is my greatest achievement following surgery. PT was (is) painful, I take 1/2 percoset (vs. a full - my choice - I hate feeling altered) 45 min prior to my PT appt. This was perscribed by the surgeon saying I had to "push through the pain". My therapist says it helps her manipulate my arm better, we tried both - with and without meds. I am less resistant to the pain she causes. Has it all been worth it.... definatley. I also experience the nerve issue - pinky and ring finger numbness. For me this is directly caused by the surgery since it is all ulnar nerve related. My therapist says it could be months before it returns to normal. I will be seeing my surgeon on Monday at which time I will probably be approved to return to work - 6 months post injury (Sept 2010). Good luck Suzanne !

KC - thank you for the Keyboard info.

Mar 24, 2011
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Sandy - more elbow talk
by: Suzanne

Sandy, thanks so much for your details. Getting from 105 to 130 is huge! Sounds like you are finally on your way to recovery. I would think that if you are at 130 in 1 month, you are surely going to get even more flexion and use of your arm. I hope getting back to work is a good thing for you and back into a normal routine and life.

I also have been taking pain meds before pt, but like you I find it worse to be in a fog, so I take a minimal amount. I have to be clear enough to breath and focus on relaxing muscles. This is the closest thing to natural childbirth that I can imagine. I never cry during pt, but I do admit that in the privacy of my car afterwards, I sometimes break down and sob. There is this relief that I made it through another session, but the realization that I will have to do it again and again.

Not many have talked about the emotional aspect of this, but I imagine it is difficult for all of us. I try to keep complaints to friends and family to an absolute minimum, because as this drags on, I'm sure they don't really want to hear it. And I think most equate the injury with a broken bone, and can't understand why it would be that big of a deal. So maybe that's why we search out sites on the internet for others with similar experiences. Thanks to all of you for your posts. It helps.

Mar 24, 2011
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Suffer as a Team
by: Kathleen O

I too hate whining and fussing over my inabilities with my arm. It gets old hearing, I'm sure

It's good that we found this forum to compare our stories and share our aches and pains. We're all in this together and we can get good pointers here.

Mar 24, 2011
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delay in going to the doctor
by: rt

my elbow was fratured 2 months ago.when i went to the doctor it was too late n he said it cant be joined now.later on when it pains much some part of the radial head(in my view)should be cut.now iam doing my usual jobs with such hand.what should i do.please give me the suggestion if there any.

Mar 25, 2011
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Response to RT
by: Kathleen O

Hello RT! So, if I understand correctly, your radial head was shattered, you went to the DR and he just sent you home? You should definitely see an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in this.

I went to the ER as soon as I fell and they too sent me home. My fractured head was very visible. I was home for a week, went to the orthopedic DR and he immediately operated.

The fractured pieces and 1" of the head was removed and I got an implant put in. This was in 2005. Alot of PT and working it, but I have strength back and great movement.

As a result of the fracture, my nerves were damaged and I still have nerve pain which radiates down my arm to my fingers and wrist. I'm living with this, as it's not totally debilitating.

I did have a nerve study and was told they can operate to do something with the nerves, but right now, I don't want to go to that length.

You need to see an orthopedic and have your radial head repaired; implant if necessary.

Mar 27, 2011
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Ongoing problems
by: Trevor

I broke my radial head and dislocated my elbow playing football 10 years ago. At the time I went to A+E and was told that the radial head was broken and the only treatment was to put the arm in a sling and start physio after 6 weeks. I have never felt pain like it in my life and returned to A+E twice due to the pain. I was given a appointment to the fracture clinic and had blood drained from the joint. The pain still continued for weeks. Physio did not help and after 6 months my arm started to get worse as my arm got more and more bent. Surgeons then decided to operate, they found the radial head badly damaged and they removed the head. The elbow continued to give a lot of pain and I still could not straighten the arm. I was then told there was nothing further they could do. My work decided to send me to the company Bupa scheme and a surgeon looked again at the arm and operated again within the week. I was then also sent for sports physio which managed to get my arm virtually straight which was great. I have always had the horrible clicking from ´the joint but I am now having worse problems as my arm is locking all the time. I have seen a new surgeon and he believes that there is still loose foreighn bodies in the joint which could be old blood from the old injury 10 years ago. It has been and still is a nightmare as I believe I should have had surgery right at the beginning.

