Isolated posttraumatic posterior dislocation of the radial head in an adult

Abstract

Isolated posterior dislocation of the radial head without concomitant ulnar fracture or humeroulnar subluxation is a rare injury with few reports in the literature. We describe a case of a 27-year-old man who sustained a traction injury to the right elbow and crush injury to the forearm with subsequent posterior dislocation of the radial head. The dislocation was treated by manual reduction under anesthesia, surgical repair of the annular ligament, and subsequent rehabilitation for 6 weeks in a range-of-motion brace with the forearm in pronation. To our knowledge, this is the only case to be treated this way. Our patient reports excellent range of motion and strength 3 years after surgery.