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Case Reports
. 2010 Mar;2(1):55-8.
doi: 10.4055/cios.2010.2.1.55. Epub 2010 Feb 4.

Ulnar nerve palsy following closed fracture of the distal radius: a report of 2 cases

Chul-Hyun Cho  1 , Chul-Hyung Kang, Jae-Hoon Jung
Affiliations
Case Reports

Ulnar nerve palsy following closed fracture of the distal radius: a report of 2 cases

Chul-Hyun Cho et al. Clin Orthop Surg. 2010 Mar.

Abstract

Ulnar nerve palsy subsequent to a fracture of the distal radius is extremely rare compared to a median nerve injury. The lesion tends to occur in younger patents with a high-energy mechanism of injury and a severe injury pattern consisting of wide displacement, comminution, combined distal ulnar fracture and open fracture. The mechanism of injury can contribute to a direct contusion and traction, compression secondary to prolonged edema and tissue fibrosis, intraneural fibrosis and laceration. We report 2 cases of progressive ulnar nerve palsy subsequent to closed fractures of the distal radius. The neurological symptoms recovered in all cases who underwent nerve decompression and neurolysis at 2 or 3 months after the trauma. It is recommended that cases with high-energy, widely displaced or comminuted fractures of the distal radius be evaluated carefully for ulnar nerve as well as median nerve injury.

Keywords: Closed; Distal; Palsy; Radius fracture; Ulnar nerve.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Anteroposterior and lateral radiographs show an intra-articular fracture of the distal radius with a fracture of the ulnar styloid process. The distal fragment of the radius was displaced dorsoradially.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Photograph shows swelling, compression and adhesion by the surrounding tissue fibrosis of the ulnar nerve at the level of Guyon's canal.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Anteroposterior and lateral radiographs show a severe intra-articular comminuted fracture of the distal radius with a fracture of the ulnar styloid process.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Photograph shows swelling and compression by the surrounding tissue fibrosis of the ulnar nerve at the level of Guyon's canal.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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