Apr 09, 2011
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tingling
by: Anonymous

I had fractured my radial head in 3 different places in January 10, 2010. I underwent lots of therapy, then surgery on my shoulkder as this was affected as well. Now being April 9, 2011 I started feeling tingling in the pinky and ring finger. I called my doctor and he said to go and see him. This started last Thursday and I go and see him this Thursday coming. I just hope I don't need another surgery. I was told from my doctor that it is from the elbow. So we shall see what the outcome will be.

Apr 09, 2011
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To Tingling
by: Kathleen Owens

Hi. I too have the numbness and tingling in my pinky and half of my ring finger. I had a shattered radial head in 2005 and have a titanium implant now. The numbness and nerve pain radiates from my elbow.

I had a nerve study and was told that the pain I feel is a result of the nerves that were compressed from my injury along with scar tissue. Surgery was a last result. It's not horrible pain and numbness, but it's enough to annoy me at times. Considering surgery is my other option, I'll suffer with numbness and occasional annoying pain.

Here's a link with info on Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, which is what I was diagnosed with and is common with this type of injury.

http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/hw007.htm

My email is KatOwens@aol.com if you want to chat about your injury. :)

Apr 11, 2011
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Radial Head fracture
by: Drea

Fractured my radial head on Feb. 19 2011. Slipped on a rainy metal grate coming home from NBA Fan Jam at LA Convention center. Going on 2 months and begin PT tomorrow. I teach 1st. grade and sometimes in hurts so much. People don't see a cast or sling and they don't think anything is wrong with you. The pain can be powerful especially now with the cold weather. Reading all the comments it sounds like I have a long road to recovery. It does get frustrating after a while when the elbow won't bend and you can't do things like you're used to.

Apr 11, 2011
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Apr 14, 2011
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Kelly's story
by: Anonymous

Hi there,
I shattered my radial head in dominant arm, blessed that I am left handed, would be very hard to shake hands if it were the right. I fell coming out of church, of all places! I had surgery a week and a half later, walked around with broken arm for the whole time. I have a titanium replacement. I have about 90% motion, but can't straighten it out. I get alot of different pains with it, like cold weather of if I do something I shouldn't. I am never to lift over 20 lbs or push or pull due to popping it out of place. Doc says it is just screwed into the bone. My biggest problem is people come up and grab it, not knowing it or just don't remember it, almost sends me to my knees, I have thought of a band aid tatoo on it with ouchie! lol. Life is very different with it, but very much a blessing. I get very frustrated not being able to do things, volleyball is a thing of the past and most upper normal exercises. My elbow pops and cracks and gives my problems. I would eally like to know what kind of work I can do in the future. We homeschool our sons so I have been at home for 18 yrs. I had the most incredible doc for it, very kind and caring and great thearpist. I wish all the best to all who are going thru this. God Bless. Thanks for hearing me and we are all in this together, I am so glad to talk to others with the same injury.

Apr 20, 2011
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question
by: nicole

i too did this last night and i have to be back to sports in 4 weeks is it possible to get the cast off in 3 weeks

Apr 20, 2011
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question
by: nicole

i too did this last night and i have to be back to sports in 4 weeks is it possible to get the cast off in 3 weeks

Apr 20, 2011
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question
by: nicole

i too did this last night and i have to be back to sports in 4 weeks is it possible to get the cast off in 3 weeks

Apr 24, 2011
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Every sympathy for all these people
by: NOT ALONE

How can the fracture of this little joint/bone take so long to heal,cause so much pain and lot of limitations.
I too fractured my radial head on 23 1 11 on my non dominant arm. 3 months on still very painful. I have full rotation and can touch my shoulder.
I still cannot straighten my arm. It is very tight and painful. Until I read this page I too was considering a second opinion, because the healing process is taking so long.
I have asked to be referred to a PT as it is hindering my employment.
Like so many others I seem to be able to carry with this arm but no strenghth to push up without a lot of pain, clicking and grinding.
The cause, a wet kitchen floor. Such a stupid fall causing so many problems.

