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Case Reports
. 2022 Oct 5:42:100702.
doi: 10.1016/j.tcr.2022.100702. eCollection 2022 Dec.

Rupture of the brachioradialis muscle following blunt trauma. A case report

Sanne Vogels  1   2 , Jan Debeij  3   4 , Rigo Hoencamp  1   2   5   6 , Ewan D Ritchie  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Rupture of the brachioradialis muscle following blunt trauma. A case report

Sanne Vogels et al. Trauma Case Rep. .

Abstract

A 50-year old healthy male lost control over the pull string of a milling machine, which strangulated his right elbow and forearm with high velocity. Magnetic resonance imaging of the right upper extremity revealed a substantial tear in the muscle belly of the musculus brachioradialis with multiple small defects in the surrounding musculature of the forearm. The affected arm was immobilized for 1 week with an above the elbow cast. In the following months, guided training and strengthening exercises were performed. The patient could return to his physically demanding work after 10 months and regained full function of his hand and wrist after 18 months. This case report demonstrates that short immobilization followed by extensive and guided strength training has been observed to result in persisting weakness of elbow flexion but good functional outcome for the wrist and hand.

Keywords: Blunt trauma; Brachioradialis muscle; Conservative treatment.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The patient's right elbow after the strangulation.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
T2-weighed magnetic resonance imaging scan of the right upper extremity showing a substantial tear in the muscle belly of the musculus brachioradialis, surrounded by a hematoma. A: sagittal view of the right elbow with the red arrow denoting the tear in the brachioradialis muscle. B: axial view of the forearm with the red arrow denoting the ruptured brachioradialis muscle and the green arrows indicating the small defects in the surrounding musculature of the forearm. DH: distal humerus, R: radius, RH: radial head, U: ulna.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The patient's right arm four weeks after the strangulation. A: Atrophy of the biceps brachii muscle of the upper arm, denoted by the red arrow. B: The indention at the brachioradialis muscle, indicated by the green arrow.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The patient's right arm twelve months after the strangulation. A: The indention at the brachioradialis muscle is still visible, distal from the elbow (black arrow). B: The contours of the biceps brachii muscle are restored.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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