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I Received A Displaced Radial Head Fracture 9 Weeks Ago.

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Posted on Fri, 8 Nov 2019
Question: I received a displaced radial head fracture 9 weeks ago. 30% of the head broke away and was displaced by 2.7mm. No surgery was done. The pain and inability to use it fully has worsened over the last 2 weeks so i tried to get in to see the specislist I've been seeing but they can't get me in until the 29th October. What should I do?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Aashish Raghu (11 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Fracture healing going on

Detailed Answer:
Hi there

Since it is already nine weeks since the fracture it most probably has started healing in this position.

Physiotherapy would be ideal to start elbow moments to reduce the chance of elbow stiffness.

If the pain still persists after good physiotherapy it may need surgery.

I hope I have answered your query.

Thanks and regards.

Dr.Aashish Raghu
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Aashish Raghu (42 minutes later)

Thank you for your response.
I am doing exercises to increase my ROM but thats not worrying me. My concern is I cannot straighten my elbow because it feels like something is stuck in the joint and can't move past 40°. Right at the moment of injury there was an inability to straighten my arm so it's not like it stiffened overtime.
Plus the pain from just using my fingers without any pressure on my actual arm/elbow alone causes pain that overtime becomes unbearable.

Knowing what to expect from a Dr in a situation like this, as a patient, is very difficult. I'm at the point of not agreeing with the decisions so far.
I ask only so that I am better informed :
In your opinion based on what I've told you, would you have done surgery at the beginning and apart from PT is there anything else that can be done at this point...perhaps a CT scan ? My QOL has really been affected.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Aashish Raghu (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Usually radial head displaced fractures are fixed right away

Detailed Answer:
Usually displaced radial head fractures are fixed right away. This reduces the chance of joint stiffness and disability.

You could het a CT scan done to look for anything grossly blocking your joint movement and may help decide if surgery can help you at this stage.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Aashish Raghu

Orthopaedic Surgeon

Practicing since :2011

Answered : 5481 Questions

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I Received A Displaced Radial Head Fracture 9 Weeks Ago.

Brief Answer: Fracture healing going on Detailed Answer: Hi there Since it is already nine weeks since the fracture it most probably has started healing in this position. Physiotherapy would be ideal to start elbow moments to reduce the chance of elbow stiffness. If the pain still persists after good physiotherapy it may need surgery. I hope I have answered your query. Thanks and regards. Dr.Aashish Raghu