Apr 28, 2011
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Type III radial head fracture
by: Anonymous

Hello everyone,

fell of my bike 3 weeks ago, radial head replacement 10 days ago and in a haze of painkillers. I had neuropathethic pain, whatever that is, and have a low pain threshhold anyway. the whole thing has been a nightmare and very depressing. I have a history of bad post-operative pain anyway and the first 3 days in hospital were hellish because pain relief was not working and the staff refused to believe me. Anyway, enough of that.

The radial head feels wrong and has done from day 1. Also the elbow is stiff and i have now been told that was due to the 9 day delay before surgery but nobody said anything like that before. Does anyone have the same experience?

They want to put me under again and manipulate - in 6 weeks. Any thoughts/experiences. tps, things to look out for?

Thanks!

Y

Apr 28, 2011
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recent surgery
by: Kathleenb O

You are going to have a long road ahead of you, with or without complications. I did 6 months of PT 2 days a week. without PT, you won't be able to regain movement.

Stiffness is a given. They've dug around in there and messed with muscles, and nerves.

Nerve pain for me was the norm from day one. I have gotten used to it and have gotten used to the numbness from the cubital tunnel (around the elbow) that the nerves pass through.

It's not an easy surgery by any means. Just know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel may be long.

I had my radial head shattered after a fall down stairs. Had an implant put in in 2005 and I have only recently, in the past year or so, been able to regain full strength and mobility.

Good luck. We've been there and know what you're going through.

Apr 29, 2011
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Thanks Kathleen
by: Anonymous

Thank you Kathleen. My friends just treat it like a broken arm, without the cast, and appear not to understand why this worries me so much. But I have already been told it will never be the same, which is scary, as is having it stuck. I will keep stretching! Y

May 01, 2011
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recent surgery - Anonymous
by: KathleenO

Simply show your friends, who think this is a papercut, this forum and they'll see that what you've experienced is severe and they'd never understand the pain that you've felt.

Also, they'll never know the fear of possibly never being 'normal' again; doing your hair, brushing your teeth, typing, sweeping the floor, lifting a pot, etc. Routine stuff to them is just that routine, to us it's a task and shore.

Email me if you want to vent or compare notes. :) Kathleen

KatOwens@aol.com

May 02, 2011
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thank u
by: Anonymous

Hello everyone,well i 've had radial head fractureS 6 weeks ago;Today i'm feeling better thanks god; i 've no insurrance so i was looking for advices via web & found this wsite Thank u! just i want to tell my hellish story, after a fall i went 2 emmergency put me in a sling n gave me 20 strong painkiller=that i didn't use all(constipation);i came from old world and i realise how true our myth saying that after splint or sling or cast if u sleep your injury will NOT going to heal properly!!!i didn't sleep for six days! 10 days myself took off the splint after the sweling on my limbe or fingers gone!one advice,eat good meals (milk ,butter,meat,diet,dattes,fruity olive oil full of calcium protiens,..medeterranian food )RICE is good as well always moving fingers even while lying down on bed
After injury stop any sexual activity;so u can feel better quickly!

May 02, 2011
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Recent surgery
by: Anonymous

Thanks Kathleen. I think the fear of never being normal again is the worst and rather difficult to explain because people think you are overreacting, after all, it is 'just' a broken arm, isn't it? I also wish someone had warned me in advance of the surgery about the severeness of the stiffness, but that is done now.

My body does not like metal implants, I previously broke my knee and it only started to get better properly when I had the implant taken out a few years later. I think that might happen here too but I read a post on this site that said you would have to do all the PT and exercises all over again; I am not sure I could face that since I am only starting the road to recovery now. Anybody who has had this done?

Anyway, there finally appears to be some small movement of my hand towards my shoulder (previously unmoveable at 90 degrees), whether that is because the post-op swelling is going down or because of my persistent tugging to get it there I do not know. I am due to start PT this week since it is now two weeks post-op and I will see what they say.

I think it is only 5 degrees or so but I have managed to put a hair clip in, my contact lenses and earrings. Very painful and tricky and some things had to be done one handed, but it is progress and cheered me up. Eating with knife and fork or getting a spoon to my mouth is still very difficult and painful and most of the time unmanageable.

One thing which I have started doing, painful though it is, is to try and use my left arm and hand more (the one I broke). I am fortunate in that I am mostly right-handed although I could also say I am ambi-dexterous as I am now discovering. So I am even trying to use my left hand where I previously used my right hand (trying to brush my teeth is fun). The idea is to stretch it to the max and to use the muscles before they wither away. I got the idea based on a book about stoke victims read a while ago who improved after their healthy arm was strapped so they could only try to use the arm affected by the stroke and they improved a lot. I thought I would pass it on, you never know. I do know that after I broke my knee, 7 years ago, another bicycle accident, it took me years to build up the muscle mass because I automaticaly favoured my healthy leg and to this day it is much weaker as a result.

Anyway, I will keep posting. I am supposed to have a very good surgeon, although he does not talk much, so will pass on anything I learn. I have my post-op review this week and a consultation with the pain specialist (they got one involved at the hospital, eventually, since I have an abnormally high tolerance for morphine and other pain killers).

Y

May 18, 2011
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broken plate
by: chiv

Hi, i smashed the RH in a motocross crash over a jump after coming together with another ride back in 2004. Had 6 screws and a plate put in to hold it together. I have got full movement back other then rotation of the wrist. BUT 12 months ago started to get more pain so went to the Doc found out the plate is broken into 3 bits and the bone has never really healed. At age 35 the doctor was not keen for a replacement so went in and just cleaned out the joint. Now it is out of alinement the two bone are rubbing together when i turn my wrist. So now it time to replace the radial head. Can anyone please help me with what i am up for, will i get back on the bike, can i get full strength back and will i be able to trust my elbow again?

May 18, 2011
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Motorcross Crash Guy
by: Kathleen Owens

I got a radial head implant on my left arm in 2005 after a fall down stairs.

Went to tons of physical therapy and now I'm at 90% strength and motion. There's discomfort at the wrist still and I have 'freezes' occasionally where I can't move my arm at my elbow, but that lasts only a day or two.

You'll be good....just do as the 'doctor tells you' and you'll be fine.

However, riding motorcross and falling off, etc. and landing on your implant arm could cause severe issues if you reinjure!

May 18, 2011
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May 19, 2011
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broken plate
by: Chiv

Thanks kathleen, do you mined if i ask your age? I guess my main concern is work, I'm a leisure boat repair/builder in fibreglass so i do a lot of heavy lifting and using large grinding tools ect. The doc has told me to find an office job because what i do now will not be good on the replacement, but it is the family business so that is a bit hard. I think lots of gym work is my best option and get on with life.

May 19, 2011
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To Chiv
by: Kathleen Owens

Hi. The injury happened when I was 39, 44 now. I do alot of landscape work, digging, edging, mowing, lifting, etc. I'm very physical and if I must say, able to lift alot. There's alot of discomfort on occasion, but you can't crawl under a rock! I am very careful as to what I do and have learned what injures the muscles at the joint and wrist.

Any other questions, you can email me at KatOwens@aol.com.

May 24, 2011
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great help
by: JR

Like most people here I fell onto outstretched hand, (I see it called a FOOSH injury a lot)and fractured the head of the radius on my left elbow. I got my bike wheel tangled up and didnt have the time/presence of mind to get out of the clip pedals in time.
Result: a few grazes on my ankle, a bruised hip and my arm felt like it had a shock. I felt sick right away and when I got up from the deck I could not lift my arm above shoulder height. I walked the bike home and had to wait until the morning to get it looked at. (The elbow not the bike)

I found to my dismay I had a 1mm fracture of the radius head and a piece of bone was floating around in the joint and the surgeon was looking to put me into his surgery on the same day.
I had exams that week so I delayed until 6 days after the accident and they put my arm into a half rigid cast at 80° for this period. In the operation they removed the chunk of bone and pinned with one screw the fracture. I previously had cut a nerve in my finger and was seriously worried about nerve damage in my other good hand.
Upon awaking from the operation I could not feel my hand at all. I was told the nerve running through this area had to be moved to get to the fracture and the feeling was going to come back in the next 24-48 hours, but I was pretty freaked out by this. Well it came back as they said with a lot of tingling and it is 100 % back now.

Now at day 23 since the accident and 15 days since the opertion. 1 day since the stitches came out. I started physio 8 days ago. First time with pain meds but since then none. the rotation seems to be back to almost normal although the doctor and physio warn me about rotating it too far. The extension ROM is only 30° to 85° right now. Once I can get to 90° I hope(pray) I can bend it further. its no fun when you cant reach your mouth with the fork. Yesterday the physio was tough. I am pretty sore but it is bearable and I dont want to take meds if I can help it. To be honest it has improved a lot over the last 5 days.

Not looking forward to the next '4-6 months' but it is better I know what to expect and I'm now better armed and motivated to do the exercises regularly. (So far my only exercise is to rub my hands together at almost maximum extension, but I think I will get more exercises next time.)

Wish you all had said that I could expect the kind of speedy recovery I would like but I'm GLAD I READ ALL THESE COMMENTS

Good luck to you all with your recovery.

May 25, 2011
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exercises
by: Anonymous

Hi everyone,

It is now week 5 since operaion and ROM is 30 degrees and 100 (flexion), rotation still very poor).

Two exercises I have come across that are really helpful:

Rotation: hold neck of wine bottle in hand and keep holding in whatever direction you need to stretch. Much more effective than then twirling with a walking stick which I have been doing for weeks to no avail. I have about 25% movement in either direction.

Extension: lie on side with bad arm 'flat' on floor, put one of your legs over it and gently use the weight for long stretches. Very effective in sauna or steam room. You can also do this in bed if a hard surface is too much.

Lastly, I swim every day and stretch in the sauna every day as well, which helps. Three weeks ago I was at 95 degrees and 45, now 100 and 30.

I have been told by various physios that little and often is the way to go.

Finally, they are deciding next week to manipulate me or not. Any thoughts anyone? Or any other exercises that worked for you?

Y

May 27, 2011
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RH replacement etc ...etc...
by: Sandy

Just to recap - shattered RH 9/23/2010 - had replacement surgery 10/6/2010. Extensive PT, JAS splint for extention, dynamic splint for flexion etc. I could not move beyond 105 flexion, unable to reach my head/face. My ulnar nerve was trapped. On 2/24/2011 I had manual manipulation with capsular release, and ulnar nerve decompression/transposition. Regained flexion - now 130. Post 2nd surgery follow-up, I complained of numbness/tingling in my hand and fingers. Told this was a temporary situation that would gradually resolve itself - possibly taking months. I returned to work 4/5/2011 after being out 6+ months. I work in a data ctr. enviornment, 12 hr. night shift. I returned to 6 hrs. working a keyboard. PT was decreased to 2x a week for 4 wks to account for expected inflammation. PT has now stopped, my surgeon has left his practice to return to a teaching position and my arm (not just the elbow)is killing me. I will be returning to my 12 hr. schedule soon. I saw a new ortho. surgeon who suspects cubitol tunnel syndrome. He has ordered an ECM study with a neurologist. This will not happen till mid June. I'm not sure how long I can wait and what he plans on doing with the nerve study results. I only met him once for 15 min. I wake up every day in pain and just push through it with 800mg tylenol. Any experience or info. would be appreciated. Evidently the 'fix' is what the cause was - nerve transposition. Originally it was just inner elbow pain (where the ulnar nerve is re-positioned, it would rub against me and my desk etc..), now it is my entire arm that hurts. It feels like it is being twisted in opposite directions. My wrist still hurts, my thumb now hurts and my hand is STILL numb/tingling (3 months later). I see many posts where this RH issue has gone on for years. I seem to keep compounding my orginal injury with new issues. I am looking forward to a final resolve so I can move on.....

May 27, 2011
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It's not so bad!
by: Anonymous

Hang in there people... Please, acknowledge that this injury will forever change how you do things... It's not bad just a minor life adjustment. You can go weeks without pain or strange clicking, snap, crackle, pop.. And all of a sudden one day carrying too many grocery bags can set it off. It's just like any of those sports injuries that act out from time to time. Best thing is to keep active and always, I mean always do those little exercises and stretches they teach you in PT. It's just part of life and with life comes a few aches and pains. Just don't let it eat you up and occupy all your time...
Enjoy life and stay active...
snap, crackle, pop!

May 31, 2011
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Fracture radial head
by: Harry

Fracture my radial head on the 26th of may on my left elbow I know it's painful but I'm ready and doc recommended surgery.

Jun 08, 2011
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Recent radial head fracture tips
by: Anonymous

hi all
I also had the unfortunate radial head fracture non displaced, no surgery required. The most important thing is to rest it for a week post injury and move it as little as possible to allow the swelling in and around the joint to setting down.
Once this has happened start mobilising to your own limits go to where you feel pain and stop. Remember it takes 6 - 8 weeks for a bone fracture to head so stick with it. Just know that if you mobilse early you are move likely to regain full range of movement of your elbow.
If you are getting tingling sensations it could mean that you damaged your radial nerve when you feel. If this happens then go see your doctor and they can get you either an orthopaedic or neurology consult.
Happy exercising.

Jun 26, 2011
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Hinged External Fixator, radial head replacement & two surgeries
by: Anonymous

Hi there, fellow sufferers. Like many of you, I fell forward onto my (thank goodness) non-dominant arm and got a real fancy break----dislocated the elbow completely, fractured the humerus and ulna and "exploded" the radial head into bits. First surgery was just the radial head replacement, which they thought would do it, but 8 days later the X-ray showed that it wasn't sitting right. So, a second six-hour surgery and an external fixator was put on, with a hinge at the joint so that I could move it some, but not a lot. Strangely, I did not have nerve damage and have been able to type with both hands since about week 4-5. After the six-hour surgery, I was in the hospital for five days. It's been pretty intense. If you're dealing with this kind of injury, my best advice is to ask for help, communicate often, use FB and Twitter and other social networking as much as you can and, most importantly, forget your pride!! Let people help you. Oh, and rest rest rest. Drugs can't replace what rest can do. I was lucky (?) to be unemployed when this happened, but you might want to take a leave of absence or short-term disability from work. I have been sleeping nearly 12-16 hours/day, which I prefer vastly to Vicodin or Oxycontin. Gave those up my first week home from the hospital and was much happier with aleve, tylenol, ice, and sometimes a Tramadol to sleep. I did have problems with infection in my pin sites with is a whole nother ball of wax, honestly. Real drag. Yesterday I got my pins out and I'm disappointed to realize that the prickly feeling I have that my arm is in a sticker bush was not wholly caused by the external fixator, but is, in fact, somehow in my arm permanently now. Hm. Not sure what to make of that. Have to start PT soon, I guess. Good luck to you all. Give up your pride, accept help in all its forms and pamper yourself!! love to all.

Jun 26, 2011
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Question - Radial Head Fracture

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Question - Radial Head Fracture